How Florence Ignited the Renaissance

There can be little doubt that the early Renaissance in Italy stands as one of the most beloved and studied periods of art history. The emergence of humanistic art and culture from the ashes of medieval feudalism has fascinated generations of art lovers. In this program, you'll trace the origins of the Renaissance through the lovely and compelling artworks of 14th and 15th century Italy housed in the Hermitage Museum. It was the age of the powerful Medici family, the Golden Age of Florence, and the innovative painting of artists like Fra Angelico, Simone Martini, and Fra Filippo Lippi. Artists reawakened the beauty of the human figure and the nobility of the individual. A search led not by the church, but by the personal intuition of the individual. When this portrait was painted in the 16th century, the discovery of linear perspective had revolutionized painting. Artists readily created the illusion of three-dimensional forms on the flat canvas. Concern for the world to come was replaced with an appreciation for the here and now. Becchio's dignified portrait of a man from the early 16th century reflects the new world view. Man was once again free to discover the world around him rather than relying on explanations of religion. Man, rather than God, was once again the measure of all things. La bella maniera, or the beautiful style, took hold as the 16th century developed. This intriguing woman, probably a widow, holds a potion believed to be an antidote to grief. An inscription on the vessel is a quote from Homer's Odyssey. It says the potion relieves pain, removes anger, and results in oblivion. Artists endowed their subjects with a poetic authenticity that sought to capture the beauty of the individual human spirit. Notice the sense of immediacy in his animated intelligence, idealized and at the same time. Val di Sarica's Aurelius described the ideal Renaissance woman in his book, The Courtier. She should be knowledgeable about literature and painting, and dance and play games with a discreet modesty. In Domenico Caprillo's Portrait of a Gentleman, we see the image of the ideal Renaissance man. Worldly and knowledgeable, he holds a book and surrounds himself with visual reminders of a heroic classical past. Notice in this book portrait how each person is painted as an unique individual while yet at the same time shown at their best. High social status is not stressed. The portrait likely represents the members of a family. The Annunciation is a favorite religious topic of Renaissance artists. In work that dates just before the 16th century, Cima de Comigliano captures the moment when the virgin becomes impregnated with the Holy Spirit. Realistic-looking figures exist in a setting of three-dimensional depth. The angel, who looks almost human, has glown silently through the open window to tell the Son of God. In early Christian times, eyes were small, hinged so they could be carried. But this Byzantine icon dates from a later age, the 13th century. It is labeled Proto-Renaissance because the idea of three-dimensional modeling is beginning to take hold in this otherwise almost medieval work. In the terrifying period by St. Francis on the left and St. Dominic on the right, people flocked to the Madonna is depicted as Queen of Heaven with angels fluttering. Eventually, the plague would kill more than half. In the 14th century, the origin of the deadly plague was unknown. The church said the plague was divine retribution and sins. Franciscan monks gave gentle spiritual comfort, preparing the dying for eternal salvation, while the Dominican order preached against heresy. For their fierce but loyal guarding of the faith, they were called Dogs of the Lord. Renaissance art grew out of an atmosphere of the Byzantine and medieval ages. The studio of Ugolino Titerice created this work about 1270. It is the earliest work in this program, dating from the time of the great poet Dante. Rousseau wrote about this painting in his book, Little Lamps, published in the early 20th century. He represented each period of art history with a certain color of light, the age of Dante with gold and the age of the high Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci with azure blue. He wrote, The figure is Saint Pontian, the Pope. Images of earthly men who achieved sainthood often appeared in multi-paneled altarpieces, which usually depicted scenes from the life of Christ or the Madonna and Child. This one comes from the workshop of Spinello Orettino, who worked in Florence, Pisa and Siena. Saint Pontian holds his sword ready to fight for the faith. It took many craftsmen to make an altarpiece. Some cut the wooden panel, some applied gesso. The image had to be sketched on the dry gesso and gold leaf was applied, all before the actual painting even. Also from the Orettino workshop is Saint Benedict, the founder of the Order of Benedictine Monks. He stands with his Book of the Holy Rule, a plan for a school to the Lord's service. Lorenzo di Nicolo Guerini painted in Florence at the beginning of the 15th century. His decorative painting, laced with Gothic arched frames, reflects the taste of the growing class of wealthy merchants in Florence. They sought luxury and social stature. With a new international