History 324 Renaissance Art Slides

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History 324Renaissance Art Slides

• Sculpture and Architecture Ghiberti,
  Brunelleschi, Donatello, and Michelangelo
• 1400-1550

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Baptistery Doors Competition of Florence (1401-02)

• In 1401-1402, Florence decided to hold a
  competition to see who would receive a lucrative,
  long-term commission to build bronze doors for
  the Florentine Baptistery
• Each contestant was to design a small bronze
  panel containing a scene relating to the Biblical
  text of Abraham preparing to sacrifice his son
  Isaac (Genesis 229-12)
• Abraham bound his son Isaac, and laid him on
  the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham
  reached out his hand and took the knife to kill
  his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him
  from heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham! Do not
  lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him
  for now I know that you fear God, since you have
  not withheld your son, your only son, from me.
  And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a
  thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the
  ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead
  of his son.
• Considering this story, how would you design your
  bronze panel?

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Brunelleschi, Sacrifice of Isaac1401Bronze
relief Museo Nazionale del Bargello,
Florence This was Brunelleschis entry in the
Baptistery Doors Competition
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Ghiberti, Sacrifice of Isaac1401Bronze
relief Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence
This was Ghibertis entry in the
Competition Who do you think won?
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Ghiberti, North Doors (Life of Christ)1403-24Gil
ded bronze Baptistry, Florence Ghiberti won, and
created these 28 bronze panels for the North Door
depicting the Life of Christ as recorded in the
New Testament. The Eastern Doors, a later
project, featured 28 scenes from the Old
Testament.
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Ghiberti, Isaac Sends Esau to Hunt (close-up of
panel from eastern doors)1425-52, Bronze,
Baptistry, Florence
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Ghiberti, St John the Baptist1412-16Bronze Orsa
nmichele, Florence
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Brunelleschi, Dome of the Cathedral1420-36 Duomo
, Florence A looser in the sculpture
competition, Brunelleschi turned to architecture
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Brunelleschi, Interior of the churchbegun
1436Santo Spirito, Florence
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Brunelleschi, Façade, 1419-24Ospedale degli
Innocenti (Hospital of the Innocents), Florence
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Donatello, David1409Marble Museo Nazionale del
Bargello, Florence Donatellos earliest known
statue in marble. He was 22-23 years old
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Donatello, St Mark1411Marble, Orsanmichele,
Florence
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Donatello, St George (detail)c.
1416Marble Museo Nazionale del Bargello,
Florence
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Donatello, David (detail)c. 1430Bronze Museo
Nazionale del Bargello, Florence Depicts 14-yr.
old David w/ very feminine look boots, hat, long
hair.
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Donatello, St Mary Magdalen (detail)c.
1457WoodMuseo dell'Opera del Duomo,
Florence Some find this to be the most moving
statue in Florence shows true agony and
repentance. Donatello was 68 years old.
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Michelangelo, Pietà1499Marble Basilica di San
Pietro, Vatican
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Michelangelo, Pietà1499Marble Basilica di San
Pietro, Vatican Head of Mary
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Michelangelo, Pietà (detail) 1499Marble Basilica
di San Pietro, Vatican Head of Jesus
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Michelangelo, Moses1515Marble S. Pietro in
Vincoli, Rome Created for the tomb of Pope
Julius II, which was never completed. Why does
Moses have horns?
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Michelangelo, Moses, 1515, Marble, Rome Why
does Moses have horns?
The answer has to do with the Latin Vulgate
translation of Exodus 3429. Since Jerome had
originally translated the Hebrew and Aramaic
texts to Latin (382-405 A.D.), no new version had
been authorized by the Church, and a few small
textual errors existed. Jerome translated skin
of his face shone as horns were on his face
Latin Vulgate Version (Exodus 3429) 3429
cumque descenderet Moses de monte Sinai tenebat
duas tabulas testimonii et ignorabat quod cornuta
esset facies sua was unaware that horns were on
his face ex consortio sermonis Dei Luthers
1534 Bible (German) Da nu Mose vom berge Sinai
gieng/hatte er die zwo taffeln des Zeugnis inn
seiner hand/und wuste nicht/das die haut skin
seines angesichts face glentzet New Revised
Standard Bible (English) Moses came down from
Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain
with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand,
Moses did not know that the skin of his face
shone because he had been talking with God.
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Michelangelo, David1504Marble Galleria
dell'Accademia, Florence
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Michelangelo, David1504Marble Galleria
dell'Accademia, Florence
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Michelangelo, David (hand detail)
1504Marble Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence
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Michelangelo, David (head detail)
1504Marble Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence
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Michelangelo, Pietàc. 1550Marble Museo
dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence Michelangelo was
75 years old when he created this Pieta, a
partial self-portrait in which he helps Mary to
lift the crucified Christ. By this time Europe
had been irreparably divided by the Reformation.