Using the remarkable surroundings of Siena and Tuscany, the course combines lectures and field study activities to teach students necessary skills to identify and centralize the masterpieces of Tuscan art. From the beginning, Italian art in its varied expressions (painting, sculpture, architecture) has always sought autonomy from the pictorial surface. During the Renaissance era, the conquest of the pictorial space was obtained through one-point perspective rules, theorized by Alberti in 1435, and with an increasing plasticity in the figure's formal construction. From the first half of the XIV century, the socio-cultural fervor of Tuscany’s most important cities, like Siena and Florence (as well as satellite cities, such as San Gimignano, Pienza, Montepulciano), ensured the circulation of formal and stylistic novelty. In addition, an “artistic revelation” during the Renaissance era saw the illusion of space as more realistic than ever before. Focusing on the historical and political context and on civic and private patronage, this course provides an outline of the main artistic evolutions in Tuscany until the “Renaissance explosion”: a humanistic outlook that placed man and human achievement at the center of all things.
Attendance policy:
Successful progress of the program depends on the full cooperation of both students and faculty members: regular attendance and active participation in class are essential parts of the learning process. Attendance at and participation in all class meetings and field-studies are required. More than TWO unjustified absences (that are not medically excused with a written certificate of the doctor or caused by serious sudden family and/or personal occurences, as for example death of a family member) will result in a lowering of your grade.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students are able to:
Identify masterpieces of early Renaissance art, focusing on Florence and Siena as principal centres;
Analyze the historical and political context of civic and private art patronage;
Recognize the main artistic evolutions in Tuscany until the “Renaissance explosion”;
Develop skills to critically evaluate Renaissance works.
Method of presentation:
In-class lectures and weekly field-studies activities guided by the professor. Lectures include PowerPoint projections, CD-ROMs and other visual materials. Guided tours to museums and churches, field-studies and field-trips.
Note: During field-studies students are kindly advised not to carry bulky backpacks or troublesome objects. Photography is usually allowed in parks and gardens but is in general forbidden in museums.
Field study:
Visit to Siena Town Hall (Sala della Pace, Sala del Mappamondo, Cappella dei Signori, Anticappella); “Opera del Duomo” Museum in Siena
San Gimignano: visit to Cathedral Square, Town hall with big tower (“Torre Grassa”) and Cathedral Collegiata of Santa Maria Assunta (viewing: Lippo Memmi's Majesty in Town Hall, Bartolo di Fredi and Lippo Memmi workshop frescoes, Jacopo della Quercia wooden statues, Domenico Ghirlandaio frescoes in Cathedral Collegiata of Santa Maria Assunta).
The big construction sites of Santa Maria Novella, Santa Croce and Santa Maria del Fiore churches in Florence; the role of florentine guilds in the artistic evolution (Giotto, Andrea Pisano, Taddeo Gaddi, Bernardo Daddi and the “Master of Santa Cecilia”).
Siena, constructing the Renaissance city: the redevelopment of the piazza Piccolomini, “Loggia della Mercanzia”, the “Papesse Palace”. A new architectural typology defined by its use of classical architectural typologies: the family palace. Visit to: Piazza Salimbeni, Palazzo Spannocchi, e Palazzo Bandini-Piccolomini, Palazzo Bichi-Ruspoli.
Siena Cathedral Baptistery, Pinacoteca. B. Lecture
Visit to Santa Maria della Scala Hospital: Fresco cycle in Pilgrim Hall.
Visit to Pienza Cathedral and Piccolomini Palace in Pienza.
Visit to Siena Cathedral: (marble decorations, Piccolomini Altar and Piccolomini library). Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, the Cathedral dome, the Cathedral Baptistery, the “Opera del Duomo” Museum, Piazza della Signoria, the “Loggia dei Lanzi”; visit to Accademy Museum, Uffizi Gallery, Sto Spirito Church, Bargello National Museum in Florence.
Oratorio di San Bernardino Museum and St. Augustin's Church.
Required work and form of assessment:
Class active participation and class discussions (10%)
One 3-page paper to be picked from a given list during week 2 (25%)
One 3-page paper to be picked from a given list during week 5 (25%)
Afinal exam in the form of essay-style answers (40%)
content:
WEEK 1
Part I: Siena and Northern-European gothic art
A. Introduction to the course
Artistic technique: the construction of the Siena Town Hall, Siena Cathedral and the Baptistery
The plastic conquest of famous Sienese painters: Duccio and Simone Martini.