awareness, the artist has imitated the popular French Gothic arch of his day and used it as a decorative motif to arrange the figures. The angels have been moved to the frame to allow the main figures to fill the space in the central panel. The gem-like colors are set off by rich gold leaf. The Madonna and Child are quite human and natural. They share an interplay of emotion, much like a real mother and child, rather than icons. This is Saint Catherine with her wheel, the mature, crucified Christ. And Saint Barbara. The Virgin and Gabriel, by an unknown artist, is a much earlier work. The Virgin is seated in an Old Testament setting, a representation of the Holy Land, in modesty when she learns that she will bear the Son of God. The angel Gabriel appears in the frame. Hail Mary, peace be with you, the angel said. The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you. The 14th century painter, Simone Martini, was famous for his lyrical, flowing lines and psychological intensity. His Madonna, seated on the ground, is also called the Madonna of it. She was an intercessor in heaven for the souls of humanity. Today, we refer to these phenomenons, even in this sadly damaged work, are a tribute to her beauty. The Renaissance poet and humanist, Petrov. He wrote, That land is blessed, the dale is bright, where I was a king. The Virgin is treated as a subject of courtly love. Even monks wrote poetry lauding her beauty, just as knights wrote in praise of their ladies, who were their lord's wives. Mary's youth and beauty were equated with spiritual love. Even the saints were sometimes seen as knights of valor in her service. This series is by Gentile da Fabriano, the early 15th century Florentine artist. Florence was then the intellectual and artistic capital of the continent, ruled by the Medici, bankers to all of Europe. To atone for their sin of usury, they became lavish patrons of the arts, to the service of God. The subject had to be religious. The style reflects the sumptuous aristocratic aspirations of the Medici. Here, da Fabriano depicts St. Louis of France. Notice the fleur-de-lis on his robes, a symbol of French royalty. Florentines were fascinated with French Gothic architecture and Louis. As Louis IX, King of France, he ordered construction of the ornate and colorful Saint-Chapelle in Paris. Likewise, da Fabriano's many figured altarpieces were also prized for their richness of color and decorative motifs. Saints in hinted gold arches engage themselves in scholarly activities or hold the instruments of their martyrdom. It is not known whether Fra Angelico was trained as a painter before or after he was ordained as a Dominican friar. This fresco used to be in the dining hall of the Dominican monastery at Fiesole, where he lived. A work of the early 15th century, it represents the Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic and Thomas Aquinas. Another book of psalms is the Dominican philosopher and theologian Saint Thomas Aquinas. Saint Dominic holds a lily, a symbol of the Virgin's purity. In the painting of Fra Angelico, the sentiment of a true believer is united with the skill of a master painter. Many of Fra Angelico's works were commissioned by wealthy private patrons who hired artists to paint church interiors. They commissioned works for their own homes as well. Fra Angelico's Virgin and Child of 1425 likely adorned the private chapel of a wealthy merchant. Florence had entered a modern age. City culture had expanded. Feudal barriers had fallen, and men from all stations in life could seek fame and wealth. Fra Filippo Lippi was a favorite Medici artist. His painting from the 1460s represents the vision of St. Augustine. The Holy Trinity was the topic on Augustine's mind when he saw an angel in the shape of a boy who was drawing water from the sea. But Fra Filippo has transferred the scene to his local river, the Arno. Fra Filippo was an orphan raised by Carmelite monks who himself became a friar. Unsuited for religious life, he absconded with a nun, Lucrezia, with whom he had a son. They were forced to marry by papal order. Many of his paintings of the Virgin are said to be likenesses of Lucrezia. His choice of the topic of St. Augustine is an interesting one because St. Augustine himself lived with a woman for 14 years, had a son, and was tormented by the choice between marriage and the church. As the Renaissance developed, non-religious themes became ever more prevalent in art. This is the top of a marriage chest or large storage trunk to keep clothes, or even more often, the bride's dowry. The scene is an enormous wedding celebration filled with many characters and activities. With little, if any, religious theme, it is simply a scene from daily life, a genre painting. The wooden chest is carved into a bowery and then painted. Figures of the bride and groom. Angels decorate this beautiful Fra Angelico niche which was intended to hold a container of holy relics. An enthusiasm for artworks and writings from antiquity swept Italy in the years of the early Renaissance. Artists sought out ancient Greek and Roman works like these bas-reliefs and studied them. They were fascinated by the concept of ideal proportions in the human figure. Cosimo de' Medici himself was an avid collector of antique works and hosted