European Art

1. European Art Introduce the history and culture of Europe in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries Identify terms and concepts that are important for understanding European art history Think about history painting and portraits

2. Renaissance Italy • Circa 1350-early 1500s • About 20 city-states, each state had own type of government • Powerful families ruled many of the cities: Medici of Florence, Este of Ferrara • Center of early Renaissance art- FLORENCE & later ROME • Roughly three different stages: International Gothic, Early Renaissance, and High Renaissance • Renaissance spread throughout Europe and took on different characteristics depending on each nation.

3. Did Italians wake up on January 1, 1400 and say, “this is the Renaissance”? No! The word Renaissance was not used to describe the time period until much later by scholars of the time period. The French historian Jules Michelet first used the term in 1855.

4. Renaissance Characteristics • Humanism • Worldly • Physical beauty • Innovation • Individuality • “Genius” • Naturalistic representations, with nudes representing honesty/simplicity • More confident Jesus,

5. HUMANISM • THE philosophical movement of the Renaissance • Heroic and secular: man is a thinker, a learner • Focus on the capabilities of what humans can achieve, where we fit into the universe • Revive the classics and reconcile them with Christianity • Historical consciousness- where we fit in the world, where we are going, where we’ve been • Rise of portrait/self-portrait painting, classical history painting

6. Baroque • Most of the Blanton artworks are considered Baroque • Like Renaissance, this term was applied later by critics and historians. • In fact, historians do not agree on the official time period for Baroque. Simon Vouet, Saint Cecilia, c. 1626.

7. How is Baroque different from Renaissance art? 1. It is full of emotion, energy, movement. Renaissance art is characterized as calm, reasonable, ordered. 2. Colors are vivid. There is greater contrast between light and dark. 3. Baroque is often described as theatrical. 4. Variety of artists and art during the Baroque era. Vermeer and Caravaggio are both considered Baroque.

8. Range of Artistic Style

9. How should I handle all of these facts on tours?On tours with school children, we are not going to fixate over, “is this Baroque?” “Is this Renaissance?” “But, wait, she didn’t say anything about Mannerism!”We want students to look carefully and practice reasoning skills.

10. With adults, we may want to give more information that is instructive, such as,“Baroque art is known for being greatly emotional and having high energy. Most people agree that the earliest Baroque paintings were created in the early 1600s.”

11. A very important historical development to many Baroque artists was theCOUNTER-REFORMATIONIn the Blanton, Italian and French art is very much influenced by this important happening.

12. What was the Reformation, and why counter it? • In 1517, Martin Luther, a Catholic priest, launched the Protestant Reformation to protest the selling of indulgences (forgiveness of sins) • Once the protest began, issues of doctrine and theology were included in the protest, and Luther became the leader of the movement. • Once it spread out of Germany, each nation interpreted its needs for reform differently. • People leaving Catholic Church to join “reformed” churches or Protestant denominations, so...

13. Council of Trent and Counter-Reformation • Met between 1545 and 1563 • Purpose was to define absolutely what the doctrines of the Catholic Church are • Begin the reform within church to remove abuses that led to Reformation

14. What this means for art… • Policies: • Art had to be “direct and compelling in its narrative presentation.” • Had to be accurate and not contain added or imaginary moments from a saint’s life • Should encourage piety • Famous trial of Veronese: change the title!

15. Following the Rules The Council of Trent and the professional art academies that nations organized dictated formal elements and styles to be followed by artists. Hierarchy of subjects established. • Rome’s Accademia de San Luca (Academy of St. Luke) founded in 1593 • France’s Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture founded in 1648. • Separating the artist from the craftsman.

16. In order of importance:History and Religious PaintingsPortraitsGenre ScenesAnimalsLandscapeStill Life

17. History and Religious Paintings

18. Giovanni dal Ponte, Madonna and Child with Angels, 1410s

19. Here’s a story we all know… • What is wrong with saying that? • How would that make someone feel who doesn’t know the story? • What should we say?

20. Religious Art • Show sensitivity to beliefs and cultural backgrounds different from your own • Tell stories- provide a narrative context • Use inclusive language- avoid the “us/them” dynamic • Try to avoid titles • Never refer to a religious story as a myth or a religious figure as an idol • Be open to learning new things from visitors

21. What if you hear: IS THAT TRUE? or THAT’S NOT WHAT MY MOM TOLD ME!

22. A note on symbolism…

23. Portraits • Portraits are of a unique individual • Portraits commissioned by the sitter or a patron • Artist enters into a negotiation and then an agreement with the subject/patron. • The “model” is the subject • Function of portraits: work of art, biography, historical document, gifts or proxy, memorial, political tool

24. Papal Seals To learn more about papal seals: http://asv.vatican.va/en/dipl/seals.htm Clement VII Portrait at the Getty

25. Portrait of a Man

26. Connecting to Today When I talk to students about portraits, I relate it to something that they all have done: school portraits. • Take a minute to study this painting. What is this a painting of? • What has the artist told us about this man? How can you tell he’s _____? Has he given us any clues about this man’s personality? Age? Occupation? • If you were going to have your portrait made, how would you dress? Would you want to include anything else in the portrait? • When you look around the room, does this portrait fit in? Why/why not?

27. Italian Portraits Carlo Ceresa, Portrait of a Widow, c. 1640. Bernardo Strozzi, Portrait of a Man, c, 1622-23.

28. Italian Portraits Giacomo Ceruti, Young Peasant Woman Holding a Flask, c. 1737-38. Marco Benefial, Portrait of a Lady with a Dog, 1730s.

29. French Portraits Aimée Duvivier, Le Marquis d’Acqueville, 1791. Nicolas de Largilliere, Portrait of a Man, c. 1715.

30. Bibliography • Blanton Museum of Art Guide to the Collection, 2006. • Carol Dunlap, The Culture Vulture, 1994. • Nancy Frazier, The Penquin Concise Dictionary of Art History, 2000. • Oxford Art Online, http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/, accessed August 24, 2009. • Michael Wood, Art of the Western World, 1989.