Readings: Hartt-Wilkins, pp. 27-42 (Italy and Italian art, artistic technique). Hyman, pp. 14-71.
B. The plastic conquest of famous Sienese painters: Pietro and Ambrogio Lorenzetti. Two Town Hall decorations: comparing Siena and San Gimignano.
The Cathedral Collegiata of Santa Maria Assunta in San Gimignano. Readings: Hyman, pp. 72-121. Coppini, pp. 20-28, pp. 45-81.
Field Studies: Visit to Siena Town Hall (Sala della Pace, Sala del Mappamondo, Cappella dei Signori, Anticappella); “Opera del Duomo” Museum in Siena
WEEK 2 Part II: Florence and the “giottesque spatial revolution”
A. Field Studies
San Gimignano: visit to Cathedral Square, Town hall with big tower (“Torre Grassa”) and Cathedral Collegiata of Santa Maria Assunta (viewing: Lippo Memmi's Majesty in Town Hall, Bartolo di Fredi and Lippo Memmi workshop frescoes, Jacopo della Quercia wooden statues, Domenico Ghirlandaio frescoes in Cathedral Collegiata of Santa Maria Assunta).
The big construction sites of Santa Maria Novella, Santa Croce and Santa Maria del Fiore churches in Florence; the role of florentine guilds in the artistic evolution (Giotto, Andrea Pisano, Taddeo Gaddi, Bernardo Daddi and the “Master of Santa Cecilia”).
Readings: Hartt-Wilkins, pp. 43-75, pp. 89-103.
PART III: The shattering effect of the Black Death in Siena and Firenze: The abstraction in late-13th-century art by refusing a realistic construction of space
A. Andrea Orcagna, Nardo di Cione, Andrea from Florence and Giovanni from Milan in Florence. Toward the decorative beauty and elegant grace of late Gothic art in Siena: Barna da Siena, Taddeo di
Bartolo, Bartolo di Fredi.
Readings: Hartt-Wilkins: pp. 133-138.
WEEK 3 PART IV: Florence in “perspective” and the “civic humanism”: The development of a new art dedicated to human potential and inspired by forms and ideas drawn from Greek and Roman antiquity
A. The beginnings of Renaissance architecture: Brunelleschi, Leon Battista Alberti, Michelozzo. New
concepts of the dignity and autonomy in sculpture modes of representation: Lorenzo Ghiberti, Donatello, Nanni di Banco.
Readings: Hartt-Wilkins: pp. 152-186.
B. Toward a convincing illusion of space: the plastic construction of the form in Masaccio and Masolino.
After Masaccio and Masolino: graceful and well-defined lines in Fra Angelico and Filippo Lippi compositions. The “game-perspective” in Paolo Uccello: experiments toward seemingly three dimensional pictorial space.
Readings: Hartt-Wilkins: pp. 191-228, 252-256.
Field Study: Siena, constructing the Renaissance city: the redevelopment of the piazza Piccolomini, “Loggia della Mercanzia”, the “Papesse Palace”. A new architectural typology defined by its use of classical architectural typologies: the family palace. Visit to: Piazza Salimbeni, Palazzo Spannocchi, e Palazzo Bandini-Piccolomini, Palazzo Bichi-Ruspoli.
Readings: Nevola, pp. 59- 79, pp. 115-124.
WEEK 4 PART V: A turnaround: Sienese painting of early renaissance: The space as a plaything
A. Renaissance sculpture in Siena: the works of Jacopo della Quercia and Donatello in Siena (the “Fountain of Joy” and the Baptismal Font in Siena Cathedral Baptistery). An alternative Renaissance: Gentile da Fabriano, Sano di Pietro, Sassetta, Giovanni di Paolo and the master of Osservanza.
Readings: Chelazzi Dini, Angelini, Sani pp. 264-276.
Field Study: Siena Cathedral Baptistery, Pinacoteca. B. Lecture
Lorenzo di Pietro also called “Il Vecchietta” and Domenico di Bartolo: a compromise between Sienese tradition and the new Florentine humanism.
Field Study: Visit to Santa Maria della Scala Hospital: Fresco cycle in Pilgrim Hall.
WEEK 5
PART VI: The Piccolomini patronage in Siena
A. Pius II and Bernardo Rossellino in Pienza: Piccolomini Palace and Pienza Cathedral. Francesco di Giorgio Martini and “Mathematical humanism”. Bernardino Pinturicchio in Siena Cathedral.
