This document summarizes Venetian art of the High Renaissance and Mannerism periods. It describes key artists such as Bellini, Giorgione, Titian, and Tintoretto and their major works. It also discusses Mannerist characteristics like elongated proportions, complex compositions, and sophisticated symbolism. Palladian architecture is introduced as a neoclassical style influenced by Roman design principles that emphasized harmony and symmetry.

1. Venetian Art of the High Renaissance and Mannerism

3. Gentile Bellini Doge Loredan c. 1501

4. Mehmet II, 1480 Doge Loredan c. 1501

5. High Renaissance in Venice Bellini, San Zaccaria Altarpiece, 1505 Sacra conversazione Vaporous sfumato, harmonious unification of modeling and shading (i.e. Saint Jerome’s beard) Overall tonality Linear perspective Serene color, gently glowing forms Dominating architecture that cradles the figures in a unified scene Virgin and Child surrounded by a symmetrical grouping of saints Light enters from the left Architecture of the church reflected in the painting; painting becomes an extension of the real space of the building it is housed in

6. High Renaissance in Venice Giorgione, Tempest, 1506 Poesia (Italian term that refers to paintings whose subject matter is drawn from a mythological poem ) Dream-like, lyrical state Deserted town with a soldier and a breast feeding woman Bushes are shaggy, unkempt; mysterious pastoral setting Columns–indicating fortitude–are ruined, bridge tottering Lightning makes the scene menacing Uncertain meaning

8. Mysterious theme, unknown meaning

9. Shepherds are poets who are inspired by the nymphs who are muses

10. Shepherds were thought to have beautiful singing voices

11. Nymph dips pitcher into the well of inspiration

12. Chiaroscuro and nuanced use of shadowing

15. Glow of color, Titian one of the great colorists in art history

16. Daring arrangement of figures in space, very naturally grouped

17. Solid figures wave their hands passionately

18. Natural curves and sways in the composition

19. Youthful Virgin initially thought to be improper because of her sumptuous beauty

20. Enormous size of figures, towering verticality

22. High Renaissance in Venice Titian, Madonna of the Pesaro Family , 15119-26 Battle of Santa Maura, 1502, won by Jacopo Pesaro, who kneels at left Right: five males of patron’s family presented by Saint Francis of Assisi Diagonals and triangles establish a complex asymmetrical spatial relationship Virgin at the head of a right triangle Multiple oil glazes to increase richness Turk bowing on the extreme left Saint Peter in the center, although not central to the composition Very unusual arrangement not to have Madonna and Child in the center, cf. The Last Supper, San Zaccaria Altarpiece Painterly effect in descriptive passages in the painting (i.e. glistening armor of Saint George) One figure looks out at us, brings us directly into the composition, as is typical in High Renaissance art Columns not part of the original composition: added later Light comes from above left, from “on high”

23. High Renaissance in Venice Titian, Venus of Urbino Sensuous delight in female form May not have been a Venus, but a painting of a nude May have been painted for the Duke of Urbino to celebrate his union with his young wife Looks at us directly Dog (fidelity) curled asleep, does not sense that the onlooker is unwelcome Two servants search for something in cassoni (marriage chests), always made in pairs and intended for the storage of a wife’s trousseau Rose (in her hands) and myrtle (on the windowsill) are bridal attributes She welcomes the viewer

24. 1538 1510

25. Correggio Dome fresco in Parma Cathedral, 1526-30

28. Breaks up the symmetry of High Renaissance using buoyant naturalism rather than deliberate chaos

29. Specializes in soft voluptuous flesh

30. Reminiscent of Mantegna with POV

33. Mannerist Painting emphasized complexity and virtuosity over naturalistic representation. While the formal vocabulary of Mannerism takes much from the later works of Michelangelo (1475–1564) and Raphael (1483–1520) , its adherents generally favored compositional tension and instability rather than the balance and clarity of earlier Renaissance painting. Some characteristics common to many Mannerist works include distortion of the human figure, a flattening of pictorial space, and a cultivated intellectual sophistication

34. Mannerism Figures often seek out toward the frame rather than the center of the composition Heavy Intertwining of Figures Distortion and elongation of forms Often a lack of mathematical space Many religious and mythological subjects, portraits

35. How can we measure the space!!? Jacopo Pontormo Deposition (or Entombment) 1528

36. Agnolo Bronzino

37. Allegory 1.(Literary & Literary Critical Terms) (Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Art Terms) a poem, play, picture, etc., in which the apparent meaning of the characters and events is used to symbolize a deeper moral or spiritual meaning http://www.thefreedictionary.com/allegory

