Test on Friday...Possible Essay Questions

Option 1: What is meant by the term DISGUISED SYMBOLISM? Provide examples of artists and their works to support your answer.

Option 2: Consider the designation HUMANISM. How would you describe it? Did the phenomenon signal a decline in Christian belief? Does the art of this period reflect this orientation? Cite specific works to support your discussion. Be sure to include visual analyses of the specific works.

Option 3: Discuss the system of Linear Perspective. Which individuals were instrumental in its development? Address the impact of linear perspective on the painting of 15th Century Italy. Cite specific artists and their work in your essay.

Option 4: Discuss the spirit of competitiveness, the sense of civic pride, and the role of patronage in 15th Century Italy. Consider specific cities, artists, patrons, and the projects which resulted.

Option 5: Explain how Tintoretto’s work reflects the spirit of the Counter Reformation. Why did Mannerism fail as propaganda for the Counter Reformation?

Option 6: Evaluate the importance of the architecture of Bramante. In what way does his architecture represent the attitudes and aesthetics of the High Renaissance? Use examples to illustrate your discussion.

Leonardo da Vinci's and his KNOWN Females

Lady with an Ermine is an early work of Leonardo da Vinci's dating from the 1480s.

There is disagreement concerning the identity of the sitter in many of his portraits. Some historians consider that the sitter in this one is Cecilia Gallerani, mistress of Ludovico Sforza (the Duke of Milan and one of his biggest patrons). What is understood about the era is that Renaissance women contrived to look middle-aged before they were twenty. If this was truly Cecilia, she would only have been about seventeen at the time the portrait was painted. Another suggestion is that the painting is from a little later, around 1491, and that the woman is Ludovico's wife, Beatrice d'Este.The third theory is that the sitter may have been La Belle Ferronniere, a nickname given to the mistress of Francis I of France. Support for this idea came from an inscription in the upper left-hand corner which reads LA BELE FERONIERE LEONARD DA WINCI, most experts now consider this to be incorrect. The inscription is not original, but is a later addition, possibly to give identity to the sitter. Who would not have been desiring to be immortalized by Leonardo, a great master!


Ermines were animals symbolic of strength AND chastity. They were fastidious and cleaned their coat to keep it white. Thus including the ermine was a subtle way of attributing these characteristics to the sitter.

There is a wonderful visual description of the myriad of symbols used in the painting. The image is attached to this post but the article can be read by following the link.


For more information, go to http://www.lairweb.org.nz/leonardo/ermine.html.

Test and Assignment Updates

Friday 3-2-12 the test will be chapters 21 and 22 ... revisiting 21 and moving into and through 22

Leonardo da Vinci's and his KNOWN Females

Ginevra de' Benci resides at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. Follow the link to see more 15th Century Florentine Portraiture.

Ginerva is an educated women from a wealthy family. Her 3/4 portrait breaks tradition as it shows a female sitter looking directly at the audience. This view, as opposed to the profile view, allowed Leonardo to depict the personality and character of Ginerva, the sitter. The profile view was more informal, a colder representation. She is sitting in front of a juniper bush, possibly "an allusion to the name "Ginevra" (the Italian for juniper is ginepro)."

In this marriage portrait, Ginerva is unique as the painting was done on BOTH sides of the wood panel. This was uncommon in the 1470's, let alone in any era. The back of the panel contains an inscription, VIRTUTEM FORMA DECORAT (she adorns her virtue with beauty), which scholars interpret to connect her with the attributes relevant to the sitter's status as a bride.

Tomorrow...The Lady with the Ermine

NEOPLATONISM and the Renaissance

Neoplatonism was an idea that arose during the Renaissance. It is common knowledge that the Renaissance is a REBIRTH of Classical CREATIVITY AND SCHOLARSHIP. Plato believed in Beauty, the beauty of the ideal. He saw nature as imperfect, as a fruit, flower, and person will decline in beauty over time. He believed the arts helped one cultivate character, but wanted the arts controlled in an effort to mold and shape people's character in the manner he believed appropriate. Neoplatonism arises during the Renaissance in an effort to bring back Classical ideals that were considered strong and valid means to build a community. Neoplatonism shows up in art as allegory, oftentimes symbols and concepts from literature and Pre-Christian thought. Michelangelo was the main advocate of this idea in art.

Watch a slide-show about Neoplatonism in Renaissance Art to learn more!

Masaccio's Holy Trinity Fresco

is a great example of the Early Renaissance style. The fresco, painted in a Dominican church, renders a religious scene in a visually and intellectually pleasing manner. The Wall Street Journal article, A Convergence of Faith and Reason, from February 18, 2012 examines Masaccio's approach.

The author explains the innovations that bring this fresco out of the Middle Ages' style of FORMAL, FLAT, FRONTAL AND FLOATING. Masaccio created a surface upon which the scene takes place, rather than a gold background popular during the Middle Ages. The figures are rendered lifelike rather than importance shown via hierarchy of scale.

Symbolism is used by Masaccio as well. References to the TRINITY, CRUCIFIXION, ADAM AND EVE and CLASSICAL THOUGHT are evident when the viewer looks closely. Read the article to find out more about the symbolism used in the scene.

Leonardo Painted THREE Ladies...Maybe Four...

