leonardo michelangelo bramante tintoretto pontormo

Leonardo

Michelangelo

Bramante

Tintoretto

Pontormo

Know Your ItalianHigh Renaissance Artists…

Palladio

Raphael

Titian

HIGH ITALIAN RENAISSANCE

Mannerist 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 VinciHIGH ITALIAN RENAISSANCE

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

approx. 6’3” x 3’7”. Louvre Paris.

Triangular CompositionHIGH ITALIAN RENAISSANCE

Excerpts from da Vinci’s NotebookHIGH ITALIAN RENAISSANCE


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. “Last Supper” ca. 1495-1498. Fresco.


Leonardo Da Vinci. “Last Supper” ca. 1495-1498. Fresco.

Divine THREEs: Trinity & Theological Virtues

Earthly FOURs: Elements & Cardinal Virtues

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 Mona Lisa Giaconda OR Self-Portrait of da Vinci?


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

Other Important works by da Vinci

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

HIGH ITALIAN RENAISSANCE 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.

HIGH ITALIAN RENAISSANCE Michelangelo, David 1501-1504.

Exterior of Sistine ChapelHIGH ITALIAN RENAISSANCE


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

MichelangeloCeiling of the

Sistine ChapelRome, Italy 1508-1512


MichelangeloThe Last Judgment

FrescoSistine Chapel, Italy

1541.


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.

HIGH ITALIAN RENAISSANCE 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

HIGH ITALIAN RENAISSANCE Michelangelo, Pietà, c1500, Marble, 5’8.5”.

A Pietà is the Virgin Mary holding and mourning dead Christ

Italian 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.


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…


1630 Painting of St. Peter’sHIGH ITALIAN RENAISSANCE

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


leonardo michelangelo bramante tintoretto pontormo

Documents

supper renditionsleonardo

louvre paris

famous portrait

important works

florentine republic

wealthy florentine

judas betrayal

favorite piece