Week 9 - Locating Renaissance Art - Chapter 1, The Allure of Rome

Introduction

Carol Richardson sets out how this chapter will look primarily at the interchange between Rome and Florence, and provides some brief historical background to the period 1450-1500. She points out that in the mid 15th Century, Rome was a small city compared to London, Paris, Milan and Venice but as the papal home, Rome was a huge pilgrimage centre with thousands of visitors. Particular mention is made of Florence's trading activity, especially its control of Pisa, a vibrant port, control of which was lost in 1494 leading to the overthrow of the Medici rulers. This chapter will examine why so many artists especially Florentines were drawn to work in Rome.

1. Florence and Rome: the two cities compared

Literally as per the title with a brief review of the history of both cities, suggesting that in the latter half of the 15th Century,Rome was in ascendancy and Florence declining in power and influence. Following the departure of the Medici's, Savonarola sought to set up a theocracy in Florence which ended in his execution for heresy (1498). Guilds had been long established in Florence and exercised great political influence, whereas in Rome they were only formed in the 15th and 16th Centuries. In Florence there were seven major guilds arti maggiore and fourteen minor guilds the arti minori which represented all professions. Only the seven leading guilds had major political influence, and two guilds in particular, the Arte della Lana (woodworkers) and the Mercanti (Guild of Merchants) dominated. In both cities artists were dependent upon guild membership for networking and connection to patrons.

Peter Clarkson's list from AA315 OUSA conference:

Giudici e Notai = magistrates and notaries
Linaiuoli e Rigattieri = linen weavers and peddlers
Calimala = wool merchants
Lana = Wool manufacturers
Seta = silk merchants
Cambio = bankers
Corazzai = armourers
Beccai = butchers
Pellicciai = furriers
Maneschalchi = farriers
Mercanza = merchants
Medici e Speziali = doctors and apothecaries
Pietra e Legname = wood and stone workers
Calzaiuoli = shoe makers

2. The Medici and the popes

This section discussed the relationship between the Medici bankers and the papacy, and how the Medici became the exclusive bankers to the papal court during the time of crisis within the church, hence establishing great influence with the popes and the church. During part of this time the papal court moved to Florence and Florence hosted (paid for by the Medici's) the Council of Ferrara between the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox churches. This led to a great number of religious commissions in Florence and Cosimo Medici building the monastery of San Marco, which was decorated with the frescos of Fra Angelica, the Dominican painter. The special relationship between Florence and the popes is also highlighted by the tomb of Baldassare Cossa (Pope John XXIII-one of three popes who co-existed between 1378 -1417) in the Baptistry of Florence cathedral by Donatello and Michelozzo (CB2,P1.15,p31). Fra Angelico's fresco's also reveal strong links with the Medici's as their patron saints and their emblems appear in numerous works mentioned in this section, (e.g. CB2,P1.8,p34) and also the prominence given to the adoration of the Magi, the confraternity of which was a Medici stronghold.

The section concludes with the work of Fra Angelica in the chapel of Nicholas V in the Vatican palace following the return of the papacy to Rome, exploring the themes and iconography that reinforce the authority of the pope and the power of the church.

This section emphasises how the relationship between these two powerful forces gave patronage to Fra Angelica and how these interstate networking and exchanges affected the art world.

3. Botticelli in Florence and in Rome

This section continues to consider the Medici, papal, Rome, Florence relationship between the 15th Century, and the decline and change in the Medici fortunes as they lost their position as papal bankers, and sought to regain influence through other means such as marriages with papal families.

Botticelli's Adoration of the Magi (CB2,P1.15,p42) is reviewed and its political use in showing the Medici's as the magi, highlights their use of manipulation. Not daring to commission such a work themselves they used Gasparre del Lama to commission an altarpiece for his own chapel to achieve this. Botticelli's other works such as Pallas and the Centaur (CB2,P1.16,p44) and the Primavera (CB2,P1.17,p45) reflect on the Medici's power and the encouragement of intellectual study.

Relationships with Rome deteriorated into a two year war following the assassination attempt of Lorenzo de Medici by the Pazzi a rival banking family who were aligned with the papacy. Rebuilding relationships after this saw Botticelli and other Florentine artists working in Rome on the Sistine Chapel.

4. The Sistine Chapel

This section reviews the work of the four Florentine artists Perugino, Ghirlandaio, Rosselli, and Botticelli and their frescos in the Sistine Chapel prior to the work by Michelangelo. The scenes parallel the lives of Moses and Christ, the lawgivers of the old and new testament, and reinforce the authority of the popes as the descendants of St. Peter. Many of the scenes incorporate views and architecture of contemporary Rome.

5. 'To aid the City and our house'

This short section describes how Florentine artists were used by the Medici's as cultural diplomacy being highly regarded as artists and sought after for their work. They were presented as representing Florence and the Medici's. The four plus Fillipo Lippi were even seen as an official team. Mention is made of Lorenzo Medici's son Giovanni who was granted a cardinals hat in return for a financial deal. Giovanni was later to become Pope Leo X. Lorenzo wrote to his son in March 1492: 'Today I have given you entirely to our Lord God and to Holy Church; it is therefore essential that you become a good ecclesiastic...While doing this it will not be difficult for you to aid the city and our house, for the city being united to the Church, you must serve as the vital link, and our house will thus become part of the city...The rank of Cardinal is as secure as it is great'. (CB2,p54-55).

6. Michelangelo in Florence and in Rome

This section outlines the ascendancy of Michelangelo from arriving in Florence at the age of 15 to his triumphs of the Pieta (CB2,P1.29,p59) and David(copy CB2,P1.30,p60). It reports on his commissions in Florence and Rome and that he exploited his unique abilities to accumulate large financial returns in an increasingly international market.

Conclusion

Rounding up this chapter is the view that within Rome artists whether from Florence or other places had the opportunity to be exposed to ancient sites and classical architecture and sculpture, but more importantly had the opportunity to work on large-scale collaborative projects unparalleled in other places.

Locating Renaissance Art - Week 9 - Introduction

Introduction
Carol Richardson writes that although Florence has been given pre-eminence in Renaissance art, the circumstances that led to its standing as a wealthy city state were reproduced in other cities across Europe, as international trade and banking developed. In the book she will consider some of these different centres, and the various influences that shaped them and that they in turn had on others.

1. Shifting boundaries
'the chapters in this book all consider the creation of works of art as products of 'communicative events' - between artists and their patrons, between one centre and another, and their patrons, between one culture and another' (CB2,p.16). A number of the chapters are to consider specific cities or artists. The trade in works of art and also movement of artists between centres.

2. Networks
This section reviews the connections between various centres, the trading and ecclesiastical postal and communication systems that were established and the manner in which foreign communities established themselves particularly looking at the German community in Venice and their commissioning of an altarpiece for their chapel by Albrecht Durer, Madonna of the Rose Garlands (1506) (CB2,P0.2,p.20)

3. Changing horizons
Notes on historical settings highlighting the changing boundaries and states throughout the Renaissance. This section highlights a European view of the Mediterranean at the centre of the world which gave the Italian peninsular a prominent position. The Renaissance also became centred on Italy because of the references to classical antiquity that were increasingly fashionable.

Conclusion
This book will take a wide 'historical' look at Renaissance art and how it was linked by the cultural, economic and political networks and developed in different centres rather than a closed view of Renaissance art being purely Italian.