Tommaso MASACCIO 1401-1428 Why is Masaccio significant? He

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Tommaso MASACCIO1401-1428
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Why is Masaccio significant?

• He is considered the first Renaissance painter
• WHY?
• His early use of perspective
• 1st artist since Giotto to paint human figure as
  a real human being (i.e not a Gothic, ethereal
  being)

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Other interesting facts about Masaccio

• Very short life!
• Died age 27
• nickname was Sloppy Tom (for his neglected
  appearance in the pursuit of art!)
• He learnt about perspective by talking to
  Brunelleschi and studying Donatellos St George
• HE HAD NO CONTACT WITH ALBERTI!
• Masaccio died before Alberti arrived in Florence!

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S. Giovenale triptych

• First known work of Masaccio
• Discovered in old church of S. Giovenale, in
  Cascia di Reggello (near Masaccios home town) in
  1958
• Triptych 3 panels that can close
• (A polyptych has many panels)
• Maesta (Virgin in majesty) plus Saints

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Excitement in the Art Historical world!

• The 1958 discovery also brought new questions
  about Masaccios already mysterious, short life.
  The newly discovered San Giovenale painting,
  determined to be have been completed around 1422,
  reinforces the fact that Masaccios genius
  appears to have had no real influences, according
  to Preston. Seemingly out of nowhere and right
  away in his career, Masaccio makes this classic
  scene more real and emotional.
• Mystery not only surrounds Masaccios life and
  works, but his untimely death at 26 years of age
  leaves many wondering what happened. Prestons
  suggestions of what happened to cause Masaccios
  sudden death include a papal conspiracy, a
  jealous colleague named Masolino and an angry
  debt collector. Or perhaps he simply faked his
  own death.
• Mystery Masaccio Paintings in Renaissance Art by
  Stephanie Cox.
• http//renaissance-art.suite101.com/article.cfm/re
  naissance_mystery_masaccio_pisa_alterpieces

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Masaccios Madonna Child with SaintsS.
Giovenale Altarpiece
What aspects of this work do you find interesting?
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S. Giovenale Madonna Child

• Iconography - grapes Christ eats wine of
  Eucharist (mass), rainbow wings of angels. Saints
  Bartholomew, Blaise, Giovenale, and Anthony Abbot
  on wings.
• Figures both Madonna child seem rather stiff.
  
• Space bkgd is gold BUT attempt at real space
  shown by floor (inclined plane) attempts at
  foreshortening on throne
• Throne wood? Masaccios family were cabinet
  makers
• Narrative 1 angel prays, 1 angel praises with
  open arms
• Style rough, free, impulsive shows he is
  on fire with le cose dellarte (Hartt)

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Mystery 2?

• Originally there was an inscription on the front
  step of Mary's throne, which seems to have read
  Ave Maria Dominus Tecum Benedicta. Another
  inscription, in Arabic, incised into the
  Madonna's golden halo. Apparently, this refers to
  Allah and to his prophet Muhammad. Why such an
  inscription should embellish the mother of Christ
  is difficult to establish.
• (http//www.humanitiesweb.org/human.php?sgpca
  pID1038)

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The Pisa Polyptych

• THE BASIC SPECS
• 1426, Wood, 135.5 x 75 cm.
• 19 pieces winged altar
• for a chapel of the Carmelite Church in Pisa.
• Maesta in National Gallery, London. Ten other
  panels of the altarpiece are in various museums.

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Masaccios Madonna EnthronedWhat is
revolutionary here?ConsiderLightSpaceFigu
resiconographythrone
Masaccio, Enthroned Madonna Child. Pisa
polyptych part, 1426 Panel, 135x73cm
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What is revolutionary about the Maesta from the
Pisa polyptych?

• CHECK INFO ON p.11 WORKBOOK BEFORE NOTE MAKING!
• Light - directional and naturalistic (from
  right) clearly falls on drapery on virgins
  knees, faces.
• - Shadows are cast on the back of throne.
• - Christs hair reflected in his halo.
• - Throne is convincingly 3D
• Space
• - Christs halo in perspective, creates
  depth.
• - lines of throne recede diagonally into
  space
• - Attempts at foreshortening lutes,
  Christs limbs, throne and Madonnas thighs.
• - throne uses classical columns

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How did he create such naturalistic lighting?

• It is possible that Masaccio made a model throne
  and a clay figure with a cloth arranged over it
  to chart the behaviour of light and shade
• (Frederick Hartt, Italian Renaissance Art)

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Other key observations

• Iconography
• grapes wine of the Mass, Christs blood shed on
  the cross.
• Madonna is enthroned the Queen of Heaven.
• Pattern of the throne step is from classical
  sarcophagi (coffin), the inevitable death of
  Christ.
• Gold background (in Gothic tradition) heavenly
  setting
• Madonnas blue/gold robe (heaven) red dress
  (blood, suffering)
• Figures monumental i.e. big, weighty, 3D
• Narrative elements
• The Madonnas inward gaze suggests her future
  sorrow
• One of the angels weeps behind the throne

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• Masaccios Crucifixion
• Pisa Polyptych
• Top of the altarpiece, designed to be seen from
  low viewpoint.
• 1) What attempts
• at space construction
• can you see? How accurate is the perspective?
• 2) What elements help to convey the story?

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Donatellos Crucifixion (Sta Croce)- a possible
influence for Masaccio

• P. 12
• Life size
• Donatello working at same time as Masaccio (1420s)

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The Crucifixion (Pisa Polyptych)

• FORESHORTENING in Christs body (collar bones
  project forward, incline of face) and in Mary
  Ms body
• FIGURES are modelled in light and colour ? they
  seem 3D, they occupy space, shadows.
• Mary Magdalene seems to be seen from below
• HOWEVER gold background suggests heavenly
  rather than real space. Figures are seen from
  different viewpoints. So.. MASACCIO IS NOT YET
  USING PERSPECTIVE ACCURATELY.

