medieval to renaissance

1. Class 10.2
BEING THERE:
Pilgrimage, Place &
Medieval Relics

2. what creates value in art?
Reliquary of Ste.-Foy at Conques
Let's start with the
medieval answer.

3. This is the Reliquary Statue
of Sainte Foy, from the Abbey
Church of Conques in
France. It was made in late
9th or 10th century. You can
see the gold, rock crystals
and precious gems that
adorn the sculpture of the
enthroned saint.

4. RELIQUARY:
receptacle used to store
or display sacred
objects
The arrow marks the door of
a small compartment where the
relic itself is stored. So the
sculpture is both a representation
of the saint (in this case a French
saint named Sainte-Foy), and a storage
container for the saint's ashes.

5. The value of this piece
lies first in the the relics of
the saint, the physical
traces of his body which are
present in the form of his
ashes. Second,there is
obvious value in the gold
and gems that cover every
inch of the structure, and
only third, in the artistic
representation of the
enthroned saint.

6. To put it another way, it is
valued in all sorts of ways,
but not particularly for the
artist's skill in creating it.
The value is thought to
inhere in the physical
remains of the saint, a
value that is underlined by
the precious materials.

7. Pilgrims came from all over Europe to visit the church of Ste Foy and to pray
before this sculpture. It mattered that they made the journey to this physical site (which
is in the mountains—now a popular snowboarding and skiing destination), to stand in the
physical presence of the saint.

8. While today we happily accept a picture of the Abbey Church of Ste Foy as a
representation of this place, for these medieval pilgrims, there could be no substitute for
being there. There was a tangible physical link to the life of Ste Foy that was established
by the fact that the reliquary was not just a representation of the saint, but a way of
connecting to his body through his remains.

9. READ: about pilgrimage
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pilg/hd_pilg.htm
READ: about
reliquarieshttp://www.metmuseu
m.org/toah/hd/relc/hd_relc.htm

10. thinking about the
significance of this reliquary
In some ways, this object
does open up the idea of
venerating a representation of
a saint—an object that
creates a likeness —rather
than the actual traces of the
saint's physical body. It does,
after all, provide a "simulated
body" to encase the real
ashes.

11. thinking about the
significance of this reliquary
By the end of the medieval
period, European art will
move strongly in this more
virtual direction, with a great
deal more emphasis on the
creation of representations.

12. who made it? Also note, we don't
know the name of the
artist for this piece.
That information was
not considered
important to collect or
record.
That is about to
change! Artists will
work hard to improve
their status and assert
creative control during
the next historical
period, known as the
Renaissance.

13. INTERNATIONAL
GOTHIC STYLE
This is the style of the wealthy courts and churches in the
later Middle Ages.
It plays a role in our discussion of value because works
made at this time were expressly produced for a luxury
market, using the most expensive materials.
The objects produced usually (though not always) had
religious subject matter, but the emphasis was on elegant
self-presentation.

14. Simone Martini, The Annunciation, 1333, tempera on panel, 72 1/2 x 82 5/8

15. This is an example
of "International
Gothic Style." Why?
Extensive use of
gilding (real gold
leaf: very
expensive!)
The subject matter
is religious but the
forms are elegant;
the Vrigin Mary does
not look like a
simple Palestinian
peasant, but rather
an elegant queen in
a garden.
There is an
elaborately carved
frame that creates
an architectural
setting for the story.

16. Why is it "Gothic"?
This is a stylistic term that refers to later Middle Ages. This
was not a name in use at the time—it is what art historians
now call it.

17. Why is it "International"?
Partly it has to do with the types of art forms produced.
Simone Martini's picture was large, heavy, and fragile, and
could not be moved easily. But unlike these paintings, or the
stained glass and marble statuary commissioned for
churches, new art forms began to arise in this period.
What new art forms were produced at this time?
• Illuminated manuscripts
• Tapestries (both woven and painted)
• Small luxurious objects that could be tucked into luggage.

18. Why is it "International"?
These new forms could travel relatively easily, which allowed
this style to move freely across borders.
Intermarriage between European royal families also
facilitated the sharing of artistic styles.

19. The Tres Riches
Heures du Duc du
Berry
1412-16
This was a "Book of Hours," a
prayer book that could guide a
faithful person through
every hour of the day. Only a
wealthy noble would own a
prayer book to begin with; this
one is even more special as it
lavishly illustrated
("illuminated" with expensive
pigments, including gold leaf) .
illuminated manuscript

20. The Tres Riches
Heures du Duc du
Berry
1412-16
One reason this book has
become famous is that it
includes non-religious scenes
of everyday life, like the
excursion of nobles
on horseback pictured here.

21. The Tres Riches
Heures du Duc du
Berry,1412-16
Also notice that this book is
named for the patron who
commissioned it! Art historians
have done research to
determine who illustrated the
book (it is nowattributed to the
"Limbourg Brothers"), but this
information was not
particularly important at the
time.

22. tapestry
1495–1505
South Netherlands (an important
weaving center)
Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and
gilt wefts
144 7/8 x 99 inches
Note: elegant subject matter. The
motif of the unicorn has inspired
many theories, but no clear facts. It
is an unusual subject matter in the
history of art. It is, however, clearly
beautiful, rare, and elevated, as is
the delicate garden around it.
Note: expensive materials! Wool
itself was not cheap, but this
tapestry also features silk (even
more expensive) and gold and silver
thread (even more expensive!

23. tapestry
1495–1505
South Netherlands (an important
weaving center)
Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and
gilt wefts
144 7/8 x 99 inches
Unlike a painting on panel, this can
be rolled up and transported much
more easily.
These objects move around more
easily, allowing styles to be shared
over longer distances during the
medieval period.

