Michael Cope
AH 1001
Julie Cole
3/14/14
Patronage
Buying, selling, and creating art was very different in times like the renaissance and baroque period then it is today. Today many artists create works of art in hopes that they can sell them and make money off of them. In the past patrons were the main players or agents in contacting artists and paying for works of art to be completed. These patrons could determine how much the artist would get paid, what kind of materials they used, how long the artist had to complete a work of art, and even the subject of the piece. There are two main types of patrons. The first is corporate patrons, these patrons were city governments, religious institutions, or brotherhoods. The second type of patron is a private patron, these included aristocrats, rulers, and merchants. The Medici family, the Church, and the government were some of the most important forms of patronage of art during the middle ages.
The Medici’s were from Florence, Italy and controlled florence through much of the Renaissance period. They were very important patrons to the arts and the political development of the city. The Medicis were second in power during the Renaissance only to the papacy. The Medici family was part of the new merchant class of patrons. This merchant class was a new class of wealthy families, usually in the banking sector, that invested their money into the arts. Instead of governments being the top power and the wealthy class these private families began to take the power and wealth away from upper class land owners. The merchant class gave birth to a whole new type of patronage. Now art could be privatized and commissioned by families or one person instead of the church or government. This m...
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... was. This piece was marketed to show the power they had against other families of the time living in Florence. Often times patrons would commission a piece of art work to market a certain feeling or a certain status.
With out the patrons of art we may never have had such great artists or great artwork. Patrons were a very important factor during the renaissance and the Baroque periods. These patrons commissioned some of the greatest works of art that we will ever see. Art works like the bronze David and the Sistine Chapel are thanks in large part to the Medici family, who commissioned the David, and the Pope, who commissioned the Sistine Chapel. Patrons gave artists the ability to create art without the worry of making money. Due to the influence of families like the Medicis, the Church, and the Government art patronage has forever left its stamp on the art world.
Yes, more than one side of the issue is presented. Padgett and Ansell propose that Medici have contributed to the Renaissance and Florence citizens more that it is described in historical records made after the family have lost their authority and was abandoned by a new regime.
period were not only concerned with the beauty of art, but also the monetary value of it,
The House of Medici, or the Medici family, was a very influential and extremely powerful family during the time of the Renaissance in Italy. The Renaissance took place starting in the late 14th century. During this time, the people started to take interest in and have an appreciation for the classical times. The beginning of this powerful family really begins with Giovanni di Bicci deˈ Medici. He was born in the year 1360 in Florence, Italy. Originally from the Tuscan hillside, the Medici family immigrated to Florence during the 12th century. Giovanni di Bicci deˈ Medici was the man who really got the family moving. He founded the Medici Bank and began using money to gain influence. The Medici Bank eventually became the official bank of the Papacy in the early 15th century. Giovanni had political power, but not through political office; he used his money and wealth to encourage and influence the politicians of Florence. Giovanni was well liked by the people because of his influence for tax reform. Giovanni had a son named Cosimo de Medici in 1389. Using the family wealth, Cosimo set ...
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.
In this paper I'm focusing mainly on Renaissance art work, since that was the assignment, but I feel it's important to also mention the other important parts of the Renaissance, architecture, science, politics and religion.
The Impact of the System of Patronage Upon Works of Art During the Renaissance, the system of patronage came into being, mainly as a reflection of the increasing capitalist emphasis being placed on life in Renaissance Italy, most notably in Florence. In its very nature as a commercial, capitalist place, Renaissance Italy was a hugely competitive place. It was therefore not surprising that works of art were very often commissioned for competitive reasons. During the Renaissance, art was not just as we think of it today, as an expressive, interesting creation. Art was a focal point of society, and a very powerful tool that powerful people used to gain an advantage.
Already a well-entrenched institution in the Middle Ages (400-1400 CE), by the Renaissance (1400-1600 CE), the European system of patronage was flourishing. Having originated in ancient Rome, patronage was a hierarchical and reciprocal relationship between wealthy, and often aristocratic, patrons and skilled clients. The more benefits a client recieved, the more preeminence was ascribed to the patron. Likewise, the more prominent a patron was, the more important their clients became. During the Renaissance (1400-1600 CE) there was an explosion of new artistic techniques and ways of thinking as artists, authors, and intellectuals attempted to emulate the newly rediscovered works of ancient Greece and Rome.