Readings: Chelazzi Dini, Angelini, Sani: pp. 277-287, Settis-Toracca: pp. 30-31, pp. 52-57, pp. 128-131, 237-252, 268-283.
PART VII: The Medici's patronage in Florence during the second half of XV century
A. The Florentine second Renaissance style in architecture and sculpture.
After Masaccio and Masolino: painters' workshops: Antonio del Pollaiuolo, Andrea del Verrocchio, Sandro
Botticelli, Domenico del Ghirlandaio.
Readings: Hartt-Wilkins: pp. 229-251; 290-294, pp. 317-349.
Field Study: Visit to Pienza Cathedral and Piccolomini Palace in Pienza.
WEEK 6
PART VIII: High Renaissance in Siena and Florence
A. The Piccolomini patronage in Siena: Andrea Bregno and the young Michelangelo in the Siena
Cathedral.
Readings: Carli, pp. 10-25.
B. The beginning of a new style in Florence: Leonardo da Vinci's first works (looking: Annunciation, Adoration of Magi- Uffizi Gallery). Michelangelo's character and artistic style (looking: Bacchus- Bargello National Museum, Crucifix- Sto Spirito Church, Doni Madonna- Uffizi Gallery, David- Accademy Museum), Raffaello's earliest productions (Madonna del Cardellino- Uffizi Gallery).
Readings: Hartt- Wilkins: pp. 430-472.
Field Studies: Visit to Siena Cathedral: (marble decorations, Piccolomini Altar and Piccolomini library). Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, the Cathedral dome, the Cathedral Baptistery, the “Opera del Duomo” Museum, Piazza della Signoria, the “Loggia dei Lanzi”; visit to Accademy Museum, Uffizi Gallery, Sto Spirito Church, Bargello National Museum in Florence.
WEEK 6
A. Siena and the Petrucci patronage: the Church of Osservanza, the construction and decorations of “Palazzo del Magnifico”. Giacomo Cozzarelli, Sodoma, Girolamo Genga, Beccafumi e Girolamo del Pacchia.
Readings: Chelazzi Dini, Angelini, Sani: pp. 335-349, pp. 355-362.
Field Study: Oratorio di San Bernardino Museum and St. Augustin's Church.
B. Review readings: preparation for final exams, oral presentation of the project, written final exams.
Required readings:
All required readings are included in the course-packet.
Carli, Enzo. The Cathedral of Siena and the Cathedral Museum. Firenze, Scala, 2004.
Chelazzi Dini, Giulietta. Angelini, Alessandro. Sani, Bernardina. Warr, Cordelia. Five Centuries of Sienese Painting: From Duccio to the Birth of the Baroque. London: Thames and Hudson, 1998.
Coppini. San Gimignano, a Medieval Dream. San Gimignano, Edizioni Il Furetto, 2000.
Hartt, Frederick. Wilkins, David G. History of Italian Renaissance Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture. Frederick Hartt; revised by David G. Wilkins, London: Thames and Hudson, 1994.
Hyman, Timothy. Sienese Painting. London: Thames and Hudson, 2003.
Nevola. Siena, Constructing the Renaissance City. New Haven, London: Yale university press, 2007.
Settis, Salvatore. Toracca, Donatella. Angelini, Alessandro. Roli, Ghigo. Roberts, Mark. The Piccolomini Library in Siena Cathedral, edited by Salvatore Settis and Donatella Toracca, texts by Alessandro Angelini, Modena, Panini editore, 1998.
Toti, Enrico. Santa Maria della Scala: A Thousand Years of History, Art, and Archaeology. Siena: Protagon editori toscani.
Brief Biography of Instructor:
Sara Pizziconi earned a MA, with Honours, in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, specializing in Art History from the University of Siena. She is a lecturer and a consultant in several academic conferences, events, seminars, congresses, exhibitions on Medieval and Renaissance ages, published articles for University department on the cultural and social issues of late medieval art, focusing on architectural elements of the fortification of XV century Tuscany. Her current research focuses on gender studies in Medieval and Renaissance society and culture and the role of women in Renaissance art.
