![Michelangelo's_Pieta_5450_cropncleaned_edit](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Michelangelo%27s_Pieta_5450_cropncleaned_edit.jpg)
Renaissance sculpture is understood as a process of recovery of the
sculpture
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
of
classical antiquity
Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...
. Sculptors found in the artistic remains and in the discoveries of sites of that bygone era the perfect inspiration for their works. They were also inspired by nature. In this context we must take into account the exception of the Flemish artists in northern Europe, who, in addition to overcoming the figurative style of the
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
, promoted a Renaissance foreign to the Italian one, especially in the field of painting. The rebirth of antiquity with the abandonment of the medieval, which for
Giorgio Vasari "had been a world of Goths", and the recognition of the classics with all their variants and nuances was a phenomenon that developed almost exclusively in Italy. Renaissance art succeeded in interpreting Nature and translating it with freedom and knowledge into a multitude of masterpieces.
Characteristics
![Bartolomeo_Colleoni_by_Andrea_del_Verrocchio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Bartolomeo_Colleoni_by_Andrea_del_Verrocchio.jpg)
Renaissance sculpture took as its basis and model the works of classical antiquity and its
mythology
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
, with a new vision of
humanist thought and the function of sculpture in art. As in Greek sculpture, the
naturalistic representation of the naked human body was sought with a highly perfected technique, thanks to the meticulous study of human
anatomy
Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...
. In Italy, profane and religious themes coexisted equally; this was not the case in other countries such as Spain and Germany, where religious themes prevailed.
The human body represented absolute
Beauty, whose mathematical correspondence between the parts was well defined, and the ''
contrapposto'' was constantly used from
Donatello
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi ( – 13 December 1466), better known as Donatello ( ), was a Republic of Florence, Florentine sculptor of the Renaissance period. Born in Republic of Florence, Florence, he studied classical sculpture and use ...
to
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...
. It was at this time that sculpture was practically freed from the architectural framework, the reliefs were made with the rules of
perspective and the characters were shown with dramatic expressions that led to the sensation of great ''
terribilità
Terribilità, the modern Italian spelling, (or terribiltà, as Michelangelo's 16th century contemporaries tended to spell it) is a quality ascribed to his art that provokes terror, awe, or a sense of the sublime in the viewer. It is perhaps espec ...
'' in the feelings expressed in Michelangelo's sculptures, as in the face of his
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
.
A fundamental role was played by the figure of the ''
Maecenas
Gaius Cilnius Maecenas ( – 8 BC) was a friend and political advisor to Octavian (who later reigned as emperor Augustus). He was also an important patron for the new generation of Augustan poets, including both Horace and Virgil. During the rei ...
'', represented by the church and noblemen who, with their patronage, obtained social prestige and political propaganda, and covered all themes: religious, mythological, daily life,
portraits
A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this re ...
of characters, etc.
With the Renaissance, the Greco-Roman
glyptics reappeared, which had been almost completely forgotten during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
in fine stone carving (except for a few examples of Byzantine art), and from the 16th century, precious
cameos of classical taste were carved, so perfect that sometimes they could be confused with the ancient ones. However, the use of fine stone carvings, so favored by the Greek and Roman civilizations, was hardly restored. These small reliefs served as a model, once enlarged, for decoration by sculptors in large medallions for palaces in Italy and France.
Materials
Renaissance sculpture made use of all kinds of materials, mainly
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...
,
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
and wood. Reproductions of statuettes in bronze were widespread in the Renaissance, due to the large number of collectors. In Florence,
Antonio Pollaiuolo (''Hercules and Antaeus'') and
Andrea del Verrocchio
Andrea del Verrocchio (, , ; – 1488), born Andrea di Michele di Francesco de' Cioni, was a sculptor, Italian painter and goldsmith who was a master of an important workshop in Florence. He apparently became known as ''Verrocchio'' after the su ...
(''Winged Boy with Fish'') were the initiators, commissioned by the
Medici
The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Muge ...
. From the workshop of
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...
small bronzes with the rearing horse of a height of 23 cm are preserved. The
Mantuan sculptor
Pier Jacopo Alari Bonacolsi
Pier Jacopo Alari Bonacolsi (c. 1460–1528), called L'Antico by his contemporaries, and often Antico in English, the nickname given for the refined interpretation of the Antique they recognized in his work, was a 15th- and 16th-century North I ...
, called Antico, settled in Rome for the execution of bronze reductions of ancient marbles.
Wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...
was used in countries such as
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, where the great forest wealth and the traditional work of polychrome wood was deeply rooted; it was used in the execution of religious imagery, altarpieces and altars.
Terracotta
Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous.
In applied art, craft, construction, a ...
was used as a more economical material, in natural color and polychrome, as used by
Antonio Rossellino and his disciple
Matteo Civitali in ''the'' ''Virgin of the Annunciation'' in the church of the Servants of
Lucca. The Italian artist
Pietro Torrigiano
Pietro Torrigiano (24 November 1472 – July/August 1528) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence, who had to flee the city after breaking Michelangelo's nose. He then worked abroad, and died in prison in Spain. He was important in ...
made in Spain several sculptures in polychrome clay, some of them are preserved in the
Museum of Fine Arts of Seville
The Museum of Fine Arts of Seville ( es, Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla) is a museum in Seville, Spain, a collection of mainly Spanish visual arts from the medieval period to the early 20th century, including a choice selection of works by arti ...
.
Luca della Robbia
Luca della Robbia (, also , ; 1399/1400–1482) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence. Della Robbia is noted for his colorful, Tin-glazed pottery, tin-glazed terracotta statuary, a technique which he invented and passed on to his ne ...
, who followed the Donatello style, is credited with the invention of enameled clay, which he used in the
tabernacle
According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...
of
Santa Maria Novella
Santa Maria Novella is a church in Florence, Italy, situated opposite, and lending its name to, the city's main railway station. Chronologically, it is the first great basilica in Florence, and is the city's principal Dominican church.
The chu ...
in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
in combination with marble to give color to the work, and later in
tondos and
Madonnas; his workshop, followed by his nephew
Andrea della Robbia, produced a large number of works in enameled terracotta that spread throughout Europe. This has reached different parts of the world as it is a manifestation of feelings and history.
Techniques
![Giambologna_raptodasabina](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Giambologna_raptodasabina.jpg)
The technique of marble carving was recovered in Renaissance times with the perfection it had had during the classical period. From the Renaissance onwards, the hand drill or
trepan was used to remove the stone to a certain depth. This tool was used whether the sculpture was made in direct carving, as
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...
had sometimes done, or whether the past of points from a model made in plaster was used, as was usually done by artists such as
Giambologna
Giambologna (1529 – 13 August 1608), also known as Jean de Boulogne (French), Jehan Boulongne (Flemish) and Giovanni da Bologna (Italian), was the last significant Italian Renaissance sculptor, with a large workshop producing large and small ...
, whose marked points can be seen in many of his sculptures.
Donatello
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi ( – 13 December 1466), better known as Donatello ( ), was a Republic of Florence, Florentine sculptor of the Renaissance period. Born in Republic of Florence, Florence, he studied classical sculpture and use ...
used the Greek method of working the block in the round, but Michelangelo carved it from one side.
This is how
Benvenuto Cellini
Benvenuto Cellini (, ; 3 November 150013 February 1571) was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and author. His best-known extant works include the ''Cellini Salt Cellar'', the sculpture of ''Perseus with the Head of Medusa'', and his autobiography ...
described it:
For bronze works, the work had to be previously made in clay or wax for its subsequent
casting
Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a ''casting'', which is ejected ...
; it was then chiseled to eliminate possible casting defects, the surface was polished with abrasives and patinas were added to the sculptor's taste.
The wood carving, used mainly in Northern Europe and Spain, could also be done in direct carving on the wood block with the execution of a small sketch for guidance or with the previous model in plaster or clay, and also pass it through points as in marble.
