Key Images Flashcards
Who made this scupture?
Polykleitos
What is this sculpture made of?
Marble copy of bronze original
Who is the subject?
Doryphorus / Spear-bearer
What is the effect of his stance?
Contrapposto
As seen by the tilted location of the pelvis.
When was this made?
440 BC
Replica was made c. 120 – 50 BC
Why was this created?
Polykleitos was striving to achieve perfect human form through mathematical proportions.
How does this relate to Renaissance artists?
The heroic male nude in his physical prime was seen to embody a canon of perfect human proportion.
It was the ultimate model of the heroic male nude.
Polykleitos was emulated by artists inc Michelangelo in his David
Who made this sculpture?
Athanadoros, Hagesandros and Polydoros of Rhodes
When was this made?
1st Century AD.
This is a Hellenistic Greek sculpture from the early 1st century A.D.
Who is the subject?
Laocoön and his Sons
What material is this made from?
Marble
How does this relate to Renaissance artists?
Renaissance sculptors were intoxicated by Hellenistic sculpture.
The Hellenistic Period in Greek Scupture is marked by dynamism and emotion of its figures and dramatic, figural groups.
Who was inspired by this and what did they create?
Michelangelo and the Sistine ceiling. The fingerprints of Laocoön are all over the Sistine ceiling.
What is the modelling of this sculpture?
Naturalistic treatment of anatomy.
What is the modelling of this sculpture?
Naturalistic treatment of anatomy.
How does the artist look to antiquity in this sculpture?
Donatello is looking towards the tradional subject matter of the heroic male nude in antiquity, but he is innovative because his mood is not from ancient mythology, his nude is from the bible.
He is looking to the contrappoosto pose. He does not copy Polykleitos’s pose exactly.
How would you charactertise his body type compared to classical examples?
He is a boy figure; he doesn’t have developed muscles in arms, his shoulders aren’t broad, lack of definition in abdomen, thighs aren’t as developed.
If he had the muscular advantage of the classical examples he would not be as legitimate as a David figure, it needs to be believable that it is a miracle this young man could overcome a giant.
What is the iconography of this and why is it important?
A hat with laurel leaves and boots.
This is associated with the winged God Mercury (of trade). This would have been of interest to the Medici who were merchants and Florentine as a centre of trade.
Who was the patron of this?
The Medici family.
Where was this placed?
In the centre of a courtyard surrounded by an collanade / arcade.
What was this made from?
Bronze with gilding
Who is the sculptor?
Donatello
Who is the subject?
Old Testament boy hero, David
When was this made?
c. 1430-40.
What did the subject do?
David defeated the giant Goliath. The Florentines saw themselves like David who beat the giant (Milan).
Why was this comissioned?
The Medici comissioned the statue of David – the state hero – for their own private palace. They are appropriating state imagery for their private space. Bold, polemical move. On one hand they claim they are merely citizens, yet they also claim to have defeated the giant like David by having this statue.
Why is this sculpture pioneering?
It was the first in the round nude sculpture since antiquity.
Nudity in bible context was seen to be inappropriate, but with the rediscovery of ancient forms there was an interest by modern sculptors to rival those classical heroic male forms.
This pioneering move had to be explored in the domestic context before it would be possible in the church context.
What is the effect of light?
Donatello must have played with natural light, it was once placed on a pedestal in the arcade.
The light activates lines which dart with fluidity from whatever the observer’s point of view.
How big is this sculpture?
Lifesize.
Who made this scupture?
Andrea del Verrochio
Who is the subject?
Lady with a Bunch of Flowers
Subject?
Ginevra de’ Benci
Artist?
Leonardo da Vinci
Medium?
Oil on panel
Profile pose?
3/4
Who was she?
Came from elite Florentine banking family
What are the values being promotes?
Leonardo is individualising Ginevra but he also wants her to conform to ideal standards of beauty.
Individual and making claims to being part of a community. (Beautiful woman conforming to social ideals)
Why is the landscape background pioneering?
Leonardo placed her in an open setting when women were often usually in their homes.
The 3/4 pose is amongst the first in Italian portraiture.
How was the portrait originally presented?
It was longer and cut down, removing Ginevra’s hands (possibly from damage).
What is she framed by?
The spiky evergreen leaves of the juniper bush, the once brighter leaves that have browned with age. Juniper signifies her chastity, the greatest Virtue of a Renaissance woman, and puns her name! (The Italian for juniper is ginepro)
How is she modelled?
Sfumato – gradually deepening veils of smoky shadow – not by line of abrupt transitions of colour or light
Who is the patron?
It is not exactly known but this portrait likely occasioned her betrothal.
What is on the reverse?
Wreath of laurel, palm and juniper.
The palm on the right stands for moral virtue, and the laurel on the left indicates artistic and literary inclinations.
Virtuem Forma Decorat “Beauty Adorns Virtue”