38. Oblivion (note no back of head, no brain, o memory) Time (note wings and hourglass) Jest or Folly (with roses and bells on his ankle. Has stepped on a thorn – the pleasure and pain of love) Jealousy The Golden Apple of Venus given by Paris in the fateful contest with Minerva and Juno (Hera, Athena & Aphrodite). His reward was Helen and the Trojan War. Fraud (serpent’s tail, honeycomb and string) Deceit

39. Allegory with Venus and Cupid c. 1455 Agnolo Bronzino A “puzzle painting” –alludes to different qualities of Love. Jest – compared to Fraud, Jealousy and Deceit. Note Time and Oblivion struggling with the blue cloth in an attempt to reveal (or forget) the Truth Venus disarms her own son (Cupid)

40. Allegories An allegory that takes time to unravel and understand Greater effort = greater reward Some allegories more univeral – David & Goliath. Some more elite. Requires specific education. May have been a gift of Cosimo de’Medici to Francis I. ( a gift of flattery – implies that Francis will 1. that Francis will understand all the references 2. that Cosimo is inteeligent as well 3. caters to the taste of Francis: elegant, refined, erotic

41. Mannerism Bronzino, Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time Given to Francis I of France as a gift from the Medici in Florence Extremely learned allegories that defy easy interpretation Venus fondled by Cupid, her son, and uncovered by Father Time Venus holds the apple she won in a beauty contest Cupid has his eyes on the apple, but does not suspect that Venus has removed an arrow from his quiver Folly throws roses Vanity is beautiful girl on the outside, but an animal under her skirt Vanity’s hands are oddly arranged Masks symbolize falseness; doves symbolize love Envy is green Strong contours High key color, flesh smooth as porcelain

42. 1499 vs. c. 1550 w/ Mary Magdalene and Nicodemus

43. Rondanini Pietà Named for the Roman palace where it long stood, the Rondanini Pietà is the sculpture on which Michelangelo was working only six days prior to his death on February 18, 1564.

44. Mannerism Bologna, Rape of the Sabine Women Uncommissioned, done to silence critics who doubted his ability to carve monumental marble works To be seen from all sides Spiraling movement, figura serpentinata Arms and legs spiral in space Nude figures Reference to Laocoön in the crouching old man Three bodies interlock Ancient sources said that sculptures were made from a single block. The Renaissance discovered this was untrue. Bologna wanted to surpass the ancients.

45. Giovanni Bologna Astronomy, 1573 (cast bronze) Copernicus: “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres” Published 1543 Galileo “Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems” 1632

46. Women Artists Women’s roles in Florence, Sienna and Venice very limited More relaxed guild system outside of these cities

49. Specialized in portraits, genre and miniatures

50. Received high praise from Michelangelo

54. Mannerism in Venice Tintoretto, Last Supper, 1592-94 Deep perspective leads your eye back into the painting to nothing in particular; dynamic diagonal Muddy atmosphere with lamps burning fitfully Lamps reveal angels swooping down from the sky Only light sources: swinging oil lamps and Christ’s (and apostle’s) incandescent halos Christ gives the Eucharist to Saint Peter Judas on opposite side of table, without glow of halo Long table divides earthly food from spiritual food Hectic scene in a dining hall Dogs, cats, servants and miscellaneous figures Very busy composition

55. Finding of the body of St Mark in Alexandria , 1548

56. Andrea Palladio Builds off of Alberti and Roman architecture Harmonious symmetry and a rejection of ornamentation

57. Villa Rotunda, Vicenza

58. Palladian Architecture Palladio, Villa Rotonda, Vicenza Pleasure pavilion set in a pastoral setting Perfectly symmetrical interior and exterior Greek pediment, Roman dome, Ionic columns, Roman statues All Palladian villas are built of brick and faced with stucco Air of discreet opulence Four identical colonnaded porches with a wide flight of steps Villa faces four horizons simultaneously Villa as temple Centrally planned buildings considered perfect Dome originally unglazed as in the Pantheon No matter how you view the building it seems complete

59. Palladian Architecture Palladio, Villa Rotonda, Vicenza (continued) Pediments over doorways and windows Building was meant to be lived in “artistically:” central hall functioned to hold learned discussions, hear music, etc. Villa’s relationship to the setting may suggest a limitless vista; the porches that face the horizon at the same time lead to the depths within; the spatial settings that emphasize one’s view of the world also add dimension to the view of someone from within The intimacy of the interior culminates in the great central hall

61. Side aisles indicated on the façade

62. Mannerist: two temple façades intersect, creating an interplay of light and shadow

63. Columns with arches containing sculpture

64. Columns set on huge pedestals overwhelming the spectator

65. Dramatic setting in the Venetian lagoon

67. 16th Century Italy From Realism to Idealism From surface treatment to an understanding of structure Exploration of personality Celebrating the dignity of humans as creatures made by God Retained a fascination with Classicism and Rome A Balance of physical and spiritual forces Mannerism opens the way to Baroque movement and excess