Composition
*
Sculpture in the round
The Renaissance adopted the basic elements that had been described by
Vitruvius
Vitruvius (; c. 80–70 BC – after c. 15 BC) was a Roman architect and engineer during the 1st century BC, known for his multi-volume work entitled ''De architectura''. He originated the idea that all buildings should have three attribute ...
, who held:
The composition of the human figure was based on the search for perfection in
anatomy
Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...
, about which many artists of this period acquired real knowledge through the practice of dissections for study. The first Renaissance free-standing sculpture that showed the harmony of the nude was
''Donatello's David'' during the
Quattrocento, in which the influence of
Praxiteles
Praxiteles (; el, Πραξιτέλης) of Athens, the son of Cephisodotus the Elder, was the most renowned of the Attica sculptors of the 4th century BC. He was the first to sculpt the nude female form in a life-size statue. While no indubita ...
' style could be appreciated with a slight ''
contrapposto'' to achieve balance in the composition. During the following years the knowledge of the human
anatomy
Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...
was acquiring a great perfection, until reaching a full ''contrapposto''. The expressions of the faces stopped being hieratic and absent to show inner feelings; the so-called Renaissance ''
terribilità
Terribilità, the modern Italian spelling, (or terribiltà, as Michelangelo's 16th century contemporaries tended to spell it) is a quality ascribed to his art that provokes terror, awe, or a sense of the sublime in the viewer. It is perhaps espec ...
'' (
Michelangelo's David
''David'' is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture, created in marble between 1501 and 1504 by the Italian artist Michelangelo. ''David'' is a marble statue of the Biblical figure David, a favoured subject in the art of Florence.
''David'' was ...
, around 1504). In the sculptural groups of religious character, the combination of naturalism with an intense expressiveness was shown, the Florentine serenity disappeared before the passions shown by the characters with their faces deformed by gestures of despair and pain, visible in the ''Burials of Christ'' by
Guido Mazzoni and
Niccolò dell'Arca
Niccolò dell’Arca (c. 1435-1440 – 2 March 1494) was an Italian Early Renaissance sculptor, who worked mostly in terracotta. He is also known under the names Niccolò da Ragusa, Niccolò da Bari and Niccolò d'Antonio d'Apulia. The s ...
. Sculpture evolved in its conception and in the compositions of its groups, until it reached the serpentinata typical of Mannerism, which is clearly shown in works such as the ''
Florentine Pietà
''The Deposition'' (also called the ''Bandini Pietà'' or ''The Lamentation over the Dead Christ'') is a marble sculpture by the Italian High Renaissance master Michelangelo. The sculpture, on which Michelangelo worked between 1547 and 1555, depi ...
'' (Michelangelo) or
the ''Rape of the Sabine Women'' (Giambologna).
*
Relief sculpture
![Juliano_de_Médici,_por_Verrocchio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Juliano_de_M%C3%A9dici%2C_por_Verrocchio.jpg)
In relief, architecture and the newly acquired laws of
perspective were used to compose the backgrounds of the representations, as in the famous ''Gates of Paradise'' by
Ghiberti
Lorenzo Ghiberti (, , ; 1378 – 1 December 1455), born Lorenzo di Bartolo, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence, a key figure in the Early Renaissance, best known as the creator of two sets of bronze doors of the Florence Baptistery ...
or in the reliefs with the ''
stiacciato
Stiacciato is a technique that allows a sculptor to create a recessed or relief sculpture with carving only millimetres deep and with mere scribing. To give the illusion of greater depth, the thickness of the carving gradually decreases from the f ...
'' technique for the altar of St. Anthony in Padua by Donatello. Architectural structures were composed as a backdrop, just as
Giotto
Giotto di Bondone (; – January 8, 1337), known mononymously as Giotto ( , ) and Latinised as Giottus, was an Italian painter and architect from Florence during the Late Middle Ages. He worked during the Gothic/Proto-Renaissance period. Giot ...
had done in his Protorrenaissance paintings. Some Italian bronze laudas were transported to Spain, such as the one in the
cathedral of Badajoz by
Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa.
The Flemish sculpture together with that of Germanic countries developed with a realism that was appreciated in all the ornamental details, where the sculptural work was presented almost as a work of goldsmithing that was applied in the great altars made of wood. Also in Spain, the Gothic-Flemish influence together with the Italian influence was reflected in reliefs, such as the one on one of the doors of the
cathedral of Barcelona made by the Flemish sculptor Michael Lochner and by
Bartolomé Ordóñez Bartolomé Ordóñez (Burgos, c. 1480 – Carrara, 6 December 1520) was a Spanish Renaissance sculptor.
Life and work
Little is known about Ordóñez before the last five years of his life. His will indicates that he was an ''hidalgo'' born in Bur ...
in Italian style in the backchorus of the same cathedral. The reliefs around the sarcophagi usually represented scenes from the life of the deceased: their life, miracles and martyrdom if they were religious, or the representation of battles and military deeds if they were nobility figures. The funerary monuments were developing different phases of composition, from the traditional structure of the funerary slab or the statue of the solitary recumbent in his sarcophagus used in medieval times, to the tombs attached framed by architectural elements in the manner of a
triumphal arch
A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crow ...
, and with a result similar to an altarpiece, where in the central street was the urn usually with the figure of the recumbent on it and allegorical figures in the side streets. Finally, they were made with the representation of the deceased in a praying attitude, typical of Spain and France.
During the Renaissance, the
Plateresque style originated in Spain, which represented a change in the way buildings were decorated with sculptural elements in a mainly Italian style, not only in the stone of the facades but also in wood and plaster in the interiors of the buildings, based on historiated reliefs and vegetal ornaments typical of the early Renaissance (called "in candelieri") with large
heraldic escutcheon and ''
putti
A putto (; plural putti ) is a figure in a work of art depicted as a chubby male child, usually naked and sometimes winged. Originally limited to profane passions in symbolism,Dempsey, Charles. ''Inventing the Renaissance Putto''. University of ...
'' around them.
*
Bust
Bust portraits continued to be used in the Quattrocento with the new humanistic conception that imposed the representation with great physical resemblance, but also with the affirmation of the personality of the sitter. According to
Alberti, the artist had to "characterize but also establish harmonious relationships". They were made in bronze, polychrome terracotta and marble (
Donatello
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi ( – 13 December 1466), better known as Donatello ( ), was a Republic of Florence, Florentine sculptor of the Renaissance period. Born in Republic of Florence, Florence, he studied classical sculpture and use ...
,
Verrocchio
Andrea del Verrocchio (, , ; – 1488), born Andrea di Michele di Francesco de' Cioni, was a sculptor, Italian painter and goldsmith who was a master of an important workshop in Florence. He apparently became known as ''Verrocchio'' after the ...
,
Francesco Laurana).
*
Equestrian statue
An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning 'knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a d ...
The life-size equestrian statue in bronze had already been treated by Roman sculptors such as the
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Latin: áːɾkus̠ auɾέːli.us̠ antɔ́ːni.us̠ English: ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and a Stoic philosopher. He was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good ...
then located in
St. John Lateran; also the bronze horses of St. Mark's in Venice served as a model for the Italian Renaissance, and can be considered inspirational for Donatello's
Gattamelata
Erasmo Stefano of Narni (1370 – 16 January 1443), better known by his nickname of Gattamelata (meaning "Honeyed Cat"), was an Italian '' condottiero'' of the Renaissance. He was born in Narni, and served a number of Italian city-states: he b ...
and Verrocchio's
Colleoni. Leonardo da Vinci's studies led to a change in the representation of the horse, which was placed on its hind legs and in an attitude of pouncing on the enemy; the idea was probably taken from reliefs of ancient sarcophagi.
Italian Sculpture
The
historiography
Historiography is the study of the methods of historians in developing history as an academic discipline, and by extension is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians ha ...
divides this period between the
15th
15 (fifteen) is the natural number following 14 (number), 14 and preceding 16 (number), 16.
Mathematics
15 is:
* A composite number, and the sixth semiprime; its proper divisors being , and .
