Gothic Humanism transition to the Renaissance 1300 1450

Gothic Humanism transition to the Renaissance 1300 -1450 St. Francis and Jesus as they lay dying, both by Giotto, c. 1300, fresco Arena Chapel at Padua, Italy

What differences in the human body do you see? Coppo di Marcovaldo, Crucifixion, late 1250 s Giotto, Crucifixion, fresco, 1305

St. Francis of Assisi---1181 -1226 • • • Founded the Franciscan Order Saw God in the natural world Lived a simple life of poverty Preached to people in their own language--vernacular Renaissance humanism based on Franciscan ideals Giotto’s Assisi series, c. 1300, fresco, Assisi, Italy • St. Francis receives enlightenment from the Holy Ghost • St. Francis rejects one father in favor of another

Fresco technique “FRESH” • • Cover wall with layer of rough plaster Allow to dry thoroughly Artist makes preliminary drawing in charcoal called a cartoon on the surface Thin layer of wet lime plaster is applied Pigment mixed with water is painted on the wet plaster Selected area must be done in one day Sections must be knocked out to redo Quick work/ often bold or sketchy in appearance Giotto, c. 1300, fresco, Arena Chapel, Padua, Italy Depicts the moment that Judas identifies Jesus to the officers by giving him a kiss of betrayal

Christ’s Entry Into Jerusalem Giotto’s fresco (1305) versus Duccio’s tempera on wood (1308)…. . which is more detailed?

By 1400, the Renaissance world is undergoing many changes: 1455 1453 1492

Time of Expansion is the world round? ? Vespucci’s World, 1507 • Europeans begin traveling to seek sea routes to Asian lands • Explorers begin to map and chart the world • In 1492 Columbus sails the ocean blue, and…. • Spain is united under Ferdinand Isabella…Spanish Conquistadors conquer the Americas, destroying the Aztec and Incan empires, and…. • 60, 000 Jews are displaced from Spain and Portugal as they become Christian countries (European Diaspora) • Lorenzo de Medici, powerful Florentine merchant, dies

How the body is affected by the zodiac, 1495 “How great and wonderful is the dignity of the human body; secondly, how lofty and sublime the human soul; and finally, how great and illustrious is the excellence of man himself made up of these two parts. ” --Gianozzo Manetti, 1396 -1459, humanist author

Renaissance = “Rebirth” 1400 -1550 • Renewed interest in literature, art and philosophy • Greek and Roman antiquity • Renewed interest in humanism • Focus on the human individual as “the measure of all things” • Pursuit of learning in a secular rather than a religious framework • Interest in scientific examination of the physical world • Cultural world focuses back down to the south---Italy

In Florence, culture, business and the church are developed and controlled by a powerful banking family the … Piero the Gouty, 1416 -69 Medicis Lorenzo, the Magnificent, 1449 -92 Patron for Botticelli, Michelangelo and Leonardo “Whoever wants to be happy, let him be so, for tomorrow there is no knowing. ” Cosimo, 1389 -1464 Cosimo Piero Gozzoli, Journey of the Magi, 1459 • Became bankers to the world • Influenced Lorenzothe arts through patronage • Responsible for the flowering of Florence • Lorenzo, supporting humanism, studied the Greek classics and brought back great books from the east to be copied and disseminated throughout Europe

Humanism Affects the Artist How do you think the idea of humanism changed the role of the artist? • See an emphasis on the individual artist’s genius, intellect, and fame • Artists now looked upon as men of ideas, not just skilled craftsmen • Confidence, stamina, and ability leads to genius • Renaissance artists sought to become universal in interests and activities Who are these artistic giants of the Renaissance? Virtù Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man