Proto-Renaissance: Maestro della Croce

Maestro della Croce Wikipedia Commons

As a renewal or renovito began to sweep Italy in large part due to the actions of Frederick II, King of Sicily, the Great Schism took hold of the Catholic Church, causing an absence of the pope in Rome. This absence led to the formation of many new orders such as the Franciscans and the Dominicans.

Unlike previous orders approved by the Catholic Church who chose to live in seclusion and isolation, the Dominicans and Franciscans chose to be one with the people.  The churches that the orders built, such as Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce, were in cities and towns. These magnificent buildings became a status symbol, showcasing the power and wealth of the city-states of Italy through the magnificent architecture, frescos, and other art within. Many of these pieces were products of monasteries and therefore created anonymously by monks who dedicated their lives to their art.

Close up of the Crucifix Wikipedia

This past Thursday, as I walked into the Uffizi’s duecento room filled with the works of great artists such as Giotto and Cimabue, I was drawn to a magnificent wooden crucifix not made by the masters, but by an unknown. The Maestro Della Croce n. 434 turned up in the Uffizi’s’ art collection in 1888, its whereabouts before then not known. Wooden crucifixes such as this were among the earliest paintings in the proto-Renaissance. The representations of Jesus varied, and can be classified into two categories Christus triumphus and Christus patiens. While Christus triumphus depicts Jesus as a victor over death, usually exhibited in his open eyes, devoid of any pain, Christus patiens representations show a more deflated body inspiring and emphatic response from the viewer. In this particular piece Christ has been portrayed in the style of Christus patiens. In the aprons at the sides of the cross, the passion has been displayed in eight, Byzantine-style scenes from the ruling of Pontius Pilate to the lamentation of Christ. Upon closer inspection I noticed that not only was the crucifix heavily gilded, but also jewels have been added thereby encrusting the halo. This piece is an obvious precursor to the Renaissance as it is an exceptional representation of the melding of many different art forms. One can see that the artist was trying to give more life-like qualities to his figures, unlike the flat, 2D figures of the medieval art world. The linear perspectives of the passion scenes are more realistic than those of the medieval ages yet not as developed as the high Renaissance, thereby illustrating the proto-renaissance’s role as a bridge between the two periods. 

The Lives of Artists

 

Vasari, Giorgio (1511-1574) - Self Portrait Flickr

Originating in Italy, the Renaissance was an era of great prosperity. As trade flourished and wealth increased, commissions illustrating the families newfound wealth became common. These commissions opened doors for many artists, especially in Florence. Not only did the techniques and style of art in the Renaissance mark a great turning point but, also in the status of artists.

From the Renaissance emerged the Baroque period, which aimed to create works that were theatrical, released from restraint and full of emotion. Artists usually directed by guilds and patrons on what to create began to find their own voice and the idea of a non-conformist, learned and unique artist began to take hold.

Giorgio Vasari further elevated these statuses with the publication of his collected artist biographies in The Lives of the Artists. First published in 1550, The Lives of the Artists is perhaps one of the most important texts that came out of the Renaissance. It is through his writings that we get a background to great Renaissance masterpieces and a full analysis of not only the artwork, but also the men behind them.  

 Instead of being an outside commenter, Vasari was deeply entrenched in the art world. Not only was Vasari close friends with some of the great masters such as Michelangelo, but he himself was an architect, designing the loggia of the Palazzo Pitti and restoring the churches of Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce. Vasari praised the many attributes of an artist saying that one must not be only capable in the arts but in other areas such as math and science, thereby institutionalizing the image of an artist as a ‘genius.’

Using accounts from artists he knew first hand as those he knew of, Vasari has composed a book that is truly invaluable. 

Studying Art in the Center of the Renaissance

        Palazzo Medicci Riccardi Flickr

What influences the creation of art?  Certainly the artist is essential.  Without the artist there would be no art. But the creation of art is more than the artist.  The question is, what influences the artist in terms of their experiences, beliefs, environment and, certainly, financial support?  What I hope to learn as a result of my study of the Renaissance and Baroque periods is a better understanding of these variables.

Florence was the perfect breeding ground for amazing art. This is primarily due to the prosperity of the region. Growing out of feudalism, Florence became one of the leading cities in cloth trade.  As the trade outgrew the bartering system, Florentines began producing currency, known as Denarii. Florence’s production of these silver pennies led to an increase in Florentine wealth and prosperity resulting in wealthy banker families such as the Medici. With this increase in wealth came disposable income and the ability to showcase their prosperity. Patronage became a common practice, out of which came many of Florence’s great artworks.   

The opportunity to live where these great artists created these works will add great insight into their pieces. I will not only be gaining art history theory but the context and economic environment in which they created these masterpieces.