Michelangelo Know Your Italian High Renaissance Artists ...blaylockmphs.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/8/5/22854300/3... · HIGH ITALIAN RENAISSANCE 16th Century High Italian Renaissance

HIGH ITALIAN RENAISSANCE

16th Century High Italian Renaissance

LeonardoMichelangeloRaphaelTitian

PalladioBramante

Know Your ItalianHigh Renaissance Artists…



Leonardo was the quintessential “Renaissance Man”, studying all types of subjects. He was an Artist, Sculptor, Architect, Scientist, Engineer and Inventor.

Worked as an apprentice to Verrocchio

Self-Portrait drawing, c1512.



Leonardo Da Vinci, “Virgin of the Rocks” 1485. Oil on wood (transferred to canvas),

approx. 6’3” x 3’7”. Louvre Paris.

Triangular Composition



Leonardo Da Vinci, “Virgin of the Rocks” 1485. Oil on wood (transferred to canvas),

approx. 6’3” x 3’7”. Louvre Paris.

Triangular Composition


16th Century High Italian Renaissance Excerpts from da Vinci’s Notebook













Despite it’s ruined state and its restorations, this piece is by far the most impressive of Leonardo’s works. Christ and his 12 disciples are seated at a

long table set parallel to the picture plan in a simple, spacious room. Leonardo amplified the painting’s highly dramatic action by placing the

group in an austere setting.

Christ appears isolated from the disciples, framed by the window behind him. It serves as a halo.

The artist took people out of his real life and used them as figures for his painting, but had problems

with Judas because he couldn’t find a significant figure for him. When he did finally paint him, he

portrayed him with his hand over a dish because of Christ’s foretelling that “he that dippeth his hand

with me into the dish, he shall betray me” refering to Judas’ betrayal. He is also leaning back from

Christ and in a shadow. Christ was the last to be painted.

Leonardo Da Vinci The Last Supper. ca. 1495-1498. Fresco.


16th Century High Italian Renaissance Leonardo Da Vinci. The Last Supper.

Divine THREEs: Trinity & Theological VirtuesEarthly FOURs: Elements & Cardinal Virtues


16th Century High Italian Renaissance Other Last Supper renditions











Leonardo Da Vinci, “Mona Lisa” ca. 1503-1505.

Oil on wood, approx 2’6” x 1’9”. Louvre, Paris.

World’s most famous portrait. Leonardo took three years to

finish the portrait and it is said to be of Lisa di Antonio Maria

Gherardini, the wife of a wealthy Florentine. It was his favorite

piece – so much so that Leonardo kept it for years.







“Portrait of Ginerva Benci”, Oil on Wood, 1474-76. “Virgin of the Rocks”, 1485. Oil on wood..

Other important works by da Vinci


16th Century High Italian Renaissance Michelangelo, David 1501-1504.

In 1501, the city of Florence asked Michelangelo to work a great block of marble,

called “The Giant,” left over from an earlier aborted mission.

From this stone, David was sculpted, the defiant hero of the Florentine republic and, in

so doing, assured his reputation then and now as an extraordinary talent.

David’s formal references to classical antiquity appealed to Julius II, who

associated himself with humanists and with Roman emperors. Thus, this sculpture and

the fame that accrued to Michelangelo on its completion called the artist to the pope’s

attention, leading to major papal commissions.

The artist chose to depict David not after victory, but turning his head to his left, sternly

watchful of the approaching foe. His whole muscular body, as well as his face, is tense

with gathering power.



Michelangelo, DavidGalleria dell’Academia, Florence, Italy 1501-1504

Michelangelo worked for the Medici family in Florence

Claimed to have taught himself to carve marble by studying the Medici collection of classical statues

Michelangelo, David 1501-1504.



It’s a larger than life sculpture, the height of David reaches over 13 feet tall. It’s also sculpted in

perspective (top heavy), so if viewed from below the figure looks proportional. Contrapposto or a

weight shift is also apparent in this sculpture.

Michelangelo, David 1501-1504.


16th Century High Italian Renaissance Exterior of Sistine Chapel



Pope Julius II gave the reluctant Michelangelo the commission to paint the

ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Michelangelo faced enormous difficulties: relative inexperience in fresco technique,

large dimensions, height above pavement, and perspective.

Depicting the most august themes of all, the Creation, Fall, and Redemption of

humanity, Michelangelo spread a colossal decorative theme with over 300

figures.