In the article “Conditions of Trade,” 1 Michael Baxandall explains that fifteenth-century Italian art is a “deposit” resulting from the commercial interaction between the artist and the purchaser, who he refers to as a client. These works, as such, are “fossils of economic life,” as money, he states, plays an important role in the history of art. In contrast to our current perceptions of the relationship between the artist and art, “in which painters paint what they think best, and then look around for a buyer” the author examines how the content and form of these paintings were, determined by the customers. He states that the artists and clients were interconnected as specified in the legal agreements of subject matter, payment scheme and the quality and quantity of colours, through the conditions of the artist’s painting style. He not only looks at the explanation of the style of painting that reflected a society, but also engages in the visual skills and habits that develop out of daily life. The author examines the situations between the painter and client within the commercial, religious, perceptual, and social institutions, centrally focusing on markets, material visual practices, and the concept of the Renaissance period overlooking art as an institution. Baxandall observes Renaissance paintings also relate to the clients’ motives through such ways as possession, self-commemoration, civic consciousness, and self-advertisement. 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 fifteenth century art through the concepts used by contemporary critics of th...
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.
In the article “Conditions of Trade,” Michael Baxandall explains that fifteenth-century Italian art is a “deposit” resulting from the commercial interaction between the artist and the purchaser, who he refers to as a client. These works, as such, are “fossils of economic life,” and money, and they play an important role in the history of art. In our current perception of the relationship between the artist and art, “painters paint what they think is best, and then look around for a buyer” . However in the past, especially during the Renaissance period, the customers determined the content and form of paintings, as it was them who commissioned the work before it was created. He states that the artists and clients were interconnected and a legal agreement was drawn up specifying subject matter, payment scheme and the quality and quantity of colors, which would influence the artist’s painting style. Baxandall not only looks at the explanation of the style of painting that reflects a society, but also engages in the visual skills and habits that develop out of daily life. The author examines the situations between the painter and client within the commercial, religious, perceptual, and social institutions, centrally focusing on markets, materials, visual practices, and the concept of the Renaissance period, which saw art as an institution. Baxandall notes that Renaissance paintings also relate to the clients’ motives through such ways as possession, self-commemoration, civic consciousness, and self-advertisement. The author considers works 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 fiftee...
Families like the Rockefeller’s had a unique connection with the art world not only because of their wealth but because of their interest. They also had connections because Nelson Rockefeller and Abby Rockefeller were trustees of the Museum of Modern Art. Having families like the Rockefeller’s as supporter’s shows that more people were interested in Modern Art. This can also be shown in the many art
Artists in the Renaissance aided the continuation of Renaissance ideals. Renaissance art, including paintings, sculptures, and architecture,...
The Medici Family was one of the most powerful families of Renaissance Florence. They were a banking family. The first Medici bank, started by Giovanni di Becci de’ Medici, was a small scale business run in the bathroom. The bank grew through Giovanni’s extraordinary salesmanship and financial caution (PBS: Godfathers of the Renaissance). He gave out loans to those who they believed would help the bank persevere and thrive. Known as patrons of the arts, the Medici family funded and encouraged art by Botticelli, Brunelleschi, and Michelangelo. Consequential members of the family such as Giovanni de’ Medici, Cosimo de’ Medici, Lorenzo de’ Medici, and Ferdinando I de’ Medici helped to increase the affluence of Florence during the Renaissance.
The social conditions that contributed to the style of the Baroque are of particular importance, as well. During these years, it was very common for the rulers of that time to hold absolute power over their people. Some will call it the “age of absolutism”. Because of this, many common people never really experienced the benefits of this era. This was reserved for the wealthy and well-connected in that society. The politics of the day were driven b...
"Famiglia De Medici: The Extraordinary Story Of The Family That Financed The Renaissance." Business Insider. 6 Dec. 2013. .