Summary lectures History Western Arts & Culture (CC1001)
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Course
History Western Arts & Culture (CC1001)
Institution
Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (EUR)
Very organized and structured summary that that covers all the lectures of the History of Western Arts and Cultures course. It gives detailed insights that are only mentioned in the lectures, with examples of art works and artists. Very hard subject because of the amount of material but I found it ...
Renaissance
1420-1500 early Renaissance (end of Medici) 15
1494-1527 high Renaissance (sack of Rome) 1h16
1520-1600 Mannerism 17
Context
After the long and dark times of the Middle Ages (5th-15th) a new artistic movement arises in Italy, with
the intent to give life again (renaissance = rebirth) to all the good arts, ideals, ways of living and thinking of
the ancient Greeks and Romans. Thanks to the secularisation of political and religious authorities, a
switch of power in Arts, the rise of the new current of thoughts Humanism, Italy ourishes again.
Economy/Politics • Autonomous city states - Trinity, Masaccio,1h15
• Most urbanised region in eu - B. Sforza e F. Da Montefeltro, Piero
• New class of merchants that invest in della Francesca, 2h15
the arts —> new patronage draws
artists to the cities
• Competition of culture, art to show o
History • Heirs of Rome - lifestyle—> sponsor - “all’Antica” - antiquity
the arts - Pantheon, Rome
• Proximity to remnants - Stant’Andrea in Mantua, Alberti
• Great art = great society 2h15
Demography • Black Death - 60% ppl die - De Medici
• Demand for labour, rising wages
• New prosperous classes emerge
Philosophy • Humanism - Petrarca 14th
- study of humanities and classics - Language: forma, ars, venustats,
- Anthropocentric - vs theocentric dignitas, decks, pulchritudo
(Middle Ages)
- Individualism - uomo universale (artists
gifted by God, vips
- New language with words to describe
di erent types of beauty —> beauty
makes everything better
Main characteristics
Linear perspective Gives depth and tridimensionality to the - Trinity, Masaccio, 1h15 VS Maestà
space di Santa Trinità, Cimabue, 2h13
- Annunciation, Fra Angelico 1h15 VS
Annunciation, Broederlam, end14
Geometry and Balanced architecture copied by ancient - St. Andrea, Alberti, 1470 VS Exeter
proportions themes cathedral (gothic) VS town Hall,
Mathematical ratios Leuven 2h15
- Duomo Florence, Brunelleschi 1h15
Contrapposto S shape of statues to give movement - Donatello: st. George 1417 VS David
1424
Nudity Absolute beauty - from antiquity
Naturalism Appreciation for natural and real forms,
Chiaroscuro Light and shade -Lady with an ermine, Da Vinci
Sfumato Blurry e ect - Monalisa, Da Vinci, 1h16
ff ff ff fl
, High renaissance
During the second part of the renaissance movement, the focus of the art world becomes Rome. Popes
(Sixtus IV, Julius II, Leo X) get richer also thanks to the patronage of the arts. There is a discovery for
nature (perspective, landscapes and human body) and a re discovery of human artists (gifted by god, not
normal ppl but special individual in society —> uomo universale
Michelangelo - “man” is beautiful
Buonarroti 1475-1564 - The artist is the creator of beauty
- David, 1h16 inspired by antique sculpture (contrapposto, nude, mythology)
- Creation of Adam, 1h16 - humanist vision on religion VS 12th
Leonardo da Vinci - The last supper, end 15 —> balance, order, linear perspective
1452-1519 - Lady with an ermine —> chiaroscuro
- Mona Lisa —> sfumato
Ra aello Sanzio - School of Athens, 1h16 —> linear perspective, self con dence of the artist that
1483-1520 portraits himself
Titian - Venus of Urbino, 1538 Oil painting due to humidity in Venice
- Bacchanal, 1518
Mannerism 1520-1600
De ned in 1914 by W. Friedlander, anti-classical style, the world itself has a negative
connotation meaning decadency, arti ciality and artistic decline. It is the start of the decline of
love for antiquity and the seek for the ideal society, aesthetic is not the main goal anymore. This
is mainly due to the the chaos and instability of Europe. Politics and religion play and important
role for the arts, which has to adapt and reshape according to the historical events. The sack of
Rome in 1527, the Reformation and Counter Reformation in northern eu lead to the loss of
clarity and regularity of renaissance, there is now ambiguity and despair. Only the upper class is
interested in art, with its re ned and elegant taste, who only addresses a restricted audience.