an elite artistic and literary circle all interested in the creations of antiquity. Scholars like Petrarch had already discovered ancient manuscripts of Greek and Roman literature and philosophy. In the end, Renaissance values evolved out of the dialogue between Christian humanism and the spirit of antiquity. A Roman general sits on a throne in the center of this work, The Magnanimity of Scipio, by the Sienese painter Bernardino Fugari. The painting from about 1512 tells the story from Roman history of a general Scipio who is given a princessing marriage by her family even though she loves another man. Scipio could insist that she be his bride, but he releases her from the marriage so that she can wed her true love. The painting may have been originally designed as the cover of a wedding chest. Proud of the Roman heritage, Italian painters are beginning to look back to antique times rather than the Bible for models of heroic behavior. Here is the bride. And the bridegroom. Artists were eager to cast aside the teachings of the Middle Ages which considered ancient art pagan, and in doing so denied Italians a positive identification with the past now seen as glorious. The generous Roman general Scipio plays host to the wedding of his rival. The northern Italian painters were famous for their pure, bright, and radiant colors. Among them was Vincenzo Poppa, who worked in Milan. His works are said to possess a singular monumental quality. This is the conquering archangel Michael who defeated Satan and drove him into the underworld. Satan lies beneath his feet. The archangel Michael stands with his sword, dressed in a night suit of armor, outfitted in full regalia. His head is surrounded by a golden halo. His soft, feathered wings appear over his shoulders. Since Stephan was the first Christian martyr, he was stoned for his preaching. Appearing before a governing council after Christ's crucifixion, he told the gathering, Florence has been recorded in history as the cradle of the Renaissance. One of the city's greatest attractions was the workshop of the Della Robbia family. Their sculpted terracotta figures were covered with an opaque colored glaze. This nativity scene dates from the late 15th century. It is set in a typical Italian landscape complete with the details of country life. Pervious to moisture, the glazed terracotta could be used both inside and outside. These decorations sometimes covered the fronts of churches or other buildings. The Della Robbia workshop was famous for what was called the sweet style. It avoided dramatic extremes, investing its subjects instead with a serene spiritual magnetism. The works are not the product of one man, but a family who pioneered this technique of vitreous glazes on terracotta. Luca Della Robbia, his nephew Andrea, and Giovanni Della Robbia are all known to have worked in the studio. The famous Florentine Renaissance architect Umileschi used the glazed terracotta to decorate his foundling hospital outside and inside his Pazzi chapel. Antonio Rossellino was also a proponent of the sweet style. These low marble reliefs seem to just barely escape the surface of the stone. A gentle modulation of forms casts a soft play of smoky shadows across the faces of the virgin and child, a relief by Nino di Fiesole. In Florence, the late 15th century was marked by a plot against the Medici. The rival Pazzi family attempted to stab both Cosimo's grandsons as they prayed before the altar. The older of the two, Giuliano, was killed, but Lorenzo survived to be called Lorenzo the Magnificent to usher in a second golden age of artistic splendor in Florence. This tondo, or round picture, is the work of Filippino Lippi, the son of the painter Fra Filippo Lippi and the nun Lucrezia. Lorenzo the Magnificent was Filippino's patron. The subject is the adjuration of the child. The style is both elegant and decorative, with delicate fluttering lines and elusive veils of color. As an heir of melancholy, just like his father, Filippino loved life just as it was and glorified earthly beauty without reservation. Filippino's work would flourish under the cultural leadership of Lorenzo, who also selected among his artists the young Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Botticelli. The great Sandra Botticelli was the pupil of Filippo Lippi and a teacher of Filippino. This work was done late in his career. He retreated to sober religious themes following severe criticism by the fanatical moralist monk, Savonarola. In this work, St. Dominic foresees the last judgment, just as Savonarola did as he called for a bonfire of the vanities to purify Florence. Indeed, the final days of the Florentine Golden Age were close at hand. At the end of the 15th century, when Perugino painted his work St. Sebastian, artists were fleeing Florence, many of them for Rome, the new artistic center. Lorenzo de' Medici had died in 1492. Shortly after, France invaded northern Italy, and the Medici were expelled from Florence. But the humanist tradition lived on now in the south. The new creative spirit passed to the geniuses Leonardo da Vinci, Rafael, and Michelangelo, the painters of the High Renaissance. In two centuries, artists had progressed from craftsmen to associates of princes, poets, and philosophers, leaders of a new age.