A friend mentioned to me a great NOVA program she watched. Mystery of a Masterpiece detailed an incredible story of a POTENTIAL chalk drawing that MAY BE an unknown work by Leonardo da Vinci. The video and corresponding National Geographic Article was very complete in its description of the steps that were taken to authenticate the drawing.

Carbon dating brings the work to teh era in which Leonardo da Vinci lived. The clothing has been authenticated as Italian Renaissance as well. Once scholars gained the information that the work COULD have been created by Leonardo da Vinci as it is of the correct era and of a similar style, they were excited! They started to investigate the authenticity further!

Scholars have discovered the woman in the picture is Bianca Sforza, the young teen daughter of the Duke of Milan. She died young, not long after the painting was completed.

The artwork was created on vellum, not typically used by Leonardo da Vinci. Scholars have found a book about Sforza's marriage, the Sforziad, in the Polish National Library in Warsaw. The vellum page fits perfectly in the book.

The hypothesis that this work is an additional "LADY" of Leonardo is still being authenticated. Until then, we'll have to appreciate his Three True Ladies and eagerly await additional news about this forth beautiful woman.

Upcoming Due Dates

Tuesday 2-21-12: Read Chapter 22
Chart pages 49,50
Discussion Question #1,3 and Looking Carefully due 2-24-12

2-25-12 Turnitin.com discussion based on NOVA video and National Geographic Article Mystery of a Masterpiece...linked on Ch 21 page of Website.

Monday 2-27-12: Complete Chapter 23
WKBK page 59,60
DQ 2,5 due 2-28-12

March 1 Test/MC 22
March 3rd Chapter 24 Discussion Questions turned in on turnitin.com
Monday 3-5-12 Read Chapter 24 and complete WKBK pages:
Page 61 "List three adjectives..."
62 #4,5,6
63 #8, 9, 10
64 #15, 17
65 #21, 22


Tuesday 3-6-12 complete Chapter 24 Discussion Questions on turnitin.com

Page 67 #1, 4

Friday 3-9-12 Test/MC Chapters 23 and 24

Week of March 12th...India, China and Japan
Week of March 19th...GROUP project/library work Art from Beyond the Western Tradition
Presentations Week of 3-26-12

Museum Catalogs...

Chapter 20 Posted on Chapter 20 page of class website
Chapter 21 and 22 on Chapter 21/22 page of class website

Test 20-21 on Block Day 2-23-12

San Diego Museum of Art...BONUS OPPORTUNITIES

TODAY the mail brought me my member magazine...
Please check with the museum ahead of time as something may have changed in their schedule after the magazine was sent to be printed.


TODAY...Friday 2-3-12 FILM...Midnight in Paris (lecture at 7, film at 8) (IT IS A GREAT FILM...Owen Wilson stars in this film from summer 2011)

WED. February 8th...Teen Art Cafe 8-9 PM
Saturday 2-11 LECTURE 10:30 (New For You)
LECTURE 3:00-4:00 (The Original Avatars (Introduction to Vishnu)
Sunday 2-12 LECTURE 3:00-4:00 (Sorting African Art...Who Made it and What Does it Mean?

Sunday 2-19 Family Drop-In-Day 1:00-3:00 "Exploring Personal Pathways"

Upcoming Assignments

Assignments for Chapters 20-23 are listed below.

A new discussion on turnitin.com was posted (review) and will be active until 2-15-12. Respond to the post and respond to your peers (at least one peer response). A new post will follow the close of this one. THIS IS FOR A GRADE this semester.

For your planning purposes:
We'll discuss Intersession assignments next week in class. A Museum Catalog and TEST on the material will come...after we cover India, China and Japan. I'll post MC information for Intersession NEXT week...after class discussion and return of papers.

Monday 2-6-12: Read Chapter 20
Complete WKBK:
page 13 # 1
page 14 #s 6,7
page 15 #9
page 16 #s 10-12
page 17 #s 15,18

Block Day 2-9-12: Read Chapter 21 UP to page 596
Complete WKBK Chapter 20 Discussion Q's 3,4 on turnitin.com by 11:59 PM 2-11-12

Monday 2-13-12: Complete Chapter 21
WKBK:
page 24 #s 1-2-3 (before the Florence section)
page 26 #8
page 28 #s 15-16
page 30 ALL
page 31 #s 27-28
Discussion Question #2 page 33


Block Day 2-16-12: TEST/MC Chapters 20-21

Tuesday 2-21-12: Read Chapter 22
Chart pages 49,50
Discussion Question #1,3 and Looking Carefully due 2-24-12

Monday 2-27-12: Complete Chapter 23
WKBK page 59,60
DQ 2,5 due 2-28-12

Friday 3-2: Test/MC Chapters 22 and 23
Monday 3-5: Read Chapter 24

Interspersed...India, China and Japan...Project week of March 18th work on BEYOND THE WESTERN TRADITION GROUP PRESENTATION ... and MC Beyond the Western Tradition.

Presentations in class week of: 3-26-12

Monday 4-2-12: Read Chapter 25 (TEST 24/25 before Easter)
Monday 4-16-12: Read Chapters 28-29
Monday 4-23-12: Read Chapter 33
Monday 4-30-12: Read Chapter 34