Lecture 1: Artistic Rivalry Dr. Sunnie Evers January 7,2020
Rebirth of antique culture Raphael in charge of antiquities - working on visual survey of Roman antiquities and map of ancient Rome increased discoveries: Laocoon in 1506, Golden House of Nero paragone “ Painting is that much better the closer it resembles sculpture.” Michelangelo classicism: balance between imitation of nature and artistic re-vision imposed on nature real >< ideal artistic crisis - where to go after perfection diversity and individualism maniera style stylized, refined, courtly, exaggerated, artificial, intellectual, derivative imitation/emulation difficoltá Counter-Reformation religious art >< secular
during reign of Leo X, young artists had to choose between 2 giants: Raphael and Michelangelo Raphael > Giulio Romano Michelangelo > Sebastiano del Piombo in 1530’s and 40’s, during reign of Paul III, Michelangelo was still powerfully present, but Raphael’s workshop dominated Raphael >Perino del Vago Michelangelo > Daniele da Volterra
“In Rome in those days Raphael had such great fame in painting that many of his friends and supporters said that his paintings when compared with Michelangelo had, according to the order of painting, more charming colors, more beautiful inventions, more pleasing airs and a similar disegno whereas the paintings by Michelangelo, apart from disegno , had none of these qualities. And for those reasons they judged Raphael to be in painting if not greater than him then at least his equal, but with respect to coloring they would have it that he surpassed him in every way. Such humors, spread by many artificers adhering more to Raphael’s grace than to Michelangelo’s profundity, added to the favoring of Raphael above Michelangelo. For that reason Michelangelo’s soul was drawn towards Sebastiano, whose coloring he liked very much, and he took him into his protection. He thereby thought that in helping Sebastiano with his disegno he could beat those holding the above-mentioned opinions without doing the work himself, and that he, under the shadow of a third, would be judged the better one.” Giorgio Vasari
Apotheosized after his death > god of the artistic Pantheon celebrated for his broad range of abilities Vasari and others hailed Michelangelo as a master of one supreme subject - the heroic male body while Raphael was praised for his infinite flexibility, painter of male and female, old and young, animals and landscapes
Baldassare Peruzzi, Villa Chigi (now Farnesina), land purchased in 1505, constructed 1509-11
stylistic disparity confrontation of two styles paragone painting >< sculpture disegno >< colorito Venice >< Florence/Rome Sebastiano del Piombo, Polyphemus, 1513 Villa Chigi (Farnesina) Raphael, Galatea, 1513
Stanze sul il Ritratto di Giulia Gonzaga Francesco Maria Molza You, that with admirable care equate your art to the hammer, and the grandness once only possessed by sculpture you give to colors without making them less pretty, so that now painting may go proud, for you alone, to such a height, once you disclosed its wonderful secret, through your competence now, thoughtfully and contentedly, you set out this high-minded enterprise. paragone painting >< sculpture Sebastiano achieves synthesis of sculptural qualities and disegno >< colorito coloristic values Venice >< Florence/Rome Raphael >< Michelangelo did Michelangelo befriend Sebastiano to defeat primacy of Raphael? Sebastiano = the only painter who could rival Raphael in both colorito and, with M’s help, disegno criticized by Vasari in 1550 edition “slothful and most negligent, whereas while the competition of art between him and Raphael lasted,… he tired himself continuously, so as not to be held inferior.”
