Zephyr is considered to be the west wind and he symbolizes the month of March and beginning of spring. April is the month for Venus who is considered to be the goddess of the gardens (plants and flowers). Her name in Latin was Flora and in Greek Chloris making the three women essentially one in the same. The Graces are the companions of Venus (the spring) and followers of Mercury. Mercury’s union with Venus produced cupid who inspires all manner of life to follow Venus such that it may reproduce itself. Mercury, named after his mother Maia, represents the movement of the wind from spring into summer and thus he represents the month of May. The rustic Roman calendar lasted the duration of ten months and began with the season of spring in the month of March. The painting is read from right to left as opposed to the traditional way of reading from left to right. This may cause some confusion as the wind also blows from east to west and not in reverse. “The circle of the Zodiac, whose turning was thought to control the ebb and flow of the changing seasons, moves counter to the rotation of the earth. In schematic form, the seasons actually do move “backwards,” marching from right to left across the dome of the heavens.” Therefore, it can be concluded that Botticelli inspired by the poets and poetry that surrounded him, and the fact that young Lorenzo had just purchased a rural farm, used the rustic roman calendar as a basis for the compositional layout of “La Primavera.” In August of 1481, Lorenzo the Magnificent arranged for the marriage of the younger Lorenzo to Semiramide Appiani, whose family would have provided the Medici’s with much needed economic and military support as well as sealing their ties with the church, wi... ... middle of paper ... ...nclusive. These men bound together by the artistic circle which was created within the Medici patronage, worked in collaboration to effectively educate a young adolescent, Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici, not only through poetry and the written word, but also through those words translated by Botticelli into what can be called visual poetry. A moral allegory for which a young boy could see with his own eyes, beauty, love and virtue and also the importance of daily existence of life on a farm based upon the seasons and the importance of spring, “La Primavera” became poetry in its own right and a visual aid in the education of young Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici. It also, for Botticelli, became a first step toward painting in a manner that was no longer tied to religious imagery in terms of the church, but toward Botticelli himself becoming a visual poet.
In the Florence and the early renaissance, we have the greatest master of art like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli and others. In this period of time the painters almost never show their emotions or feelings, they were more focused on indulging the churches and the wealthy people. In The renaissance period the art provides the work of art with ideal, intangible qualities, giving it a beauty and significance greater and more permanent than that actually found in the modern art. Florence and the early renaissance, the art become very valued where every artist was trying to create art forms consistent with the appearance of the beauty or elegance in a natural perspective. However, Renaissance art seems to focus more on the human as an individual, while Wayne White art takes a broader picture with no humans whatsoever; Wayne, modern three dimensional arts often utilizes a style of painting more abstract than Renaissance art. At this point in the semester these two aspects of abstract painting and the early renaissance artwork have significant roles in the paintings. Wayne White brings unrealistic concepts that provoke a new theme of art, but nevertheless the artistic creations of the piece of art during early renaissance still represent the highest of attainment in the history of
Andrea Schiavone devised a strategy to distinguish himself from the master painters before him. This style is marked by a sense on incompleteness and feathery brushwork. The painting The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche shows Schiavone at his best because it is the perfect example of the harmony between Titian and Parmigianino. The sinuous lines depicted in the painting give it a lot of sex appeal, while his heavy-duty paint handling keeps it from cloying. In this work Schiavone forces you think past the accepted notions of what is right, and instead focus on the beauty that lies past right and wrong. The painting itself is of Venetian origins, dating back to 1550. It is composed of oil on wood and it was originally octagonal in shape. The corners were add...