Using the remarkable surroundings of Siena and Tuscany, the course combines lectures and field study activities to teach students necessary skills to identify and centralize the masterpieces of Tuscan art. From the beginning, Italian art in its varied expressions (painting, sculpture, architecture) has always sought autonomy from the pictorial surface. During the Renaissance era, the conquest of the pictorial space was obtained through one-point perspective rules, theorized by Alberti in 1435, and with an increasing plasticity in the figure's formal construction. From the first half of the XIV century, the socio-cultural fervor of Tuscany’s most important cities, like Siena and Florence (as well as satellite cities, such as San Gimignano, Pienza, Montepulciano), ensured the circulation of formal and stylistic novelty. In addition, an “artistic revelation” during the Renaissance era saw the illusion of space as more realistic than ever before. Focusing on the historical and political context and on civic and private patronage, this course provides an outline of the main artistic evolutions in Tuscany until the “Renaissance explosion”: a humanistic outlook that placed man and human achievement at the center of all things.
Successful progress of the program depends on the full cooperation of both students and faculty members: regular attendance and active participation in class are essential parts of the learning process. Attendance at and participation in all class meetings and field-studies are required. More than TWO unjustified absences (that are not medically excused with a written certificate of the doctor or caused by serious sudden family and/or personal occurences, as for example death of a family member) will result in a lowering of your grade.
By the end of the course, students are able to:
In-class lectures and weekly field-studies activities guided by the professor. Lectures include PowerPoint projections, CD-ROMs and other visual materials. Guided tours to museums and churches, field-studies and field-trips.
Note: During field-studies students are kindly advised not to carry bulky backpacks or troublesome objects. Photography is usually allowed in parks and gardens but is in general forbidden in museums.
WEEK 1
Part I: Siena and Northern-European gothic art
A. Introduction to the course
Artistic technique: the construction of the Siena Town Hall, Siena Cathedral and the Baptistery
The plastic conquest of famous Sienese painters: Duccio and Simone Martini.
Readings: Hartt-Wilkins, pp. 27-42 (Italy and Italian art, artistic technique). Hyman, pp. 14-71.
B. The plastic conquest of famous Sienese painters: Pietro and Ambrogio Lorenzetti. Two Town Hall decorations: comparing Siena and San Gimignano.
The Cathedral Collegiata of Santa Maria Assunta in San Gimignano. Readings: Hyman, pp. 72-121. Coppini, pp. 20-28, pp. 45-81.
Field Studies: Visit to Siena Town Hall (Sala della Pace, Sala del Mappamondo, Cappella dei Signori, Anticappella); “Opera del Duomo” Museum in Siena
WEEK 2
Part II: Florence and the “giottesque spatial revolution”
A. Field Studies
San Gimignano: visit to Cathedral Square, Town hall with big tower (“Torre Grassa”) and Cathedral Collegiata of Santa Maria Assunta (viewing: Lippo Memmi's Majesty in Town Hall, Bartolo di Fredi and Lippo Memmi workshop frescoes, Jacopo della Quercia wooden statues, Domenico Ghirlandaio frescoes in Cathedral Collegiata of Santa Maria Assunta).
The big construction sites of Santa Maria Novella, Santa Croce and Santa Maria del Fiore churches in Florence; the role of florentine guilds in the artistic evolution (Giotto, Andrea Pisano, Taddeo Gaddi, Bernardo Daddi and the “Master of Santa Cecilia”).
Readings: Hartt-Wilkins, pp. 43-75, pp. 89-103.
PART III: The shattering effect of the Black Death in Siena and Firenze: The abstraction in late-13th-century art by refusing a realistic construction of space
A. Andrea Orcagna, Nardo di Cione, Andrea from Florence and Giovanni from Milan in Florence. Toward the decorative beauty and elegant grace of late Gothic art in Siena: Barna da Siena, Taddeo di
Bartolo, Bartolo di Fredi.
Readings: Hartt-Wilkins: pp. 133-138.
WEEK 3
PART IV: Florence in “perspective” and the “civic humanism”: The development of a new art dedicated to human potential and inspired by forms and ideas drawn from Greek and Roman antiquity
A. The beginnings of Renaissance architecture: Brunelleschi, Leon Battista Alberti, Michelozzo. New
concepts of the dignity and autonomy in sculpture modes of representation: Lorenzo Ghiberti, Donatello, Nanni di Banco.
Readings: Hartt-Wilkins: pp. 152-186.
B. Toward a convincing illusion of space: the plastic construction of the form in Masaccio and Masolino.
After Masaccio and Masolino: graceful and well-defined lines in Fra Angelico and Filippo Lippi compositions. The “game-perspective” in Paolo Uccello: experiments toward seemingly three dimensional pictorial space.
