Individuals Flashcards
Cosimo de Medici - Patronage
o Lorenzo estimated he spent over 600,000 florins on patronage.
o Donatello – St George, David (Bronze), Gattametlata.
o Fra Angelico – San Marco Alter piece.
o Gozzoli – Magi Chapel frescoes 1461 – ‘The journey of the Magi’.
o Financed search for manuscripts in West and East – Collection became the Biblioteca Laurenziana – first ever to open to public.
o Employed Scholars: Bracciolini (1380-1459) and Ficino (1433-99). – Ficino’s work very important – reconciled Plato with Christianity.
o Neoplatonic academy 1462 in Florence- founded by Cosimo de Medici.
o Cosimo de’ Medici acquired collection of Niccolo’ Niccoli – became the basis of the Medici Library – over 1000 books by the time Lorenzo died.
o Enabled Bankrupt Brunelleschi to complete the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore (the “Duomo”) in 1436.
o Michelozzi – Palazzo Medici 1444-84.
Cosimo de Medici - Warfare
Cosimo oversaw the Peace of Lodi 1454 – signed by all major powers – created a long period of peace in Italy – in which art could prosper.
Lorenzo de Medici - Patronage
‘The Prince’ – 1513 how to acquire, maintain and expand power – advice to rulers – dedicated to Lorenzo the magnificent.
o Expanded the Laurentiana Library.
o Continued the Platonic academy – including Ficino, Pico and Poliziano.
o Da Sangallo – The Medici Villa
o Da Vinci – for 7 years.
o Anrea del Verrocchio – favorite artist –
o Filipino Lippi –
o Botticelli – the marriage of Antonio Pucci’s son Giannozzo in 1483.
o Architecture patronage by Medici’s: Uffizi Gallery, the Boboli Gardens, the Belvedere, the Medici Chapel, and the Palazzo Medici.
Lorenzo - politics
o Pazzi Conspiracy of 1478 - assassination attempt – Lorenzo and brother Giuliano - rival Florentine families – support from Pope Sixtus IV, violent reprisals, political instability in Florence.
o Medici bank in decline under Lorenzo’s rule a few branches closed.
Federico de Montefeltro - Patronage
o Federico de Montefeltro embodied ‘soldier-scholar’ outstanding military leader + patron of arts and scholars. Portrait by Justus of Ghent 1470s – in his library reading manuscripts – dressed in armor.
o Developed Urbino into a Renaissance City - Biggest library in Italy other than the Vatican – 200,000 ducats spent on building palace, 50,000 on furnishing, 30,000 on library – court employed over 100 crafts men – hundreds of books copied for library.
o Patron of Artists Piero della Francesca and Pedro Berrguete – painters – to portray him as pious, dynastic, uxorious scholarly and valorous.
o Some historians suggest Federico didn’t even read – shows it was desire to embody Renaissance man.
Ludovico Sforza - patronage
o Historian Margret L. King goes as far as to claim ‘Sforza munificence had one driving motivation: the quest for status.
o Sforza’s patroned Francesco Filelfo (1398-1481) to construct a family history, glorifying the military valour and skill of the new duke Francesco Sforza.
o Commissioned, from Leonardo, an equestrian statue of Francesco Sforza, emulate an air of longevity and legitimacy of his family and their rule.
o Last Supper - in monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.
o Decoration of Castello Sforzesco, Milan. Leonardo decorated parts of the Castello Sforzesco such as the Sala delle Asse.
Ludovico Sforza - Patronage of Architecture
o Continuing work on Milan Cathedral and the Certosa - improved churches in Milan and other cities - decorations. Urban renewal schemes -buildings were cleared to create or enlarge piazzas.
o Piazza Ducale, Vigevano. Ludovico’s most ambitious enterprise - Its loggia-surrounded piazza - modeled after the imperial forums of ancient Rome. Work of Bramante.
o Baptistery and chancel of Santa Maria presso San Satiro, Milan. Bramante designed a new baptistery and an illusionary chancel for the church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro.
o East end added to Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan- work of Bramante.