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The Crucifixion (Pisa Polyptych)

• Elements that help to convey the story
• ICONOGRAPHY Tree on top of cross
• GESTURES and EXPRESSIONS of emotion of figures
  (Mary Magdalene, Virgin Mary, John)

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PERSPECTIVE

• A brief interlude!

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PERSPECTIVE

• Involves science of optics (how we see)
• Allows artist to create the illusion of 3D on a
  2-D surface by applying
• Mathematical measurement (geometry)
• Optical effects (visual experience)
• To create the effect that objects diminish in
  size and clarity as they recede into the
  background.

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Perspective

• discovered in Ancient Greece, used by Classical
  painters
• (knowledge lost during middle ages)
• Re-discovered in the early Renaissance.
• (LEFT fresco from Pompeii, 1 AD)

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2 Types of perspective

• LINEAR PERSPECTIVE
• scientific, mathematical
• Can be measured
• Use of
• receding lines of architecture
• - Vanishing pt

• ATMOSPHERIC PERSPECTIVE
• Observed, empirical
• Can be sensed.
• Human eye records
• Changes in size/scale
• Changes in clarity /definition
• Changes in colour (e.g. fading to blue/grey)

Picture of High St, Auckland
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Atmospheric Perspective (Auckland)
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Fillipo Brunelleschi 1377-1466The First
Important Theorist

• What do you remember about him?
• Credited with re-discovery of the laws of linear
  / scientific perspective ? greater realism in
  Renaissance art
• Surveyed ancient ruins in Rome, drew ground plans
• This led to system to record 3D form on 2D surface

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Fillipo Brunelleschi 1377-1466

• Carried out experiments studying optical effects
  demonstrating why objects look large up close /
  small in distance
• Demonstrated this
• by painting panel of
• baptistery.
• Convinced viewers of its
• accuracy by getting them
• to compare by looking
• through peephole on back

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Brunelleschis peepshow

• http//www.dartmouth.edu/matc/math5.geometry/unit
  11/unit11.html

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The influence of Brunelleschis re-discovery of
perspective

• He managed to make spatial measurement in
  composition scientifically accurate
• ARTISTS WHO LEARNT FOM BRUNELLESCHI in the 1420s
  include
• Donatello
• Masaccio

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Donatello 1st known use of Brunelleschis
perspective method

• (See page 12 in your work book)
• Can you remember who commissioned this work for
  Orsanmichele?
• This work shows both LINEAR and ATMOSPHERIC
  PERSPECTIVE
• Donatello Saint George and the Dragon c 141739
  x 120cm Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence

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Donatellos relief sculpture (schiacciato)
Dragons cave
Colonnade recedes
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ALBERTI and other perspective freaks!

• While Brunelleschi made the break through, Leon
  Battista ALBERTI was the one who wrote down the
  Laws of Perspective in 1435 in On Painting (La
  Pittura)
• Artists influenced by his writings
• - Uccello
• - Piero della Francesca
• - Leonardo da Vinci
• (who all went on to write about mathematics and
  perspective themselves)

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Sta Maria Novella, Firenze la chiesa e la
stazione

• Façade by Alberti

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The Trinity c. 1427

• Santa Maria Novella, Florence.
• How does this work show knowledge of linear
  perspective?
• What other geometric elements are present?
• Who do you think all the figures are? What can
  we learn about their identities?
• Does Christs pose look familiar?
• What is happening in the lower part of the
  fresco?
• What elements of iconography can you interpret?

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Tomb

• Epitaph on Tomb reads
• Io fu gia quel che voi siete e quel chio son, voi
  anco sarete
• I was once what you are, and what I am, you also
  will be
• Also relates to altar (mass for dead)
• Real table may have been installed between
  skeleton / Trinity
• Skeleton Adam (Belief that Christ was
  crucified over his tomb)

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An influence?

• Giottos illusionistic chapels on the Arena
  Chapels chancel arch separates the sacred space
  of the holy figures with the world space of of
  the viewer.
• Note the stage-like space in the Trinity

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THEME OF THIS WORK REDEMPTION

• Original Sin of Adam has been redeemed through
  the power of Christs crucifixion
• The work shows the journey of the human spirit
  to salvation, rising from earthy life
  (corruptible body) through prayer (the patrons)
  and the intercession of the Virgin and saints to
  the Trinity
• i.e. Humans are mortal. It is important to have
  faith. Salvation is through Christ.

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The patron Domenico Lenzi

• PATRONAGE
• Fresco commissioned by the Lenzis
• Tomb was for Domenico Lenzi, shown kneeling,
  dressed in the official garb of the Gonfaloniere
  of Justice (office of standard-bearer to Republic
  of Florence)

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Brunelleschis Old Sacristy (San Lorenzo,
Florence)

• Illusionistic chapel of The Trinity influenced
  by this
• Architectural elements
• Coffered barrel vault
• Corinthian pilasters
• Ionic half columns

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Roman orders of architecture

• Pilaster slightly projects from the wall
• Unlike a column which is freestanding

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Diagram showing 3D space construction of The
Trinity
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For Maths /IT geeks
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How to construct The Golden Rectangle as seen
in The Trinity

• A golden rectangle can be constructed with only
  straightedge and compass by this technique
• Construct a simple square
• Draw a line from the midpoint of one side of the
  square to an opposite corner
• Use that line as the radius to draw an arc that
  defines the height of the rectangle
• Complete the golden rectangle