* A deficient number, a smooth number, a lucky ...
and
16th centuries, in two stages that take the name of
Quattrocento and
Cinquecento
The cultural and artistic events of Italy during the period 1500 to 1599 are collectively referred to as the Cinquecento (, ), from the Italian for the number 500, in turn from , which is Italian for the year 1500. Cinquecento encompasses the s ...
.
The Quattrocento. Florentine sculptors
![Ghiberticompetition](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Ghiberticompetition.jpg)
While in the rest of Europe
Gothic art still prevailed, in Italy the ''Quattrocento'' or early Renaissance began in the 15th century. It was the moment when Man and Nature triumphed. Sculpture was ahead of architecture and painting, developing vertiginously. Its antecedents took place in the south of Italy, in the court of
Frederick II, under whose protection an artistic school was born that already brought anticipated lights of what would be the Renaissance of the 15th century. It was the region of
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
during the previous ''Trecento'' period that inherited this new way of making sculpture in the figure of
Nicola Pisano, followed by his son
Giovanni Pisano, and later
Andrea Pisano
Andrea Pisano (Pontedera 12901348 Orvieto) also known as Andrea da Pontedera, was an Italian sculptor and architect.
Biography
Pisano first learned the trade of a goldsmith. Pisano then became a pupil of Mino di Giovanni, about 1300, and work ...
(first bronze doors of the
Baptistery of Florence) and
Nino Pisano
"Euclid", panel from Museo_dell'Opera_del_Duomo_(Florence)">Museo_dell'Opera_del_Duomo,_ Museo_dell'Opera_del_Duomo,_Florence">Museo_dell'Opera_del_Duomo_(Florence)">Museo_dell'Opera_del_Duomo,_Florence_">Florence.html"_;"title="Museo_dell'Opera_ ...
.
![Pisa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Pisa.Baptistery.pulpit01.jpg)
Nicola Pisanus (he signed his works with this appellative), whose name was Nicola de Apulia, came from this region of southern Italy to settle in
Pisa
Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...
(Tuscany). In Pisa (as in most regions of Europe) Romanesque art was still maintained and Gothic art was beginning to be used. Nicola Pisano was commissioned to carve the pulpit of the
baptistery of the cathedral of this city. He did it following the new trends learned in Apulia, especially emphasizing the classical form of the naked Hercules. This work, the pulpit, is considered a precursor of the Italian Renaissance.
After this background, it will be the city of
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
(a prosperous city at this time, with the powerful Medici family, Maecenas and promoters of art), which will take the lead in the figure of its best representative:
Lorenzo Ghiberti
Lorenzo Ghiberti (, , ; 1378 – 1 December 1455), born Lorenzo di Bartolo, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence, a key figure in the Early Renaissance, best known as the creator of two sets of bronze doors of the Florence Baptistery ...
. From this moment on, no more medieval traces or ballast will be detected. For a century and a half, Florentine sculpture would dominate bust portraits, equestrian portraits, reliefs and in the round sculptures. The material used par excellence in this period was
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...
followed by
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
.
Ghiberti
Lorenzo Ghiberti (, , ; 1378 – 1 December 1455), born Lorenzo di Bartolo, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence, a key figure in the Early Renaissance, best known as the creator of two sets of bronze doors of the Florence Baptistery ...
,
Donatello
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi ( – 13 December 1466), better known as Donatello ( ), was a Republic of Florence, Florentine sculptor of the Renaissance period. Born in Republic of Florence, Florence, he studied classical sculpture and use ...
and
Jacopo della Quercia
Jacopo della Quercia (, ; 20 October 1438), also known as Jacopo di Pietro d'Agnolo di Guarnieri, was an Italian sculptor of the Renaissance, a contemporary of Brunelleschi, Ghiberti and Donatello. He is considered a precursor of Michelangelo.
...
as the best, followed by della Robbia family,
Verrocchio
Andrea del Verrocchio (, , ; – 1488), born Andrea di Michele di Francesco de' Cioni, was a sculptor, Italian painter and goldsmith who was a master of an important workshop in Florence. He apparently became known as ''Verrocchio'' after the ...
,
Antonio Pollaiuolo and
Agostino di Duccio, formed the group of great sculptors of the Florentine school of the Quattrocento.
This stage of the Quattrocento began with the sculptural work on the reliefs of the doors of the
Florence Baptistery
The Florence Baptistery, also known as the Baptistery of Saint John ( it, Battistero di San Giovanni), is a religious building in Florence, Italy, and has the status of a minor basilica. The octagonal baptistery stands in both the Piazza del ...
by Lorenzo Ghiberti, a young sculptor in his twenties. The Baptistery already had two doors carved by Andrea Pisano in 1330, and in 1401 a competition was held for the remaining two. The competition was won by Ghiberti (in competition with
Brunelleschi
Filippo Brunelleschi ( , , also known as Pippo; 1377 – 15 April 1446), considered to be a founding father of Renaissance architecture, was an Italian architect, designer, and sculptor, and is now recognized to be the first modern engineer, p ...
), completing the first of the two doors in 1424; his work was admired and highly regarded, so the city commissioned the second door from him. He invested about twenty years in carving each one; it was practically his life's work. This second door made by Ghiberti and fourth of the baptistery is known as the
Gates of Paradise, so named by
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...
and considered one of the landmarks of the Quattrocento.
![Donatello_david_plaster_replica_head_and_shoulders_front_right_1000px_wide](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Donatello_david_plaster_replica_head_and_shoulders_front_right_1000px_wide.jpg)
The second great sculptor of this period was
Donatello
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi ( – 13 December 1466), better known as Donatello ( ), was a Republic of Florence, Florentine sculptor of the Renaissance period. Born in Republic of Florence, Florence, he studied classical sculpture and use ...
, ten years younger than Ghiberti. He was much more multifaceted in his work, concentrating mainly on the human figure. Donatello is considered in Art History as the precursor of Michelangelo and is, in truth, an independent, fiery and realistic artist. His main interest was the human figure in different ages, covering all kinds of types, varied gestures and expressing in his work the most heterogeneous spiritual states. On the other hand, Donatello is considered a great expert in children's themes, especially in the expression of the joy of children (tribunes of the cathedrals of
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
and
Prato
Prato ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Italy, the capital of the Province of Prato. The city lies in the north east of Tuscany, at the foot of Monte Retaia, elevation , the last peak in the Calvana chain. With more than 200,000 i ...
). In round sculpture Donatello spread the Renaissance portrait of the bust cut horizontally across the chest and not on pedestal (as was customary in Roman sculpture). Examples: Bust of Antonio de Narni wearing a large cameo around his neck; terracotta bust of St. Lawrence, depicted as a young deacon, in the
Old Sacristy of San Lorenzo in Florence. This manner of presenting portrait busts was adopted by Renaissance sculptors and continued almost until the Baroque period. In the 16th century the bust was lengthened until it was cut at the waist. Also within the round sculpture, Donatello was the precursor of the figure on horseback (in bronze) in homage to a great personage and placed in the center of a public square. The first equestrian statue by Donatello was the one known as
Gattamelata
Erasmo Stefano of Narni (1370 – 16 January 1443), better known by his nickname of Gattamelata (meaning "Honeyed Cat"), was an Italian '' condottiero'' of the Renaissance. He was born in Narni, and served a number of Italian city-states: he b ...
(
condottiero
''Condottieri'' (; singular ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian captains in command of mercenary companies during the Middle Ages and of multinational armies during the early modern period. They notably served popes and other Europe ...
Erasmo de Narni).
Jacopo della Quercia
Jacopo della Quercia (, ; 20 October 1438), also known as Jacopo di Pietro d'Agnolo di Guarnieri, was an Italian sculptor of the Renaissance, a contemporary of Brunelleschi, Ghiberti and Donatello. He is considered a precursor of Michelangelo.
...
(died 1438) is the third great sculptor of this Florentine school and the only one of the group who was not born in Florence but in
Siena
Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...
