We did not cover painting or sculpture styles in Italy during the Gothic period. We will begin the last third of the class with this section.

I definitely want you to compare the three Madonna Enthroned that are on your slide review and in your book by Cimabue, Duccio, and Giotto. There is a definite change in the way the human figure is represented. Cimabue shows the Madonna and Child with Angels surrounding the throne. Other Saints are shown at her feet. This is still very much in the tradition of Byzantine art. The space is very shallow and the only way that he implies perspective is by stacking the angels up, one on top of the other, and overlapping them. There is no lap for the child to sit on--he looks as if he is tacked onto the image of Mary. There are no expressions on any of the faces--they all look alike. With Duccio's painting, we see some subtle changes. The expressions on the faces are a little softer as well as the folds being a little less linear. However, it still seems flat overall when comparing it with Giotto. Giotto is the one artist that sets himself apart from the other art during the Middle Ages. Some art history books call this period "Proto Renaissance" and not "Late Gothic" as your book categorizes it. Giotto truly liberates the figure from the background. His figures are modeled with light and seem to have solid weight. He definitely has a lap for the child to sit on and his angels seems to recede back in space (the throne also) and not up and down the picture plane as Cimabue's did. His throne is so effective because he understands simple perspective. Maybe this is because he was an architect, also. His figures are more emotional and respond to human emotions (see his Lamentation of Christ). In that painting, his figures gesture and respond emotionally to the moment of Christ's death. When an artist models with light, he is shading his forms to create a three-dimensional look. That is why Giotto's figures seem solid and weighty.

The artists that we are covering will have distinct characteristics. Explore their painting or sculpting styles, what materials did they use, where were they from, and what subjects were they rendering to better understand the beginning of the Renaissance.

1. Martini
2. Cimabue
3. Duccio
4. Giotto

We will be covering the 15th through 16th centuries in Italy and Northern Europe. Northern Europe would include countries like Germany, the Netherlands (Holland and Flanders), France and Spain.

In the 15th century in Italy, we find the "rebirth" or revival of classical ideals with a renewed interest in man (Humanism), the individual, and humanistic interests rather than devotion to God. The 15th Century saw the rise of the merchant class, a progressive political system, with increased prosperity. With the invention of the printing press, education became more readily available; therefore, after years of suppression, the people were exposed to many of the great Classical thinkers like Plato and Aristole. Education and intellectual curiosity about the world around them, created a whole new generation of enlightened citizens 1,000 years after the fall of the Roman Empire. Trade and communication increased between nations and enabled the quick spreading of ideas and art work across Europe and into the New World. The art patron (like Cosimo de' Medici) emerges, as well as the elevated status of the artist. He is no longer a craftsman, but considered a "creative genius."

15th Century--France (p. 618):
Sluter (Sculpture)
Limborough Brothers (landscape subjects in minute detail)

15th Century--Flanders (p. 622):
The art in Flanders is very different from the Italian Renaissance. The artists were concerned with minute rendering of details in every painting. Jan Van Eyck will be the first artist to paint with oil paint. He is able to get beautiful depth and blending in his colors. In the painting of the Marriage, look at the detail in the mirror on the wall behind the couple. He incorporates many symbols in his painting that give objects more than one meaning. Another interesting site on Van Eyck is the Web Museum. We will discuss Van der Weyden from this part of the book, also.

Bosch is an enigma. His paintings are both bizarre and strange. Look closely at the center panel of the Garden of Earthly Delights and note the fantastic images of people, plants, and animals. The panel on the left, called Paradise, is of the Garden of Eden right after the Creation. The panel in the middle is of Eden after the fall of man. The panel on the right is of Hell. I find Bosch to be very intriguing and interesting to read more about. There are sites on the internet that I think you would enjoy. All of his paintings have multiple meanings, and I consider him our first "fantasy artist." He will influence Grunewald and Brughel in the 16th century.

Updated 9-26-2000