24. devotional booklet, ivory, German, c. 1330
This tiny, beautiful
carved object, made
of precious imported
ivory, created a "mini-
altar" for prayer
wherever it went. It
could travel easily
with the noble who
owned this precious
object.
small luxury object

25. Gentile da Fabriano
• Late Medieval artist who
was known by name and
became famous
throughout Italy for his
art.
• We will look at two of his
works.

26. The Coronation of the Virgin
Gentile was commissioned to
paint this scene for his
hometown of Fabriano, Italy.
They commissioned this work
from him after he became
famous working in the larger
Italian cities.

27. what is this object?
This is a processional standard.
It would be carried, held high
on a pole, in town ceremonies
that honored the Virgin Mary.
The reverse side of the panel
originally depicted The
Stigmatization of Saint Francis.
However, the panel was sawed
in half (not side to side, but
front to back); the Saint Francis
side is now in a private
collection in Italy.

28. Gentile da Fabriano
The Coronation of the
Virgin
c. 1420
tempera and gold leaf on
panel
34 1/2 x 25 1/2 inches

29. devotional purpose creates
value
Christ's halo is gilded
and tooled.
It carries an
inscription: YHS XPS
FIL(IUS).
Combining Greek and
Latin, this translates
as: Jesus Christ Son
of God.

30. rich materials create value
Stylistic features visible in
this detail:
• extensive tooling
(impressing/stamping a
design using metal
tools)
• gold leaf
• decorative patterning
using richly colored
pigments
http://web.ceu.hu/medstud/manual/MMM/glossary.html

31. extraordinary
level of detail
The scroll held by the angel
on the left reads: Timete
dominum et date ille hono
[rem] (Fear the Lord and
give honor to him).

32. Gentile, beyond the
town of Fabriano
• Gentile's most famous
surviving works were made
during his time in Florence in
the 1420s, where his work was
widely seen and he had the
opportunity to see the works of
Florentine painters.
• He worked in many major
Italian cities—Venice,
Florence, Siena, Orvieto, but
unfortunately many of his
frescoes have been destroyed.

33. Gentile da
Fabriano,
Adoration of the
Magi, 1423

34. Santa Trinità, Florence
This church was outside of the city walls at time of construction. Now it is central!

35. #20 marks the
location of the
Capella Strozzi

36. Palla Strozzi, the patron
He was a wealthy merchant
and banker in Florence, Italy.
He spent huge sums of money
on art (for example, a lavish,
marble tomb for his father).
For his family's chapel
(called, of course, the
Strozzi chapel) in the local
church, of Santa Trinità, he
spent 30,000 florins on a
single painting: Gentile’s
Adoration of the Magi.

37. Strozzi spent way too much
on art!
Strozzi did not manage his
money well at all. He was known
for lavish spending on art.
His family situation worsened
after he was exiled to Padua for
life, following the return of the
Medici family to Florence.
Although Strozzi was never able
to return to Florence, he
continued to invest in the
decoration of the Strozzi Chapel
in Santa Trinita.

38. Gentile da
Fabriano,
Adoration of the
Magi, 1423
International Gothic
Style paintings
featured not only
elegant depictions
of Biblical subjects,
but costly
carved and gilded
frames and
expensive
pigments.

40. Gentile da Fabriano, Adoration of the Magi, 1423

41. references to the Strozzi
family in the Adoration
*The Magi (the 3 Kings) themselves
are symbolic of wealthy merchants
laying gifts at the feet of the church.
*Moreover, Palla Strozzi belong to
an elite social club in Florence called
the Company of the Magi. Every
January 6 (the Feast of Epiphany),
they sponsored a festival for the city
with a parade from Town Hall to San
Marco and a feast for everyone
*There is a golden spur being placed
around the ankle of the foreground
king. Palla Strozzi belonged to
another elite group called the Order
of the Golden Spur.

42. *The falcon in this
painting may be
significant too.
Strozziere is an Italian
word meaning ”Master of
the Falcons”—so this
may be another symbolic
reference to the family
name.

43. So, how does the idea of value
change in the Renaissance?
• Artists start to promote themselves as more than just
skilled craftsmen. They argue they should be given special
status as creators—a "godlike" role instead of a humble
one.

44. So, how does the idea of value
change in the Renaissance?
• They don't just make things, they create new forms out of
nothing—and this makes them different from all the other
medieval guilds handle trades like leather tanning, fabric
weaving, or ironsmithing.

45. So, how does the idea of value
change in the Renaissance?
• They emphasized the intellectual effort of creating a
composition to dignify their efforts.

46. So, how does the idea of value
change in the Renaissance?
• In personal appearance and manners, they wore fine
clothes and acted politely. They would never appear in
public in a paint-spattered smock! Rather they cultivated a
well-bred courtly image and emphasized their connections
with nobles, kings, and high officials of the church.

47. So, how does the idea of value
change in the Renaissance?
• Finally, they insist upon their special skills to create
representations. No longer is the value of a painting in its
use of expensive pigments! Now its value lies in the ability
of the artist to create astonishingly lifelike representations.

48. a new style emerges:
representational painting
• Oil paint is a new innovation. It can be applied in very thin
layers, allowing for finely detailed textures that
differentiate skin, hair, fabrics, etc.
• The rules of perspective are codified. Perspective is a way
of dividing and structuring a two-dimensional surface to
produce an illusion of three-dimensional space.
• The direct study of the human body allows for more lifelike
representations of its proportions, skeleton, and
musculature. Some artists even get involved in the (still-
illegal) practice of dissecting the human body to
understand its anatomy.