Max C. Marmor wrote an article titled: “From Purgatory to the Primavera: Some Observations on Botticelli and Dante” in which he discusses the connections between Dante’s Divine Comedy and Botticelli’s Primavera. I will be comparing this article to one written by Sergiusz Michalski titled: “Venus as Semiramis: A New Interpretation of the Central figure of Botticelli’s Primavera,” which was published in the same issue of Artibus et Historiae in 2003. Michalski discusses Botticelli’s Primavera in this article, but unlike Marmor, his thesis does not include the influence of Dante, but instead revolves around the content and possible donor of the painting, not its basis in Dante’s literary works. The difficulty in comparing these articles comes from Marmor’s focus on Dante and the fact that Michalski hardly mentions Dante’s name or his enormous contributions to Botticelli’s life and work. The articles contain very little overlapping content, which is
By most accounts, the year 1500 was in the midst of the height of the Italian Renaissance. In that year, Flemmish artist Jean Hey, known as the “Master of Moulins,” painted “The Annunciation” to adorn a section of an alter piece for his royal French patrons. The painting tells the story of the angel Gabriel’s visit to the Virgin Mary to deliver the news that she will give birth to the son of God. As the story goes, Mary, an unwed woman, was initially terrified about the prospects of pregnancy, but eventually accepts her fate as God’s servant. “The Annunciation” is an oil painting on a modest canvas, three feet tall and half as wide. The setting of the painting is a study, Mary sitting at a desk in the bottom right hand corner reading, and the angel Gabriel behind her holding a golden scepter, perhaps floating and slightly off the canvas’s center to the left. Both figures are making distinct hand gestures, and a single white dove, in a glowing sphere of gold, floats directly above Mary’s head. The rest of the study is artistic but uncluttered: a tiled floor, a bed with red sheets, and Italian-style architecture. “The Annunciation” was painted at a momentous time, at what is now considered the end of the Early Renaissance (the majority of the 15th Century) and the beginning of the High Renaissance (roughly, 1495 – 1520). Because of its appropriate placement in the Renaissance’s timeline and its distinctly High Renaissance characteristics, Jean Hey’s “Annunciation” represents the culmination of the transition from the trial-and-error process of the Early Renaissance, to the technical perfection that embodied the High Renaissance. Specifically, “Annunciation” demonstrates technical advancements in the portrayal of the huma...
The style that Monteverdi intended to write in was called seconda prattica, this was a description that he used to separate himself for what was known as the more conservative tradition of Palestrina and his “Contemporaries.” The main starting point for Monteverdi was the always the words. Whatever his mood was at the time and what the words might suggest, and or whatever a one word needed to express, was mainly reflected on his music. Throughout the century, this was the basic idea of word content; this painting was used in madrigals through out the century. Due to the fact that his music expressed different moods of styles, for Monteverdi it was however isolated effect, and a guiding force. “This ideal permeated his madrigals and found new expression in the dramatic language or opera.” All Monteverdi’s techniques of work altogether made Monteverdi one of the expertise in the field of Western music.
The portrait of Giuliano de Medici by Raphael, a tempera and oil on canvas, can be dated back to around 1515 (Fig. 2).25 The portrait includes a background depiction of Florence, which is revealed behind a green curtain. As part of a marriage arrangement with Philiberte of Savoy, it is not surprising that Florence would be depicted as an asset of Giuliano's. However, the picture was painted shortly after the carnival of 1513, and it highlights the sort of relationship that the Medici family wanted to re-establish with the city and its people, using public rituals to achieve this. Giuliano's gaze is directed to the part of the curtain revealing the city, thus asserting his status as legitimate ruler, watching over the people of Florence. This painting and the carnival of 1513 convey similar messages. When Girolamo Macchietti executed a portrait of Lorenzo the Magnificent, he used a similar device (Fig. 3). Lorenzo stands tall with Florence in the background, and he looks forward benevolently. What the Medici attempted to achieve with public rituals, they successfully managed to reflect in their portraiture. With their backs turned to the city, they would have appeared to contemporaries as larger-than-life leaders protecting Florence's interests and history. The link between the two portraits is interesting because the carnival of 1513 was a clear attempt at
Lorenzo De Medici can be considered as one of the most influential men of the 13th century. His work in political affairs and administration were renowned in all Italy and his family could count on him in every aspect. Lorenzo was also a promoter of a new period called Renaissance. He was one of the first “mecenate” to explore this new way of art. In this project, I will concentrate how he developed art in Florence, giving a clear example through an Artist of that period that was working for him: Sandro Botticelli. His work “The Spring” is a well-defined example of what we can call “art in the Renaissance”, in particular for the Italian Renaissance.
