Download Florence: With and Without the Medici Dr Sunnie Evers February 28

Florence:WithandWithouttheMedici
DrSunnieEvers
February28,2017
Lecture8:RepublicanresurgenceandtheReturnoftheMedici Outline
Botticelli,MysticalNativity,1500,NGA,London
Anonymous,DeathofSavonarola,late15thcentury,Florence,SanMarco
Michelangelo,David,1501-04,Accademia,Florence:(prophetofChrist’scoming,
ancestorofChrist,Christ-type[triumphoverGoliathprefiguresChrist’s
triumphoverevil],tyrantslayer,defenderofrepublicanliberty;nameDavid
means“strongofhand”),marble,14’3”,almost17feettallwithbase;moved
totheAccademiain1873andreplacedbyacopyin1882.
Michelangelo,StudyforabronzeDavid“copy”ofDonatello’sbronzeDavid,
drawing,Paris,Louvre,1501;commissionedin1502byPierredeRohan,
commanderoftheFrenchforcesinItaly;inscribedDavictechollafromba/e
iochollarcho/Michelagniolo:
“Davidwiththesling,andIwiththebow,Michelangelo”
BernardinoPoccetti,ViewoftheCathedralshowingDonatello’s3xlife-size
terracottastatueofJoshua,of1410onthenorthtribune[paintedwhitein
1411/12,nowlost]
Dioscuri(twinsorhorsetamers),PiazzadelQuirinale,Rome,Romancopiesof
Greekoriginals,5thor6thcenturiesBC.
ColossalConstantine(fragments),CapitolineMuseum,Rome,c.330AD.
Antinous,Siena,2ndcenturyAD.
Michelangelo,StProculus,ShrineofSaintDominic,SanDomenico,Bologna,
1495
Caracalla(211-17AD),marblebust,Naples,MuseoNazionale,3rdcenturyAD.
Vasari,EntryofLeoXintoFlorencein1515,fresco,SaladiLeoX,Palazzo
Vecchio,Florence,1560;showsontheringhiera(rostrum)Michelangelo’s
DavidandtheMarzoccoorsymboliclionofFlorence;alsoshowsthe
temporaryHerculesbyBaccioBandinelliintheeastarchofthePriors’Loggia
(LoggiadeiLanzi)madeofstucco,17’8”tallandpaintedabronzecolor,
commissionedbyLeoX,aswellasDonatello’sJudithandHolofernesinthe
westarch(installedin1506afterbeingdisplacedbyMichelangelo’sDavid.)
Michelangelo,StMatthew,1503-08,unfinished,Accademia,Florence;
commissionedbyOperadelDuomoaspartof12apostlesforthechoirofthe
cathedral.
Michelangelo,DoniTondo(HolyFamilywithJohntheBaptist),c.1503-05,Uffizi;
reverse:unknownartist,ScenesfromtheStoryofDeucalianandPyrrhafrom
OvidMetamorphoses–survivorsofthegreatfloodandrepopulatedtheworld
bythrowingstonesovertheirshoulders.
commissionedbyAgnoloandMaddalenaStrozziDonitocelebratetheir
marriageor,morelikely,thebirthoftheirfirstchild,GiovanniBattista.
Contemporaryhumanistsdescribedthefamilyasthemicrocosmoftheideal
State.Circularframe–referencetobirthplatters(deschidaparto)andthe
idealformandcosmos.Threeages:paganantiquity–OT-NT
Christ-childisHerculean
Virgin=symboloftheChurch
Newlifeandregeneration
WordforgiftsinItalian=doni
Variedinterpretationsofthebackground:
Paganworld
Angels
Shepherds
Athletes
Virtues
Neoplatonisdivineenergies
SonsofNoah
Heathens
Contemporarypersonalinterpretation(Doni’slostseveralchildrenbefore
Giovanniwasborn:unbaptized:AntoninoPierozzi,archbishopofFlorence,
whodiedin1459,claimedthatunbaptizedbabieswouldberesurrectedwith
thefullbodyofa33year-oldandwouldexperienceneitherpainnorglory.