. He belongs to the generation of Ghiberti. His style is grandiloquent and massive, in contrast to the detailed style of Ghiberti. His masterpiece was the central portal of San Petronio in Bologna, begun in 1425. It is a series of reliefs depicting
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
and the infancy of Jesus, with busts of prophets and the image of the Virgin of San Petronio. In his reliefs dominates the monumentality and the treatment of herculean nudes, anticipating the style of Michelangelo. Jacopo della Quercia is the author of the Gaia Fountain in Siena, of the tombs of Ilaria del Caretto in Luca and of Galeazzo Bentivoglio in Bologna.
The group of the Robbia family is headed by
Luca della Robbia
Luca della Robbia (, also , ; 1399/1400–1482) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence. Della Robbia is noted for his colorful, Tin-glazed pottery, tin-glazed terracotta statuary, a technique which he invented and passed on to his ne ...
(died 1482), who devoted himself almost entirely to the treatment of childhood and youth of the female figure. Luca created a school in which he introduced the technique of glazed clay, which appeared in the most diverse subjects, from the small relief to the altarpiece with copious figures. He also worked in marble and bronze.
Andrea della Robbia, nephew of Luca, was the most gifted of his followers. He is the author of the tondos (circular medallions) of children carved in the
Spedale degli Innocenti
The Ospedale degli Innocenti (;) 'Hospital of the Innocents', also known in old Tuscan dialect as the ''Spedale degli Innocenti'', is a historic building in Florence, Italy. It was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, who received the commission in ...
in Florence. The last of the group was
Giovanni della Robbia
image:Saint Sebastian Della Robbia Louvre InvML96.jpg, 250px, ''Saint Sebastian'', Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Giovanni della Robbia (1469–1529) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, mostly in ceramics.
Biography
Giovanni della Robbia was the son o ...
, who was not only a sculptor, but also a decorator and, on occasion, a potter.
Andrea del Verrocchio
Andrea del Verrocchio (, , ; – 1488), born Andrea di Michele di Francesco de' Cioni, was a sculptor, Italian painter and goldsmith who was a master of an important workshop in Florence. He apparently became known as ''Verrocchio'' after the su ...
(1435–1488) was greatly influenced by the works of Donatello to the point of repeating some of his themes, such as the David in Florence or the equestrian statue of the ''
condottiere
''Condottieri'' (; singular ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian captains in command of mercenary companies during the Middle Ages and of multinational armies during the early modern period. They notably served popes and other Europe ...
'' Colleone in Venice (both in bronze). Verrocchio is characterized by his deep anatomical study.
Antonio Pollaiuolo was also a good Florentine representative of the interpretation of corporeal energy and violent movement. His masterpiece in this style is ''Hercules and Antaeus,'' kept in the
Bargello Museum
The Bargello, also known as the Palazzo del Bargello, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, or Palazzo del Popolo (Palace of the People), was a former barracks and prison, now an art museum, in Florence, Italy.
Terminology
The word ''bargello'' appears ...
.
Agostino di Duccio (1418–1481) was also a follower of Donatello, imitating his famous ''schiacciato'', especially in the decoration of the façade of the oratory of San Bernardino in Perugia and in the
Malatesta temple in Rimini.
Another great sculptor who worked in Modena was
Guido Mazzoni (died 1518), whose work was mostly done in painted terracotta, a technique that was then in great demand. One of his most famous compositions was the ''Lamentation over the dead Christ'' for the church of San Giovanni in Modena, which in turn must have influenced the work of the same title produced by
Juan de Juni in 1463, following a trip to the cities of
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
,
Modena
Modena (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language#Dialects, Modenese, Mòdna ; ett, Mutna; la, Mutina) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern I ...
and
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
.
File:Mazzoni Compianto Modena.jpg, ''Lamentation over the dead Christ'' by Mazzoni.
File:IMG 0793 - Perugia - San Bernardino - Agostino di Duccio -1457-61- - Angeli musicanti - Foto G. Dall'Ort.jpg, Reliefs by Agostino di Duccio in the oratory of San Bernardino (Perugia
Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia.
The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part o ...
).
Cinquecento
The Cinquecento or full Renaissance developed throughout the 16th century with differentiated characteristics in each of the two halves of the century, with
classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for a classical period, classical antiquity in the Western tradition, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. In its purest form, classicism is an aestheti ...
dominating in the first half and
mannerism
Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, ...
in the second. It was the triumph of the experiences of the Quattrocento. One of its main characteristics is the taste for monumental grandeur, always bearing in mind the discovery of the classical ''
Laocoön and His Sons,'' discovered in 1506. While the artists of the Quattrocento created a school in Florence, the artists of the Cinquecento created their works and developed their art mainly in the city of Rome, which became the artistic center of the new century. Florence remained an important Renaissance city, and masterpieces of art continued to be made in the Tuscan capital during this period, such as the David, the sepulchres of the Medici Chapels, Cellini's Perseus, etc. The representative artist of this period is Michelangelo, a character of great strength and personality.
!['David'_by_Michelangelo_JBU03](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/%27David%27_by_Michelangelo_JBU03.JPG)
Michelangelo Buonarroti, also a disciple of the Florentine school, summarizes in his person almost all the sculptural art of his time in Italy (1475–1564). In the first thirty years of his life he preserved his chisel some of the traditions of the 15th century, producing moderate and beautiful but vigorous works. To this first epoch we owe his highly regarded sculptures of the
Madonna of Bruges
The ''Madonna of Bruges'' is a marble sculpture by Michelangelo of the Virgin and Child.
Michelangelo's depiction of the ''Madonna and Child'' differs significantly from earlier representations of the same subject, which tended to feature a piou ...
and the
Pietà
The Pietà (; meaning "pity", "compassion") is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus after his body was removed from the cross. It is most often found in sculpture. The Pietà is a specific form o ...
with some
Bacchus
In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...
and Cupids and the
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
of Florence. But from the year in which the popes began to commission him to build grandiose monuments, he created a gigantic style, very vigorous, full of passion, independent and called ''
terribilità
Terribilità, the modern Italian spelling, (or terribiltà, as Michelangelo's 16th century contemporaries tended to spell it) is a quality ascribed to his art that provokes terror, awe, or a sense of the sublime in the viewer. It is perhaps espec ...
'' uniquely his own. Of this genre are the sculptures of the tombs of the
Medici
The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Muge ...
in their chapel in Florence (of Giuliano and his brother Lorenzo, whose seated statue is known by the name of ''Il Pensieroso'' for its pensive attitude) and the statues that the artist prepared for the tomb of
Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II ( la, Iulius II; it, Giulio II; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or th ...
, especially the famous
Moses
Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...
that he found in the
basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...
of
San Pietro in Vincoli.
Sansovino (his proper name is ''Andrea Contucci'') was an artist educated among Florentine artists who manifests himself in his sculptures, a lover of the external form,
anatomy
Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...
and
classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for a classical period, classical antiquity in the Western tradition, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. In its purest form, classicism is an aestheti ...
, especially in the statues that decorate the
mausoleums of
Cardinal Ascanio Sforza and Bishop Basso Rovere in the church of
Santa Maria del Popolo it, Basilica Parrocchiale Santa Maria del Popolo
, image = 20140803 Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo Rome 0191.jpg
, caption = The church from Piazza del Popolo
, coordinates =
, image_size ...
, as well as others in Florence and Venice. His disciple
Jacobo Sansovino worked mainly in Venice, being the great disseminator of Michelangelo's work. One of his best sculptural works is the Bacchus.
Benvenuto Cellini
Benvenuto Cellini (, ; 3 November 150013 February 1571) was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and author. His best-known extant works include the ''Cellini Salt Cellar'', the sculpture of ''Perseus with the Head of Medusa'', and his autobiography ...
was, in addition to being a sculptor, a great
goldsmith. His monumental bronze work of ''Perseus with the head of Medusa'' was a symbol of the triumph of the Medici family over the Florentine Republic. He is the author of the marble Christ of the monastery of
El Escorial.
Bandinelli
Baccio Bandinelli (also called Bartolommeo Brandini; 12 November 1493 – shortly before 7 February 1560), was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, draughtsman, and painter.