A long sequence of narrative panels describing the creation, as recorded in

the biblical book Genesis, runs along the crown of the vault.

The hebrew prophets who foretold the coming of Christ appear seated in large

thrones on both sides of the central row.

Michelangelo, Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, 1508-12



Michelangelo, Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Rome, 1508-1512.



Michelangelo, The Creation of Man (Adam),Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Rome, 1508-1512.



Michelangelo, Adam and Even Expelled from Eden,Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Rome, 1508-1512.



Michelangelo, The Flood,Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Rome, 1508-1512.



MichelangeloCeiling of the

Sistine ChapelRome, Italy 1508-1512



MichelangeloThe Last Judgment Fresco

Sistine Chapel, Italy1541.



MichelangeloThe Delphic SibylCeiling of the Sistine Chapel, Italy1508-1512.

Michelangelo's Delphic Sibyl (1508-12) is the most beautiful and youthful of the five sibyls depicted on the Sistine ceiling. The sibyls were female seers from antiquity who were thought to have predicted the coming of Christ, and this sibyl appears startled as she turns her head away from her prophetic scroll and gazes into the future.

The Delphic Sibyl was the voice of Apollo, the greek god of music, poetry, prophecy, and medicine, and it has been suggested that the four colors in her garments represent Earth, Water, Fire, and Air -- the basic elements of life.



Biago da Cesena(the Pope’s Master of Ceremonies) painted

as Minos, Ruler of Hell

When the Pope's own Master of Ceremonies Biagio da Cesena said "it was mostly

disgraceful that in so sacred a place there should have been depicted all those nude

figures, exposing themselves so shamefully, and that it was no work for a papal chapel but

rather for the public baths and taverns,“

Michelangelo worked da Cesena's semblance into the scene as Minos, judge of the

underworld. It is said that when he complained to the Pope, the pontiff responded that his

jurisdiction did not extend to hell, so the portrait would have to remain.


16th Century High Italian Renaissance Michelangelo, Tomb of Pope Julius II



Michelangelo, Moses 1513-1515

Commissioned by Pope Julius II as part of his immense tomb, (which was never completed as planned…Julius used more funds to the building of St. Peter’s)

Horns on head were traditionally meant to be divine, but scripture may have meant that Moses was “radiant”, not “horned”.

Inspired by Greek Hellenistic sculpture Laocoon & Sons

Michelangelo, Tomb of Pope Julius II



Michelangelo, Pietà,c1500, Marble, 5’8.5”.

A Pietà is the Virgin Mary holding and mourning dead ChristItalian for “compassion”

Popular in Northern Europe, but rare in Italy

Made by Michelangelo when he was 24

Only major work that has Michelangelo’s signature on it (on the strap across her chest)



Latin for “Michelangelo Buonarroti Made This”



The marble sculpture is encased in bullet-proof glass inside St.

Peter’s in Rome.



Bramante, Tempietto, 1505.HIGH ITALIAN RENAISSANCE

Shortly after Bramante left Milan for Rome, he received a commission from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of

Spain to build a small shrine to mark the site of St. Peter’s crucifixion.

Bramante chose to design a circular temple. The Tempietto (or “little

temple”) captures Classical Roman ideals: a circular cella and simple

mathematical ratios.



Sixteen Doric columns surround the cella. The distance between

the columns is four times their diameter.

Layout of Bramante’s Tempietto





Sixteen Doric columns surround the cella. The distance between

the columns is four times their diameter.



1506

1514

1546

Bramante designs a Greek-Cross plan for a new St. Peter’s to replace the old church.

Bramante dies, and the building of the church is put on hold for over 30 years.

Michelangelo becomes Chief Architect for the building of St. Peter’s… built up to the dome.

A Brief History ofSt. Peter’s in Rome…


16th Century High Italian Renaissance Doors into St. Peter’s


16th Century High Italian Renaissance Inside St. Peter’s of Rome






16th Century High Italian Renaissance 1630 Painting of St. Peter’s


16th Century High Italian Renaissance St. Peter’s at Night



Vatican guards at St. Peter’s are always Swiss and still

wear the traditional uniforms originally designed by

Michelangelo!



Palladio, Villa Rotunda, 1566, HIGH ITALIAN RENAISSANCE



From Palladio’sFour Books of Architecture

Documents

Michelangelo Know Your Italian High Renaissance Artists ...blaylockmphs.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/8/5/22854300/3... · HIGH ITALIAN RENAISSANCE 16th Century High Italian Renaissance