Savonarola:“Originalsinisnot,assomebelieve,astainoraninfection
corruptinghumannature....Letussayagainthatthosewhodiedin...original
sin...willhavealltheperfectionswhichnaturallypertaintohumannature,
thatistheknowledgeofnaturalthings...andallthehappinesswhichman
canenjoy....Godwillbestowonthemsomethingsuper-natural,likebodily
immortalityandimpassibility....Andeventhoughwebelievethattheirsouls
areinLimbo,theywillnotsufferanypain...;butaftertheResurrection,I
maintain,intheabsenceofajudgmentbytheHolyChurch(Ihavenotfound
anyexplicitdeclarationonthesubject),thattheywilldwellupontheEarth,
whichshallbepurifiedandglorified...aboveallbecausecorporalpainisnot
aconsequenceoforiginalsin,onlythedeprivationofthevisionofGod:and
thiswouldnotbepossible,iftheyaredeprivedofthevisionofboththesun
andthemostbeautifulnaturalbodies,thosethingswhichmanbynature
wantsmosttosee.”
Leonardo,Virgin,ChildandStAnne,cartoon,1501,NGALondon
Leonardo,Virgin,ChildandStAnne,1505,Louvre
Raphael,PortraitsofAgnoloandMaddalenaDoni,1506,Uffizi
Raphael,MadonnaoftheMeadow,1505,oilonpanel,Vienna;commissionedby
Florentinemerchant,TaddeoTaddei.
InfluenceofLeonardo
HighRenaissanceclassicism
Michelangelo,TaddeiTondo(VirginandChildwithStJohn),c.1505,Royal
Academy,London
Michelangelo,BrugesMadonna,1505(senttoFlandersin1506)
ByzantinePlatyteratype:incarnation
1498PieroSoderiniwaselectedGonfaloniereforlife;PalazzoVecchio
remodeled;additionofGreatCouncilHall(Hallofthe500),modeledafterthat
inVenice.
FraBartolomeo,StAnneAltarpiece,1510-12,(unfinished),Florence,San
Marco;commissionedbytheSignoriafortheSaladelGranConsiglio,Palazzo
Vecchio.
Freedomfromtyranny:expulsionofWalterofBrienne,Dukeof
AthensoccurredonFeastDayofStAnne,1343
Rubens(afterLeonardo),CentralSectionofBattleofAnghiari,TheBattlefor
theStandard,c.1603,Paris,Louvre
Leonardo,studyforBattleofAnghiari,drawing,1503,Venice,Accademia
Michelangelo(1542copyafterbySebastianodaSangallo?),BattleofCascina,
commissioned1504,England,LordLeicestercollection
1512Giovannide’MedicibecomesPopeLeoX
referencetoMarzocco
reinstallsMedicicoatsofarmsthroughoutcityofFlorence
1512ReturnoftheMediciwiththesupportofthepapacy(LeoX)andSpain.
1513Giulianode’Medici,DukeofNemours,CaptainofPapaltroopsand3rd
sonofLorenzoilMag,takescharge–dies1515
1513publicationofMachiavelli’sThePrince,dedicatedtoLorenzode’Medici
1515triumphantentryofLeoXintoFlorence
1515Lorenzo,DukeofUrbino,CaptainoftheFlorentinetroopsandsonof
PierotheGoutytakescharge;dies1519(Medicihopesdashed)
1519CardinalGiuliode’Medici(futureClementVII,elected1524)assumes
control
1523IppolitoandAlessandro(bothillegitimate)leftinchargeofFlorence,
supervisedbyCardinalPasserini,whowasdespisedbecausehecame
fromCortona
1527SackofRome>FlorentinesexpelledtheMedici
1529SiegeofFlorence
August1530Florencesurrenderedtoimperialtroops
1532Alessandroassumedtitleofduke(supportedbyemperorandpope)
1537assassinationofAlessandro
BaccioBandinelli,Orpheus,courtyard,MediciPalace,c.1517-19;
commissionedbyLeoXandCardinalGiulianode’Medici.