Readings: Hartt-Wilkins: pp. 191-228, 252-256.
Field Study: Siena, constructing the Renaissance city: the redevelopment of the piazza Piccolomini, “Loggia della Mercanzia”, the “Papesse Palace”. A new architectural typology defined by its use of classical architectural typologies: the family palace. Visit to: Piazza Salimbeni, Palazzo Spannocchi, e Palazzo Bandini-Piccolomini, Palazzo Bichi-Ruspoli.
Readings: Nevola, pp. 59- 79, pp. 115-124.
WEEK 4
PART V: A turnaround: Sienese painting of early renaissance: The space as a plaything
A. Renaissance sculpture in Siena: the works of Jacopo della Quercia and Donatello in Siena (the “Fountain of Joy” and the Baptismal Font in Siena Cathedral Baptistery). An alternative Renaissance: Gentile da Fabriano, Sano di Pietro, Sassetta, Giovanni di Paolo and the master of Osservanza.
Readings: Chelazzi Dini, Angelini, Sani pp. 264-276.
Field Study: Siena Cathedral Baptistery, Pinacoteca. B. Lecture
Lorenzo di Pietro also called “Il Vecchietta” and Domenico di Bartolo: a compromise between Sienese tradition and the new Florentine humanism.
Field Study: Visit to Santa Maria della Scala Hospital: Fresco cycle in Pilgrim Hall.
WEEK 5
PART VI: The Piccolomini patronage in Siena
A. Pius II and Bernardo Rossellino in Pienza: Piccolomini Palace and Pienza Cathedral. Francesco di Giorgio Martini and “Mathematical humanism”. Bernardino Pinturicchio in Siena Cathedral.
Readings: Chelazzi Dini, Angelini, Sani: pp. 277-287, Settis-Toracca: pp. 30-31, pp. 52-57, pp. 128-131, 237-252, 268-283.
PART VII: The Medici's patronage in Florence during the second half of XV century
A. The Florentine second Renaissance style in architecture and sculpture.
After Masaccio and Masolino: painters' workshops: Antonio del Pollaiuolo, Andrea del Verrocchio, Sandro
Botticelli, Domenico del Ghirlandaio.
Readings: Hartt-Wilkins: pp. 229-251; 290-294, pp. 317-349.
Field Study: Visit to Pienza Cathedral and Piccolomini Palace in Pienza.
WEEK 6
PART VIII: High Renaissance in Siena and Florence
A. The Piccolomini patronage in Siena: Andrea Bregno and the young Michelangelo in the Siena
Cathedral.
Readings: Carli, pp. 10-25.
B. The beginning of a new style in Florence: Leonardo da Vinci's first works (looking: Annunciation, Adoration of Magi- Uffizi Gallery). Michelangelo's character and artistic style (looking: Bacchus- Bargello National Museum, Crucifix- Sto Spirito Church, Doni Madonna- Uffizi Gallery, David- Accademy Museum), Raffaello's earliest productions (Madonna del Cardellino- Uffizi Gallery).
Readings: Hartt- Wilkins: pp. 430-472.
Field Studies: Visit to Siena Cathedral: (marble decorations, Piccolomini Altar and Piccolomini library). Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, the Cathedral dome, the Cathedral Baptistery, the “Opera del Duomo” Museum, Piazza della Signoria, the “Loggia dei Lanzi”; visit to Accademy Museum, Uffizi Gallery, Sto Spirito Church, Bargello National Museum in Florence.
WEEK 6
A. Siena and the Petrucci patronage: the Church of Osservanza, the construction and decorations of “Palazzo del Magnifico”. Giacomo Cozzarelli, Sodoma, Girolamo Genga, Beccafumi e Girolamo del Pacchia.
Readings: Chelazzi Dini, Angelini, Sani: pp. 335-349, pp. 355-362.
Field Study: Oratorio di San Bernardino Museum and St. Augustin's Church.
B. Review readings: preparation for final exams, oral presentation of the project, written final exams.
All required readings are included in the course-packet.
Sara Pizziconi earned a MA, with Honours, in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, specializing in Art History from the University of Siena. She is a lecturer and a consultant in several academic conferences, events, seminars, congresses, exhibitions on Medieval and Renaissance ages, published articles for University department on the cultural and social issues of late medieval art, focusing on architectural elements of the fortification of XV century Tuscany. Her current research focuses on gender studies in Medieval and Renaissance society and culture and the role of women in Renaissance art.