—> into Baroque
Michelangelo - overcrowded space Vs the creation
The last judgement, - Grotesque and twisted gures
Cappella Sistina
Rome
Tintoretto, the last - diagonal lines (no linear perspective) VS the last supper, Da Vinci
supper, 1549 - High light contrast
- Chaos
Parmigianino, - very arti cial
madonna with the - No proportion
long neck - No reality
Renaissance in Northern Europe
After the sack of Rome in 1527, many artists and intellectuals migrated to northern countries, bringing
knowledge and experience with them. This led to the development of renaissance, however with some
di erences. They took antiquity and all the main characteristics only as a starting point to develop their
own style.
Late 15th - 16th century in France, UK, Low Countries and the Holy Roman Empire
Context
Geography • Age of Discoveries (1492 Columbus - Holbein, the ambassadors
reaches US, 1497 Vasco Da Game
India)
• New knowledge abt the world
• New resources found
• Economic ventures —> European
courts get richer
fffffi fi fi fi fi fi
, Politics • 100 yrs war (1337-1453) UK vs France
• Italian wars (1494-1558): city states, France, Rome, Holy Roman Empire - sack
of Rome —> artists go to northern eu —> knowledge is spread
Society • Royal courts main art patrons - les tres riches heures du duc de
• Cultural competition between berry, the Limbourg brothers, 1406
aristocrats - The Habsburg dynasty 16th
• Merchants become a new class of rich - Dukes of Burgundy
ppl thank to trading to new lands
Religion • Christian Humanists (vs Classical - Erasmus of Rotterdam
Humanist ita) - Thomas More
• Increasing dissatisfaction with Roman
Catholic Church
Reformation: the church has in uence in any aspect of life. It takes advantage of its power to control the
poor and gets richer, without concerning about showing o its wealth
• Geography: churches, abbeys, everywhere
• Economy of holiness: donations, relics
• Economy of pardons and indulgences
D. Erasmus • “Prince of the Humanists”
(1466-1536) • 1511 Moriae Encomium: satire to critique the church without being in danger -
hypocritical bc he doesn’t want to break with the church
• Goal: cleanse the Church from within
M. Luther (1483-1546) • Analysis of the Bible (original text are the only ones that can be analysed)
• The beauty of Rome is ruined by the corruption of the Church —> Roman
Catholic Church must be abolished
• Salvation is earned through faith - not good deeds
• Teaching: sola des & sola scriptura (no indirect religion, no iconoclasm)
• Success due to: printing and propaganda, general dissatisfaction, Charles V VS
ottoman empire
J. Calvin (1509-1564) • Radical position on Reformation
• Bible —> only source of knowledge
• Calvinism
Art world: aristocrats and middle-class demand for luxurious goods, including arts, ppl moved around,
spreading their ideas, and thanks to technology, paintings could be moved around, and copies of art were
made (printing press 1450, Gutenberg)
Iconoclasm 1522/66: —> Condemnation of worshipping saints —> New themes:
destruction of all non and Mary: Religious art was saved by • Landscapes and seascapes (port,
essential religious being placed in private collections economy in northern eu)
images and arts • Portraits to celebrate the individual
• Still life (—> baroque)
• Genre (ordinary life also interesting)
—> Bruegel, the peasant wedding
2h16
Baroque
Emerged in Italy in the end of the 16th century, and then spread across al Europe, Baroque was born from
a general dissatisfaction of the population. The Church wants to re gain the power and credibility lost due
to the Reformation of Luther and Clavin, and therefore Rome starts a Counter Reformation, trying to
impress the audience and lure in followers trough art full of drama, ecstasy, emotion and dynamism.
fi fl ff
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