5. Guild Commissions and Competition in early 1400s Florence

Question 1

a Guild

Answer 1

in the context of renaissance italy, a guild refers to a corporate body organized to support small business operators and management (not laborors).

Question 2

what do you have be part of to hold a role in government in either florence or siena?

Answer 2

a guild

Question 3

Most powerful guild in Florence, importers of luxury cloth

Answer 3

Calimala guild

Question 4

What is the Florentine Baptistery inspired by?

Answer 4

• Lateran Bapitistery in Rome (both octogonal)

Question 5

What two artists were in competition with each other for the new set of bronze doors (for the Florentine Baptistry)

Answer 5

1. Brunelleschi
2. Ghiberti

(there were actually 7, but these are the only pieces we can study now)

Question 6

Sacrifice of Isaac by Brunelleschi
- 1401-1403

Answer 6

• emotional intensity that resembles giotto’s kiss of judas.
• strong sense of movement
• emphasis on Isaac’s gesture and emotion

Question 7

What is the story of the sacrifice of Isaac?

Answer 7

Abraham goes after his son Isaac and an angel tries to stop him
- foretells God’s sacrifice of his own son on the cross

Question 8

Sacrifice of Isaac by Ghiberti
- 1401-1403

Answer 8

• appears as if all carved from a single block (demonstrates skill)
• emphasis on beauty, in the fabric of Abraham’s garment and an idealized depiction of Isaac’s body

Question 9

Ghiberti’s first set of Bronze Baptistery Doors (“North Doors”)

Answer 9

-28 quatrefoils (squares)
- Ghiberti’s signature and portrait are at eye level meaning he considers the viewer

Question 10

Orsanmichele

Answer 10

• one of the most important buildings in Florence at the time
• when building was completed, certain guilds had the privelege of displaying a statue of their patron saint on an exterior perch

Question 11

St. Mark, by Donatello

Answer 11

• located outside the orsanmichele
• patron = linen merchants guild
• Contrapposto (weight shift) in figure references classical antique sculpture
• His facial expression gives him an interiority, he is thinking but your not sure what it is
• strong understanding of clothing on the body (cloth manufacturaing patron)

Question 12

St George Slaying the Dragon, by Donatello

Answer 12

• located outside the orsanmichele
  -innovative shallow relief below figure of a scene that depicts linear perspective

Question 13

What is shallow relief?

Answer 13

when an image is cast very lightly onto a surface

Question 14

St John the Baptist, by Ghiberti
- 1412-1417

Answer 14

patron - calimala guild
- prominent display place outside of orsanmichele
- made of bronze, very expensive!
- bronze waxing sculpture is also a technique associated with classical antiquity
-depicts contrapposto
- interest in animating the statue, the eyes pop out at you
-emphasis of fabric and pattertn