Biography
Bandinelli was the son of a prominent Florentine goldsmith, ...
and
Ammanati were two contemporary sculptors of
Cellini
Benvenuto Cellini (, ; 3 November 150013 February 1571) was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and author. His best-known extant works include the ''Cellini Salt Cellar'', the sculpture of ''Perseus with the Head of Medusa'', and his autobiography ...
who sculpted the monumental statues of ''Hercules and Cacus'' and ''Neptune'' for the
Piazza della Signoria
Piazza della Signoria () is a w-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. It was named after the Palazzo della Signoria, also called Palazzo Vecchio. It is the main point of the origin and history of the Florentine Republ ...
in Florence. The two Leoni,
Leone and Pompey (father and son) were great bronze casters and worked mainly in Spain, during the reign of
Philip II Philip II may refer to:
* Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC)
* Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor
* Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374)
* Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404)
* Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497)
* Philip ...
.
Mannerism
The term Mannerism refers to a style with its own characteristics within the Renaissance, in the 16th century, especially after 1520. The characteristic that best defines it is the constant search for the unconventional together with the destruction of a logical balance by applying deforming lines or postures, something that at first sight can be disconcerting for the spectator. It is the rejection of balance by adopting forced postures.
![Firenze-pietà_dell'opera_del_duomo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Firenze-piet%C3%A0_dell%27opera_del_duomo.jpg)
In Mannerism, sculpture rejected classicism by seeking curvilinear and dynamic forms, the so-called ''serpentinata'' or composition of curves and counter-curves in which the bodies turned in on themselves, in narrow spaces and sometimes with very pronounced
foreshortenings.
In Italy, Mannerist sculpture is represented by
Giambologna
Giambologna (1529 – 13 August 1608), also known as Jean de Boulogne (French), Jehan Boulongne (Flemish) and Giovanni da Bologna (Italian), was the last significant Italian Renaissance sculptor, with a large workshop producing large and small ...
("John of Bologna"), for example
the ''Rape of the Sabine Women'',
Benvenuto Cellini
Benvenuto Cellini (, ; 3 November 150013 February 1571) was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and author. His best-known extant works include the ''Cellini Salt Cellar'', the sculpture of ''Perseus with the Head of Medusa'', and his autobiography ...
and Michelangelo, one of whose best examples is ''
the Deposition'' where Christ is shown with ''serpentinata'' posture.
This style spread throughout Europe thanks to the extensive collection of
engravings, and especially in the field of sculpture in the profusion of small bronzes from Italy. Thus it developed in the European courts of
Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to:
* Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407)
* Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450
* Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547
* Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...
in
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau (; ) is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the ''arrondissement ...
with
Francesco Primaticcio
Francesco Primaticcio (April 30, 1504 – 1570) was an Italian Mannerist painter, architect and sculptor who spent most of his career in France.
Biography
Born in Bologna, he trained under Giulio Romano in Mantua and became a pupil of I ...
, who was in charge of bringing copies of antiques from Rome. It also developed at the court of
Rudolph II in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
, and of
Philip II Philip II may refer to:
* Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC)
* Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor
* Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374)
* Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404)
* Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497)
* Philip ...
at
El Escorial, where academic correctness characterized the style of Mannerism employed by the Leoni family. Influenced by Michelangelo,
Gaspar Becerra
Gaspar Becerra (1520–1568) was a Spanish painter and sculptor of the School of Valladolid.
Biography
He was born at Baeza in the Province of Jaén. He went to Rome in 1545, and studied with Giorgio Vasari, whom he assisted in painting the h ...
imposed his mannerist style on the
reredos
A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images.
The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...
of the
cathedral of Astorga, and it is in
Valladolid
Valladolid () is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and de facto capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the province o ...
, where
Juan de Juni, in addition to Becerra, was located, where more sculpture of this classical-heroic type was made.
French sculpture
![450px-Le_Transi_Le_Transi_de_Ren_de_Chalon_Ligier_Richier-2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/450px-Le_Transi_Le_Transi_de_Ren_de_Chalon_Ligier_Richier-2.jpg)
The political interest of the kings of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
to settle their dominions in Italian lands had cultural consequences, since there were several Italian artists who from the second half of the
fifteenth century settled in the French court, being
Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to:
* Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407)
* Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450
* Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547
* Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...
the main Maecenas of these artists, including
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...
. Around 1460, the sculptor
Francesco Laurana, who is considered the introducer of the Renaissance in France, settled in Provence and worked mainly in the southern part of the country. One of his best known sculptures is the tomb of
Charles IV of Anjou
Charles IV, Duke of Anjou, also Charles of Maine, Count of Le Maine and Guise (1446 – 10 December 1481) was the son of the Angevin prince Charles of Le Maine, Count of Maine and Isabelle of Luxembourg.
He succeeded his father as Count of Mai ...
in the
cathedral of Le Mans.
One of the most treated themes in French sculpture of this period is that of the ''Holy Burial'' and sepulchral monuments where the figure of the recumbent is treated with great
realism
Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to:
In the arts
*Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts
Arts movements related to realism include:
*Classical Realism
*Literary realism, a move ...
. The deceased is represented as a corpse or even as a skeleton; at the time of the transition, as is the case of
Joanna of Bourbon
Joanna of Bourbon (''Jeanne de Bourbon''; 3 February 1338 – 6 February 1378) was Queen of France by marriage to King Charles V. She acted as his political adviser and was appointed potential regent in case of a minor regency.
Life
Early ...
in the
Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...
. Of this type are two works by
Ligier Richier with polychrome in black, white and gray: the ''
Memorial of René de Chalon'' in
Bar-le-Duc
Bar-le-Duc (), formerly known as Bar, is a commune in the Meuse département, of which it is the capital. The department is in Grand Est in northeastern France.
The lower, more modern and busier part of the town extends along a narrow valley, sh ...
in which the partially fleshless skeleton tends a heart towards the sky; and the emaciated recumbent body of
Philippa of Guelders in the
Church ''des Cordeliers'' in
Nancy. This allegory of the resurrection of the dead comes by way of the Italian "terribilità" and the unveiling of the interior of the body, even if it does not present a perfect anatomy to the eyes of science.
Michel Colombe
Michel Colombe (c. 1430 – c. 1513) was a French sculptor whose work bridged the late Gothic and Renaissance styles.
Born in Bourges into a family of artisans, he was active in Tours. Colombe's surviving works all date from his old age. He crea ...
, sculptor of Queen
Anne of Brittany
Anne of Brittany (; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death. She is the only woman to have been queen consort of France ...
at the beginning of the 16th century, who commissioned the tomb of her parents, Duke
Francis II and
Margaret de Foix in the
cathedral of Nantes
Nantes Cathedral, or the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul of Nantes (french: Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul de Nantes), is a Roman Catholic Gothic cathedral located in Nantes, Pays de la Loire, France. Construction began in 1434, on t ...
, stands out with the influence of Italian work. In the recumbent figures of the sepulcher Gothic features are still visible, but not in the decorative elements and in four life-size figures of the Virtues placed in the corners of the funerary monument.
![Carnavalet_Jahreszeiten](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Carnavalet_Jahreszeiten.jpg)
His nephew Guillaume Regnault, also a sculptor, succeeded him as sculptor to the Queen. His masterpieces are the recumbent statues of the royal advisor Louis Porcher and his wife, now in the Louvre Museum.
Also in the early sixteenth century,
Jean Goujon
Jean Goujon (c. 1510 – c. 1565)Thirion, Jacques (1996). "Goujon, Jean" in ''The Dictionary of Art'', edited by Jane Turner; vol. 13, pp. 225–227. London: Macmillan. Reprinted 1998 with minor corrections: . was a French Renaissance sculpt ...
(called the French
Phidias
Phidias or Pheidias (; grc, Φειδίας, ''Pheidias''; 480 – 430 BC) was a Greek sculptor, painter, and architect. His Statue of Zeus at Olympia was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Phidias also designed the stat ...
) began his work in
Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...
, and in 1544 he went to Paris to be appointed royal sculptor in 1547, where he carried out numerous commissions such as the allegories of ''The'' ''Four Seasons'', the ''Nymphs'', some Caryatids for the tribune of the Musicians and made the signs of the
Zodiac
The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the Sun path, apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. ...
for the old town hall of
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. During these same years
Germain Pilon
Germain Pilon (c. 1525 – 3 February 1590)Connat & Colombier 1951; Thirion 1996. was a French Renaissance sculptor.