While paintings in the Renaissance and beyond still had a ways to go in terms of technique and perspective, the progress made in Italy during this time period was astounding. Painters were able to convey emotions and feelings like never before, showing the world that they could transport them to scenes they had only seen in flat, Byzantine images. In a time of straining to make art look real, the use of perspective was the key.
Lucrezia Tornabuoni and her husband Piero the Gouty share a series of letters between the 28th of March and the 3rd of April 1467. The letters between her and husband display the power, the control, and the say she had in the Medici. Women’s opinions typically did not matter, but Lucrezia opinion and voice was highly respected and appreciated. She wanted a marriage for her son Lorenzo that would bring more opportunities and wealth to the Medici family. Despite Lorenzo loving someone else, Lucrezia went through with finding a better wife for her son. She chose Clarice Orsini for her son, because she came from a family of many important people, and had connections to the Catholic Church. This marriage for the Medici was beneficial for them, and
The Medici’s were a prominent family in the Renaissance, who ruled Florence from 1434 to 1737. They are regarded as being one of the most powerful and richest families in the whole of Europe. The Medics used this great status and wealth to develop an improved Florence, one that was significantly influenced by the Renaissance. The Medici family can most certainly be regarded as the significant heroes of the Renaissance. This is due to their significant promotion and patronage in the arts, in turn bringing focus back to the antiquities, a major importance during the Renaissance period. Furthermore, the Medicis can be considered the great heroes of the Renaissance, due to their significant influence of Renaissance Humanist thinking. On top of this, although the Medici family were allegedly corrupt and supposedly paid many bribes in order to become so powerful, they still focused on benefiting the heart of the Renaissance- the city-state of Florence- and should thus not be considered the great villains of the Renaissance, but instead the heroes.
In the article “Conditions of Trade,” Michael Baxandall explains the interaction serving of both fifteenth- century Italian painting and text on how the interpretation of social history from the style of pictures in a historical period, pre-eminently examine the early Renaissance painting. Baxandall looks not only on the explanation of how the style of painting is reflected in a society, but also engages in the visual skills and habits that develop out of daily life. The author examines the central focus on markets, material visual practices, and the concept of the Renaissance period overlooking art as an institution. He observes a Renaissance painting, which relate the experience of activities such as preaching, dancing, and assessing. The author considers discussions of a wide variety of artistic painters, for instance, Filippo Lippi, Fra Angelico, Stefano di Giovanni, Sandro Botticelli, Luca Signorelli, and numerous others. He defines and exemplifies concepts used in contemporary critic of the painting, and in the assembled basic equipment needed to discover the fifteenth- century art. Therefore this introductory to the fifteenth- century Italian painting and arise behind the social history, argues that the two are interconnected and that the conditions of the time helped shape the distinctive elements in the artists painting style. Through the institutional authorization Baxandall looks at integration in social, cultural and visual evaluation in a way that shows not only the visual art in social construction, but how it plays a major role in social orders in many ways, from interaction to larger social structural orders.
...laced on the style and materials presented in the painting. While evaluating and comparing various paintings the author feels that at the beginning of the Renaissance era the skill level of the artist was often not acknowledged whereas materials were, but at the end of the era, skill level played a larger factor in who was chosen to complete the artwork. Therefore, fresco painting, which emerged near the end of the period, changed this so called “deposit”, along with the relationship of the artist and the patron, allowing for the talent and skill of the artist to shine.
Additionally, the styles changed; from Rococo, which was meant to represent the aristocratic power and the “style that (…) and ignored the lower classes” (Cullen), to Neoclassicism, which had a special emphasis on the Roman civilization’s virtues, and also to Romanticism, which performs a celebration of the individual and of freedom. Obviously, also the subject matter that inspired the paintings has changed as wel...
For example, Petrarch focuses on describing not only the appearance of the doe, but her surroundings as well. Furthermore, he is so delighted by the beauty he sees in his beloved that he must drop everything and follow her at all costs; this fact exemplifies the Italian Renaissance’s cultural concept of beauty because the focus is on the poet’s infatuation with the outward beauty of his
"Famiglia De Medici: The Extraordinary Story Of The Family That Financed The Renaissance." Business Insider. 6 Dec. 2013. .