Charles V - politics
-Sack of Rome, Charles V lost control of his 20,000 troops - they killed 45,000 civilian dead, wounded or exiled people.
o The war of the League Cognac 1526-1530 – Papal states opposed with HRE of Charles V (part of the Italian wars)
o Charles V - Italian Wars and the Protestant Reformation - cost of maintaining armies and fighting against Protestant princes in the Holy Roman Empire strained his resources and limited his ability to support cultural projects – however – still a prolific patron despite limits.
Jullius II - Patronage
o Michelangelo – Sistine Chapel – 1508 -1512.
o Bramante – ‘Tempietto’ - 1502.
Laid groundwork for Vatican Museum.
-Patron to some of the biggest Renaissance names: Raphael, Michelangelo, Bramante.
-Commisioned: painting of Sistine Chapel, St Peters Bassilica, The Frescoes of the four large Raphael rooms (E.g. School of Athens.)
Patronage of Josquin de Prez – singer in Papal chapel during the time – indicating Papal support for the musical talent of the time.
Charles V - patronage
o Titian – ‘Equestrian Portrait of Charles V’.
o Peter Paul Rubens, and Jan van Eyck to create portraits and other artworks for him.
o Building/renovation: Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, and the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial near Madrid.
o Maintained a court chapel that included talented composers and musicians such as Nicolas Gombert and Thomas Crecquillon.
Ficino - work
-Ficino translated Plato’s dialogs from Greek to Latin.
-Ficino ‘Theologia Platonica’ - 1480 – reconcile Plato with Christianity – themes such as the nature of the soul.
-Platonic Academy – founded by Ficino – Met at Medici’s Villa – neo-platonic approach to literature – when Plato and works of Plato were rediscovered.
Francis 1st patronage
o Leonardo - Painted Mona Lisa.
o 1530, Francis I founded the French Academy of Painting and Sculpture, known as the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture.
o Francis I expanded and renovated the royal residence of Fontainebleau, transforming it into a magnificent palace that served as a center of artistic and cultural activity.
o Rosso Fiorentino and Francesco Primaticcio - frescoes, stuccoes, and sculptures, creating what became known as the “School of Fontainebleau.”
o Royal Collections and Commissions: Titians ‘the concert’, Michelangelo ‘Bacchus’.
King Francis I of France - invited Italian artists - Leonardo da Vinci and Benvenuto Cellini to work at the French court, further disseminating Italian Renaissance ideals in France.
Nicholas V - Patronage
Focused on restoration of Rome.
-Hired Fra Angelico, Gozzoli, and humanist Alberti (very influential in art theory).
-Avid book collector.
-Considered the founder of the Vatican library, increased the collection from 350, to around 1,200 during his reign.
-Patron of Greek humanists. Bessarion and Valla.
Machiavelli - work and influence
-o ‘The Prince’ – 1513 how to acquire, maintain and expand power – advice to rulers – dedicated to Lorenzo the magnificent.
o Laid groundworks for concept ‘Realpolitik’ – prioritizes practical consideration over moral or ideological concerns. ‘rulers should be willing to use any means necessary’. E.g. Italian city states diplomacy – formed alliances with rival powers to counterbalance influence of dominant states.
o Pope Alexander VI – used Machiavellian techniques – formed alliances with powerful families, Borgia and Medici, to consolidate papal power and expand territory.
o Machiavelli critiqued mercenaries – questioning their loyalty wen financially motivated.
o Mercenaries didn’t embody soldier scholar – trained to fight, not in the arts etc - pro-civilian armies.
o The correspondence and diplomatic records of Renaissance rulers often contain references to “The Prince” and Machiavelli’s advice on matters of statecraft and diplomacy.
Castiglione - works and influence.
o Castiglione – “The Book of the Courtier” 1528.
o Dialogue set at Urbino – Courtiers discuss qualities + behaviors of ideal Renaissance men.
o concept of sprezzatura, or effortless grace – key attribute of courtier – mastering various skills while looking natural and unaffected.
o topics such as education, etiquette, manners, conversation
o “The Book of the Courtier” had a profound influence on courtly behavior
o Influential piece of literature inspired by Renaissance values - became a handbook for courtiers across Europe, shaping the behavior and aspirations of the aristocracy.