Biography
He was born in Paris and trained with his father, Andre Pilon. Documents show that he and his father executed severa ...
made numerous funerary monuments with great influence of
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...
, among which stands out the ''Resurrected Christ with figures of the guardians'', a group for the chapel of
Henry II preserved in the
Louvre Museum, whose figures are inspired by pictorial compositions such as the ''Joseph of Arimathea'' by
Rosso Fiorentino
Giovanni Battista di Jacopo (8 March 1495 in Gregorian style, or 1494 according to the calculation of times in Florence where the year began on 25 March – 14 November 1540), known as Rosso Fiorentino (meaning "Red Florentine" in Italian) ...
. ''The dead Christ'' resembles the engravings of
Parmigianino, as the figures look for the diagonals and the
foreshortenings are spectacular, with the folds of the clothes tight and very thin, recalling the reliefs of
classical antiquity
Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...
. His disciple Bartholomew Prieur, who worked in the service of
Henry IV of France
Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...
, was a faithful follower.
Pierre Puget, called the "French
Bernini
Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, , ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 159828 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor of his ...
", was already a late Renaissance sculptor; his work
Milon of Croton was outstanding.
Spanish Sculpture
The ideas and sculptural forms of the
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...
penetrated into
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
with the Florentine artists who came to work at the Spanish court during the
15th century
The 15th century was the century which spans the Julian dates from 1 January 1401 ( MCDI) to 31 December 1500 ( MD).
In Europe, the 15th century includes parts of the Late Middle Ages, the Early Renaissance, and the early modern period.
M ...
, and continued to spread with the work of artists of various nationalities and of some Spaniards who had learned in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
since the last years of that century. However, the new style did not become firmly established until the accession of King
Charles I of Spain to the throne at the beginning of the 16th century.
Already in
1339
Year 1339 (Roman numerals, MCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–December
* June – Battle of Laupen: The Canton of Bern defeats the forces o ...
the art of the Pisans had arrived in
Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...
with the
tomb
A tomb ( grc-gre, τύμβος ''tumbos'') is a :wikt:repository, repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be ...
of Santa Eulalia in the
cathedral of Barcelona, carved by
Lupo di Francesco
Lupo di Francesco (14th century) was an Italian sculptor and architect, active in Pisa.
He collaborated with Giovanni Pisani in the sculpting of the pulpit of the Cathedral of Pisa, later was a pupil of Tino di Camaino. In 1315, he worked as arch ...
, apart from some other influences described above. Almost a century later some reliefs were carved in the trascoro of the
cathedral of Valencia
Valencia Cathedral, at greater length the Metropolitan Cathedral–Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady of Valencia ( es, Iglesia Catedral-Basílica Metropolitana de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora de Valencia, ca-valencia, Església Cated ...
by the Florentine Giuliano, a disciple of
Ghiberti
Lorenzo Ghiberti (, , ; 1378 – 1 December 1455), born Lorenzo di Bartolo, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence, a key figure in the Early Renaissance, best known as the creator of two sets of bronze doors of the Florence Baptistery ...
, along with others by Spanish hand. But these trials and attempts remained isolated until the arrival of other masters of the Florentine school at the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the following one.
![Ávila](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/%C3%81vila._Real_Monasterio_de_Santo_Tom%C3%A1s_2.JPG)
Renaissance sculpture made its presence felt through three different channels: Italian sculptors sent for by Maecenas and who carried out their works in Spain; imported works, coming from Italian workshops; first generation of Spanish artists. In the first group are the sculptors
Domenico Fancelli
Domenico Fancelli (1469–1519) was an Italian sculptor who worked primarily in Spain, where he was one of those who introduced Renaissance art. His most notable works are the tomb of Cardinal Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, in the Cathedral of Sevill ...
,
Pietro Torrigiano
Pietro Torrigiano (24 November 1472 – July/August 1528) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence, who had to flee the city after breaking Michelangelo's nose. He then worked abroad, and died in prison in Spain. He was important in ...
and
Jacopo Torni, also called the ''Indaco.''
*
Domenico Fancelli
Domenico Fancelli (1469–1519) was an Italian sculptor who worked primarily in Spain, where he was one of those who introduced Renaissance art. His most notable works are the tomb of Cardinal Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, in the Cathedral of Sevill ...
carved the tomb of the
infant John (son of the Catholic Monarchs, died in 1497) in the
church of the monastery of St. Thomas in Ávila, the tomb of the Catholic Monarchs in Granada and the mural
mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...
of
Diego Hurtado de Mendoza in the
cathedral of Seville
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See ( es, Catedral de Santa María de la Sede), better known as Seville Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along ...
(year 1509).
*
Pietro Torrigiano
Pietro Torrigiano (24 November 1472 – July/August 1528) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence, who had to flee the city after breaking Michelangelo's nose. He then worked abroad, and died in prison in Spain. He was important in ...
was a great sculptor of terracotta to whom a Saint Jerome and a statue of the Virgin are attributed and are currently in the Museum of Seville.
![Sevilla2005July_097](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Sevilla2005July_097.jpg)
Among the works commissioned from Italy, the Saint John from Michelangelo's workshop for the city of
Úbeda and a few reliefs from the workshop of the Della Robbia family serve as examples.
As for the Spanish sculptors, the first generation consisted of
Vasco de la Zarza
Vasco de la Zarza (died 1524) was a Spanish Renaissance sculptor. He flourished between 1499 and 1524, and worked mainly for the Cathedral of Avila and convents of the same city, but also performed works in Ampudia, Cuéllar, Olmedo and Toledo. ...
(the choir stalls of the
cathedral of Avila
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
),
Felipe Bigarny (the main altarpiece of the
cathedral of Toledo
, native_name_lang =
, image = Toledo Cathedral, from Plaza del Ayuntamiento.jpg
, imagesize = 300px
, imagelink =
, imagealt =
, landscape =
, caption ...
),
Bartolomé Ordóñez Bartolomé Ordóñez (Burgos, c. 1480 – Carrara, 6 December 1520) was a Spanish Renaissance sculptor.
Life and work
Little is known about Ordóñez before the last five years of his life. His will indicates that he was an ''hidalgo'' born in Bur ...
(the choir stalls of the
cathedral of Barcelona) and
Diego de Siloé (the tomb of Don Alonso Fonseca in Santa Úrsula de Salamanca).
Alonso Berruguete
Alonso González de Berruguete (Alonso Berruguete) (c. 1488 – 1561) was a Spanish painter, sculptor and architect. He is considered to be the most important sculptor of the Spanish Renaissance, and is known for his emotive sculptures depict ...
and
Juan de Juni, of French origin and with a workshop in
Valladolid
Valladolid () is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and de facto capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the province o ...
, author of the major altarpieces in the churches of Santiago and La Antigua, as well as many other works found in
Segovia,
Ciudad Rodrigo and other towns in Castile, stood out in the second third of the 16th century and continued until 1577. Other great masters of the Spanish Renaissance also emerged who, following Italian standards, knew how to give their works a purely Spanish character, creating a school in the different regions of the country.
The third third came with the
classicist
Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
taste. The two Italian sculptors Leoni (
Leone and Pompeyo, father and son) worked at the court of Emperor Charles, casting in bronze the statues of Charles I,
Philip II Philip II may refer to:
* Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC)
* Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor
* Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374)
* Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404)
* Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497)
* Philip ...
and other members of the Royal Family.
File:Alonso Berruguete - Sacrificio de Isaac.jpg, ''Sacrifice of Isaac'' by Alonso Berruguete
Alonso González de Berruguete (Alonso Berruguete) (c. 1488 – 1561) was a Spanish painter, sculptor and architect. He is considered to be the most important sculptor of the Spanish Renaissance, and is known for his emotive sculptures depict ...
.
File:Juan de Juni-San Antonio de Padua.jpg, ''Saint Anthony of Padua'', by Juan de Juni.