Virgil,Georgics4.444-527
Ovid,Metamorphoses10.1-105and11.1-53
Horace,ArsPoetica391-400
ApolloBelvedere,Romancopyafter4thcenturyBCbronzeoriginal,Vatican;
acquiredbyJuliusIIandplacedCortiledelBelvedere.
Michelangelo,designandmodelforfaçadeofSanLorenzo,c.1515;
commissionedbyLeoX,neverbuilt–designedtobeamarblefreestanding
monumentalfaçade,whichwouldhidethegabledendofthechurch.
CommissionwasrelatedtoanunexecutedplantobuildanewMediciPalace
onaxiswiththechurch.ProjectwascancelledupondeathofLorenzo;focus
shiftedtoproperburialandcommemorationofthedeadprinces,aswellas
thatoftheMagnificenthimselfandhisbrother,Giuliano.
BaccioBandinelli,Orpheus,courtyard,MediciPalace,c.1517-19;
commissionedbyLeoXandCardinalGiulianode’Medici.
Virgil,Georgics4.444-527
Ovid,Metamorphoses10.1-105and11.1-53
Horace,ArsPoetica391-400
ApolloBelvedere,Romancopyafter4thcenturyBCbronzeoriginal,Vatican;
acquiredbyJuliusIIandplacedCortiledelBelvedere.
Michelangelo,MediciChapel,SanLorenzo1519,leftunfinishedin1540’s
(burialchapeloftheMagnifici(LorenzotheMagandhisbrother
Giuliano)andDukeLorenzoandDukeGiulianode’Medici;commissioned
byCardinalGiuliode’Medici.Workonthesubstructureofthechapelbegan
aroundMarch1520;contractsforthemarbleforthetombsaredatedApril
1521.
Theme:triumphoverdeath
OriginaldesignincludedreliefsoftheGardenoftheHesperidesandof
OrpheuslamentingthelossofEurydicetoflanktheMagnificitombs>
connectiontoMediciPalaceandgarden.
DedicatedtotheResurrection
StylisticechoofOldSacristy
TombofLorenzode’Medici(saturnine,contemplative),NightandDay
TombofGiulianode’Medici(martial,active),DawnandDusk
Themes:universalimmortality,circularityoftime
OriginallyplannedHeavenandEarthinniches(airandearth?)
4greatRiverGodsoriginallyplannedtoreclinebeneathsarcophagi
intendedfrescoofResurrection
Michelangelo,MediciMadonna,c.1521-34,MediciChapel(NewSacristy),San
Lorenzo.
Mausoleumfunction:FlorentinemonumenterectedbytheMedicifamilytohonor
itsdeadbyrepresentingthemasmilitaryofficials>achievementathome,
achievementabroad;revivingthegloryofLorenzotheMagnificent.
After1530therepublicancaptainsbecameroyaldukes(andtheiridentities
confused)
AdditionalReading:
D.Weinstein,SavonarolaandFlorence:ProphecyandPatriotismintheRenaissance
LauroMartines,FireintheCity:SavonarolaandtheStrugglefortheSoul
RonaGoffen,RenaissanceRivals:Michelangelo,Leonardo,RaphaelandTitian
Nagel,MichelangeloandtheReformofArt
DavidSummers,MichelangeloandtheLanguageofArt
WilliamEWallace,MichelangeloatSanLorenzo:TheGeniusasEntrepreneur
Videolinks
ResearchersClosinginonlostLeonardomural:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsq_XHg8ptM&t=157s
MaurizioSerraciniTheSecretLifeofPaintings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=694XUHVuGQo
LostBattleSceneofLeonardo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMgKmqfZ3_Y
MissingLeonardofound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bsJtr2TglY&t=37s