Download Painters and architects in the 1200s were only beginning

Painters and architects in the 1200s were only beginning to explore
styles that characterized shifts from Medieval to Renaissance.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Situate the painting and architecture of Italy during the 1200s within the larger European
movements of the time.
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
In the period leading up to the 13th century Italian city-statesbegan to re-assert their own power
and authority. Much of this was driven by the role these cities played in trade.
In the 1200s leaders of Italian city-states began using their wealth to become patrons of the arts,
and artists were reviving an interest in classical forms and styles.
Painters and architects in the 13th Century were only beginning to explore some of the style
revolutions that would create the shift from the Medieval to the Renaissance period over the next
several centuries.
Paintings during the 1200s were often produced for the church. Particularly in the Tuscan
region, tempera was the predominantmedium and painters tended to work true to
the Byzantine style.
While the Gothic style was exported to much of Europe, it was never wholeheartedly embraced by
Italian architects. Instead, local styles and material were favored, and buildings were often a mix
of Gothic and Classical styles.
TERMS [ edit ]
Byzantine
Belonging to the civilization of the Eastern-Roman empire between 331 A.D. when the capital was
moved to Constantinople (now Istanbul), and 1453 when it was conquered by the Turks.
tempera
A medium used to bind pigments in painting, as well as the associated artistic techniques.
Gothic
Of or relating to the architectural style favored in western Europe in the 12th to 16th centuries.
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Background: Italy in the 1200s
Italy during the 1200s was emerging from
what is often described as the Dark Ages.
After the end of Roman rule in the
5th century much of Italy was ruled by
Germanic tribes and nations.
In the period leading up to the
13th century, Italian city-states began to
re-assert their own power and authority.
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Much of this was driven by the role these
cities played in trade. In particular elites in many northern city-states such as Venice, Genoa
and Pisa became wealthy through maritime trade. City leaders would, on occasion, work
together to insure their power and wealth; for example, banding together to form the
Lombardi League. The main goal of the league was to counter the authority of the Holy
Roman Empire, which in spite of the name, was primarily a Germanic power.
Painting and Architecture
At the same time leaders of the city-states began to use their wealth to become patrons of the
arts. Painters and architects in the 1200s were only beginning to explore some of the style
revolutions that would later cause the shift from the Medieval to the Renaissance period over
the next several centuries.
Paintings during this period were often produced for the church. Particularly in the Tuscan
region, tempera was the predominant medium and painters tended to stay true to the
Byzantine style. This was highly formalistic with little attention to questions
of perspective and relationships between figures. Instead, paintings were iconic. For example,
images of the Virgin Mary would appear in multiple paintings featuring the same angles of
her head and shoulders, along with the folds in her veil .
Madonna and Child
This alter painting by Duccio di Buoninsegna, c. 1280 demonstrate the Byzantine style.
In France, Gothic architecture emerged and was characterized by dramatic flying
buttresses, lancet archways, an increased use of stain glass, and elevated heights for civic and
religious buildings. While the Gothic style was exported to much of Europe, it was never
wholeheartedly embraced by Italian architects. Instead, local styles and material were
favored, and buildings were often a mix of Gothic and Classical styles.