File:Felipe II (Leone y Pompeo Leoni, Prado E-272) 01a.jpg, ''Philip II'' by Pompey and Leone Leoni.
Plateresque
![Cogolludo_Pal_Duques_de_Medinacelli_window](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Cogolludo_Pal_Duques_de_Medinacelli_window.jpg)
Within the Renaissance it is a purely Spanish variety, which corresponds to the Portuguese ''
Manueline'' style. It is also called ''
Isabelline Gothic'' or ''Catholic Kings style'', for having begun with the reign of these monarchs, although it extends to the time of
Philip II. The term plateresque is usually used for architecture, but as it is a purely decorative art and sculptural ornamentation, it can be included here in this small section.
![Ayuntamiento_003](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Ayuntamiento_003.jpg)
It is characterized by maintaining certain Gothic and Mudejar components within the Renaissance style. The façades are sculpted as if they were altarpieces, and together with the typical Renaissance cushioning, there are columns with grotesques and full of decoration and windows in the Gothic tradition. There is a proliferation of tondos or medallions and coats of arms placed in the keystones of the vaults and in the spandrels of the arches. This is a highly decorative genre. It reached its greatest exuberance in Andalusia. A good example is the façade of the Seville City Hall by
Diego de Riaño
Diego de Riaño (died 1534) was a Spanish architect of the Renaissance. He was one of the most outstanding architects of the Plateresque style.
He was born at Riaño, in Cantabria, and is documented in Seville starting from 1523. In 1527 ...
.
German sculpture
![St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/St._Sebastian.jpg)
The prosperity of the Germanic cities was consolidated with the extension of the Gothic period, producing in the first decades of the 16th century the introduction of Renaissance sculpture with the influence of the Italian Florentine school. Most of this sculpture was made in wood, due to the great forest wealth of its regions and with a magnificent
polychromy and gilding. The German sculptors found it difficult to abandon the Gothic costumes and for their characters to acquire the classical spirit, as can be clearly seen in the works of
Veit Stoss, in the altarpiece of the ''Virgin in St. Mary'' in
Krakow, in the reliefs of the
cathedral of Bamberg or in the ''Annunciation of the Rosary'' in the church of St. Lawrence in
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
. Also in the same style are the sculptures of
Tilman Riemenschneider
Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1460 – 7 July 1531) was a German sculptor and woodcarver active in Würzburg from 1483. He was one of the most prolific and versatile sculptors of the transition period between late Gothic and Renaissance, a master i ...
, extraordinary works such as the ''Altar of the Annunciation'' in the church of Creglingen.
As "sculpted world" is known the character that sculpture adopted in the Germanic countries during the second half of the 15th century, which can be seen in the large
polyptychs of
altars of some German churches and cathedrals. These are often altars with two or even four fully sculpted leaves, with spires and high
pinnacles
A pinnacle is an architectural element originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire. It was mainly ...
that house, in their central part, the "box", with a religious scene.
Vasari
Giorgio Vasari (, also , ; 30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance Master, who worked as a painter, architect, engineer, writer, and historian, who is best known for his work ''The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculpt ...
, a connoisseur of the German style, said about it:
Michel Erhart
Michel Erhart ( 1440 to 1445 – after 1522, Ulm) was a German late Gothic sculptor who lived and worked in Ulm
Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, ...
of
Ulm achieved great stylistic control. His most important work is the altar of the Benedictine monastery of Blaubeurer (
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
) where five large polychrome sculptures can be seen in the box. In the Germanic peripheral territories, in South
Tyrol
Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...
, the sculptor
Michael Pacher
Michael Pacher ( 1435 – August 1498) was a painter and sculptor from Tyrol active during the second half of the fifteenth century. He was one of the earliest artists to introduce the principles of Renaissance painting into Germany. Pacher was a ...
worked; among his works, the main altar of St. Wolfgang, eleven meters high and where painting is masterfully combined with sculpture, stands out.
German sculpture was short-lived in the Renaissance period.
Peter Vischer
Peter Vischer the Elder (c. 1455January 7, 1529) was a German sculptor, the son of Hermann Vischer, and the most notable member of the Vischer Family of Nuremberg.
Biography
Peter was born in Nuremberg, where he also died. He became "master" in ...
stood out as a sculptor along with other members of his family, inspired more directly by the Italian Quattrocento, as can be seen in the tomb of St. Sebald (1507–1519) in
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
, as well as his participation in the mausoleum of
Emperor Maximilian in
Innsbruck
Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...
, which was to group forty larger-than-life-size statues and one hundred smaller statuettes with forty busts of emperors. Only a third of this work was completed, and the sculptures were cast in
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
.
Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer (; ; hu, Ajtósi Adalbert; 21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528),Müller, Peter O. (1993) ''Substantiv-Derivation in Den Schriften Albrecht Dürers'', Walter de Gruyter. . sometimes spelled in English as Durer (without an umlaut) or Due ...
was also involved in this work, for which he designed the ''Head of King Arthur'' and made the full body sculpture Vischer, with the decoration and armor in medieval style, but with the clear ''
contrapposto'' of a hero of Antiquity.
Sculpture in the Netherlands
![Eglise_de_Brou4_marguerite_d'autriche](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Eglise_de_Brou4_marguerite_d%27autriche.jpg)
In the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, artistic activities had been fully developed and consolidated during the
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
period to very high levels, which makes it understandable that they were reluctant to admit other criteria. Thus, the acceptance of the new style coming from Italy was late and the Gothic decorations were still maintained for a long time. In the realization of altarpieces, choir stalls and religious furnishings including sculpture, wood carving was used, in which Renaissance elements were elaborated in the style of those made in the
Lombard part of Italy.
![San_Bartolome](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/San_Bartolome.Mons.jpg)
In 1507
Margaret of Austria became governor of the Netherlands on behalf of her nephew
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
, creating a humanist court in
Mechelen
Mechelen (; french: Malines ; traditional English name: MechlinMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical contex ...
. Margaret was a great collector of art and took into her service all kinds of artists, among them the sculptor
Conrad Meit
Conrad Meit or (usual in German) Conrat Meit (1480s in Worms; 1550/1551 in Antwerp) was a German-born Late Gothic and Renaissance sculptor, who spent most of his career in the Low Countries.
The royal tombs that were his largest works still ha ...
, born in
Worms Worms may refer to:
*Worm, an invertebrate animal with a tube-like body and no limbs
Places
*Worms, Germany, a city
**Worms (electoral district)
*Worms, Nebraska, U.S.
*Worms im Veltlintal, the German name for Bormio, Italy
Arts and entertainme ...
, who worked in the art of portraiture and small boxwood or bronze statuettes. Marguerite commissioned him to make the figures of her husband
Philibert the Handsome
Philibert II (10 April 1480 – 10 September 1504), nicknamed the Handsome or the Good, was the Duke of Savoy from 1497 until his death.
Biography
Born in Pont-d'Ain, Philibert was the son of Philip (Filippo) the Landless and his first wife ...
, that of her mother
Mary of Burgundy, and her own for the church of Brou of
Bourg-en-Bresse.
The Belgian Herman Glosencamps built the decorative sculptures of the chimney of the Town Hall of
Bruges
Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the countr ...
. In
Utrecht
Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...
there are several statues by the sculptor Uries and Kéyser, in which Renaissance naturalism can be seen in the anatomical details and in the folds of the vestments, with full acceptance of the new style in the second half of the sixteenth century.
Jacques du Broeuq, master of
John of Bologna
Giambologna (1529 – 13 August 1608), also known as Jean de Boulogne (French), Jehan Boulongne (Flemish) and Giovanni da Bologna (Italian), was the last significant Italian Renaissance sculptor, with a large workshop producing large and small ...
, was appointed architect and court sculptor by
Mary of Austria, daughter of
Charles I of Spain, for whom he carried out numerous works, among them a set of sculptures in alabaster for the choir of Sainte-Waudru de
Mons
Mons (; German and nl, Bergen, ; Walloon and pcd, Mont) is a city and municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the province of Hainaut, Belgium.