Raphael, after Leonardo, study for Leda and the Swan, c. 1507 “una certa idea” > Zeuxis culture of emulation - intended to be recognized
Sebastiano del Piombo, Polyphemus, 1513 Raphael, Galatea, 1513
Ovid Metamorphosis 13:750-897 Polyphemus = giant cyclops fell in love with the nymph Galatea sat on promontory overlooking sea playing love songs to Galatea Galatea loved the shepherd, Acis Polyphemus discovers them together they flee Polyphemus kills Acis with a boulder his blood turns into the river Acis mythological theme = rivalry artistic rivalry (Raphael and Sebastiano) artistic rivalry (Rome and Venice) love > Chigi and Francesca Ordeaschi or unrequited love > death of courtesan Imperia in 1509 Polyphemus pose and physique > Michelangelo potential forceful movement his psychology > Venetian face in shadow, less bestial, more sympathetic
Michelangelesque physique Venetian psychology Polyphemus: earthly, unbridled passion, Pan pipes = lust and desire
Titian, Fete Champetre, c. 1509, Louvre Polyphemus: earthly, unbridled passion, Pan pipes = lust and desire
St John Chrysostom - face in shadow foreshadows Polyphemus calm >< tense - rejected - pondering revenge Sebastiano del Piombo, San Giovanni Crisostomo Altarpiece, 1510-11 St John Chrysostom with Sts Catherine, Magdalen, Lucy, Nicholas of Bari, John the B and Liberale commissioned by Caterina Contarini Morosini in memory of her husband, Niccolo who died in 1510
beginning of Michelangelo’s collaboration with Sebastiano Sebastiano , after partial designs by Michelangelo, Lamentation over the Dead Christ, c. 1512-16 commissioned by Giovanni Botonti for his family chapel in San Francesco in Viterbo 1st nocturne
1st nocturne > became all the rage in Rome 1st collaboration Venetian colorito + Florentine designo painting + sculpture complex iconography >< simplicity of design briar bush > crown of thorns primrose (1st to flower at winter’s end) > resurrection stream > baptism and rebirth separation of mother and son masculinity of Virgin dominant centrality of Virgin interest in varied light sources fire in background glow of the moon Sebastiano, Lamentation over the Dead Christ, c. 1512-16
use of pure hues > glazing method of oil > Venice soft transitions between color planes delicate passages of light and dark no wounds Condivi quotes Michelangelo as saying: “ Raphael did not have his art from nature but from long study.” Sebastiano, Lamentation over the Dead Christ, c. 1512-16
Michelangelo, Pieta, 1498-99, St Peter’s “Do you not know that chaste women stay fresh much more than those who are not chaste? How much more in the case of the Virgin, who had never experienced the least lascivious desire that might change her body?…Therefore, you should not be surprised if, with this in mind, I made the Holy Virgin, mother of God, considerably younger in comparison with her Son than her age would ordinarily Sebastiano, Lamentation over the Dead Christ, c. 1512-16 require, though I leE the Son at his own age.”
Michelangelo, Pieta for Vittoria Colonna c. 1538 Virgin more active/intercessor monumentality > spiritual hero > becoming divine base instinct > female noble intellectual power > male virile appearance > reflection of superior spiritual status ascent towards God imago dei Ecclesia + Sponsa Christi
Maria/Ecclesia/Luna Mary reflects the light of the sun, just as the Church reflects the light of Christ St Augustine: the dazzling moon reassures and illuminates the faithful in times of darkness just as Mary/Church is the haven of salvation for the faithful date of Easter is calculated acc to the moon acc to Augustine: instability - linked to the moon - will end on day of Judgment Holy Easter Vigil “Then shall arise in his days justice and abundance of peace, until the moon be exalted…that is until the Church be lifted up, through the glory of the Resurrection to reign with Him.” Augustine
Raphael, Liberation of St Peter, Stanza d’Eliodoro, 1512-13 Raphael’s response and challenge to Sebastian new emphasis on tonal painting and landscape variety of light > natural + supernatural Leo X preferred Raphael - sent Michelangelo to Florence
“the sculptor cannot render…the dark of night, or a storm at sea, or lightening and thunderbolts, or the burning of a city, or the birth of rosy dawn with its rays of gold and red. In short, he cannot do sky, sea, land, mountains, woods, meadows, gardens, rivers, cities or houses — all of which the painter can do.” Castiglione, Book of the Courtier
Michelangelo, Risen Christ, 1514 (finished in 17th c) commissioned by heirs of Marta Porcari Metello Vari burial chapel in Santa Maria sopra Minerva flaw in marble - abandoned given to Metello Vari for his garden courtyard sold to Giustiniani in 17th century discovered 20 years ago at Giustiniani estate in sacristy of San Vincenzo Martire near Bassano Romano Christianizes classical sculpture
1st version - more classical Michelangelo, Risen Christ, 1519-21 Santa Maria sopra Minerva Christ’s nudity humanity without sin (like Adam) uncorrupted by lust more pious heightened religious anxieties more active pose beginning of baroque sculpture
Michelangelo, Risen Christ, 1519-21 Santa Maria sopra Minerva headquarters of confraternity of Corpus Christi large cross instruments of the Passion rope, stick, sponge heroic triumph over death emphasis on cross as instrument of redemption
Recommend
More recommend