Mons was made into a fortified city by Count Baldwin IV of Hainaut in the 12th century. T ...
. His reliefs are close to contemporary Italian sculptors, and classicist features can be seen in the folds of their clothes, in the style of ancient statuary. In the larger reliefs such as the one of the Resurrection, the figures are shown with elongated silhouettes, almost rounded and very pronounced.
The work of the sculptor and architect
Cornelius Floris de Vriendt was manifested with great resemblance to the Italian style in the
façade
A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a Loanword, loan word from the French language, French (), which means 'frontage' or 'face'.
In architecture, the façade of a building is often t ...
of the
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, town hall, in the tombs of the kings of
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
and the dukes of
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
in
Königsberg
Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was named ...
, and in the decoration of the choir of the
cathedral of Our Lady of Tournai, made with a great resemblance to the style of
Andrea Sansovino.
English sculpture
![ShakespeareMonument_cropped](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/ShakespeareMonument_cropped.jpg)
English sculpture of the 16th century is derived from Italian sculpture, the most notable artists working in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
being from the latter country. The monarchs, in order to encourage artistic life, exercised a very important role in developing this artistic movement. Among the first and principal Italian sculptors was
Pietro Torrigiano
Pietro Torrigiano (24 November 1472 – July/August 1528) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence, who had to flee the city after breaking Michelangelo's nose. He then worked abroad, and died in prison in Spain. He was important in ...
, to whom we owe the tomb of
Henry VII and
Elizabeth of York. It is made of marble and gilded bronze, with the recumbent figures of the monarchs and at each corner of the tomb angels holding coats of arms; it is in a chapel of
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. In 1511 he sculpted the tomb of
Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII. From 1516 dates the tomb of the royal archivist, John Young, whom he also represented in a bust preserved in the
National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to:
*National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra
*National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred
*National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C.
*National Portrait Gallery, London, with s ...
in London.
He was also commissioned by
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
for his own tomb and that of his wife
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until their annulment on 23 May 1533. She was previously ...
in 1518. Despite the sculptor's trip to Italy to hire assistants, the reasons why he did not complete the work are unknown and he left the English court to settle in Spain in 1525. This tomb was finally made between 1524 and 1528 by the Italian sculptor
Benedetto da Rovezzano
Benedetto Grazzini, best known as Benedetto da Rovezzano (1474 – c. 1552) was an Italians, Italian architect and sculptor who worked mainly in Florence.
He was born in Pistoia in 1474, and adopted the name Rovezzano from the quarter of F ...
.
With the implementation of the Protestant Reformation, religious sculpture was suppressed in England, as well as contact with anything that could come from Italy because it was identified as a way of papal influence. Only in the superb
pantheons and in commemorative statues of characters had since then some life in plastic arts, such as the one made by the Englishman Richard Parker for the tomb of the
Earl of Rutland
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
(1543) in
Bottesford.
The Italian influence was replaced by the French and by the arrival of Flemish artists, among them
Gerard Johnson (also called Garret Jansen), who made the tomb of the Earl of
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
in
Titchfield and the funerary monument in honor of
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
in
Stratford.
Portuguese sculpture
![Belem](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Belem.Jeronimos37.jpg)
At the end of the 15th century,
Andrea Sansovino went to work for King
John II of Portugal; there seems to have been a feeling that the Italians, with their almost exclusive monopoly on ancient art, also possessed the gift of what was right in art.
A focus of
humanism
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "humani ...
on the model of the Italian courts was created around the court of
John III. The Renaissance imposed itself in the cities of
Coimbra
Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of .
The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto Metropolitan Area, Porto, and Bra ...
,
Tomar and
Évora
Évora ( , ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of 1307.08 km2. It is the historic capital of the Alentejo and serves as the seat of the Évora District.
Due to its well-preserved old to ...
with such force that in this region of
Alentejo
Alentejo ( , ) is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond () the Tagus river" (''Tejo'').
Alentejo includes the regions of Alto Alentejo and Baixo Alent ...
it was very difficult for the later implantation of the
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
. Portuguese sculpture was also Italianist in its first Renaissance, its main works being three beautiful reliefs in the
cloister
A cloister (from Latin ''claustrum'', "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against a ...
of the church of Santa Cruz in
Coimbra
Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of .
The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto Metropolitan Area, Porto, and Bra ...
, carved by Portuguese artists:
* ''Christ before Pilate''
* ''Passage of the cross on his shoulders''
* ''Mass of St. Gregory''
Coming from France, the artist
Nicolas Chanterenne made in
1515
__NOTOC__
Year 1515 ( MDXV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–June
* January 25 – Francis I of France is crowned (reigns until 1547).
* May 13 & ...
the royal sepulchres for this church in Coimbra. In 1517 he was commissioned the central portico of the
Jerónimos Monastery
The Jerónimos Monastery or Hieronymites Monastery ( pt, Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, ) is a former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome near the Tagus river in the parish of Belém, in the Lisbon Municipality, Portugal. It became the necropolis o ...
in
Belém
Belém (; Portuguese for Bethlehem; initially called Nossa Senhora de Belém do Grão-Pará, in English Our Lady of Bethlehem of Great Pará) often called Belém of Pará, is a Brazilian city, capital and largest city of the state of Pará in t ...
and the praying figures of
King Manuel and
Queen Maria; among the many works of this sculptor is the
alabaster altarpiece of the
Pena Palace for the city of
Sintra
Sintra (, ) is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The population of the municipality in 2011 was 377,835, in an area of . Sintra is one of the most urbanized and densely populated ...
. Chanterenne also practiced the art of portraiture with busts of great realism.
Two other French sculptors were also in Coimbra: Juan de Ruan and Felipe Duarte or Orarte, who came from
Toledo
Toledo most commonly refers to:
* Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain
* Province of Toledo, Spain
* Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States
Toledo may also refer to:
Places Belize
* Toledo District
* Toledo Settlement
Bolivia
* Toledo, Orur ...
and who was hired to make the group of ''The Supper'', which was completed in 1534 with an extraordinary realism in agitated and impetuous attitudes. The group is currently preserved in the Museum of the city of Coimbra. Rouén worked on an altarpiece for the chapel of the Sacrament in the cathedral of this city; also noteworthy is the
pulpit
A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...
he made for the monastery of Santa Cruz. This artist set up an important workshop, where a great number of works were sculpted. In the middle of this century the Spanish influence could be appreciated in several works of the monastery of Belém, as in a wooden ''Crucified'' whose style is similar to that of the circle of
Diego de Siloé.
Hispano-American Sculpture
In general, Hispano-American Renaissance sculpture was achieved, thanks in large part, to the religious orders and their teaching work together with the availability of models of works brought from Spain, from where in many occasions the iconography of the images was copied, especially the
iconography
Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...
of the images.
In
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
, it was precisely the
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
missionaries of
Flemish
Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...
origin Pedro Gosseal and Jodoco Ricke who founded the first school in the convent of San Francisco in
Quito
Quito (; qu, Kitu), formally San Francisco de Quito, is the capital and largest city of Ecuador, with an estimated population of 2.8 million in its urban area. It is also the capital of the province of Pichincha. Quito is located in a valley o ...
, teaching knowledge in the art of architecture and carving, both in stone and wood, as well as religion and letters. The local artists achieved good interpretations mixed with motifs of their tradition with the ingenuity of the faces of the images as well as the polychrome with more primary colors and much more striking, where it can be seen in the altarpieces that were built during the fifteenth century in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, as well as in the decoration used in the
baptismal fonts and in the crosses of the conventual courtyards.
A relevant sculptor is the
Guatemalan Quirio Cataño, who was the author, among other images, of the
Black Christ of Esquipulas
The Black Christ of Esquipulas is a darkened wooden image of Christ enshrined within the Cathedral Basilica of Esquipulas in Esquipulas, Guatemala. It is one of the famed black Christological images of Latin America.
Pious legends claim the ima ...
in 1594.
References and Notes
Bibliography
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{{Authority control
Renaissance art
Sculpture