The term quattrocento is Italian for “four hundred”. In fine art, this term refers to the 15th century. Therefore, it embraces both cultural and artistic activities involving painting, architecture and sculpture between 1400 and 1500 in Italy. As quattrocento coincided with the Florentine Renaissance, this term is often seen as a synonym for the early renaissance art. The quattrocento embraced the classical antique forms adopted from the ancient Greeks and Romans. It is regarded as the main stepping stone from the middle ages art. The major Italian artists during the quattrocento include Filippo Lippi, Sano di Pietro and Masaccio.
The renaissance period developed in response to the medieval period which began in the 14th century and ended in the 16th century[1]. The Italian renaissance achieved remarkable advances in philosophy, literature, architecture, science and art among other developments. Specific to quattrocento arts, new developments included the introduction of oil painting which replaced the egg-based tempera painting. Painting was done on canvas in place of the wooden panels. Additionally, drawing in ink, chalk, pastel, the medal and the print achieved preeminent status in the society.
Gender and Portraiture.
A portrait is defined as a representation of an individual. However, it can portray the image of a sitter with representative facial structures or it may designate a subject’s social position or personality1. Factors affecting portraiture include the true image of the sitter set against generality and idealization, the consultations between the painter, the sitter and the patron and the decision to paint physical or internal characteristics of the sitter.
Renaissance artists memorized their subjects in multiple mediums such as fresco, metal, marble and bronze as well as oil and tempera paintings. Portraits from the medieval period depicted subjects who appeared linear, stiff, and lifeless in the portraits[2]. However, the quattrocento art developed as it breathed life into portraiture and facial characteristics became useful parts rather that linear marks on a flattened plane. At this period, the format of a portrait was mainly a profile. This tradition was adopted from the Romans and brings to emphasis the real beauty of the sitter instead of their emotions or personality.
Studies about the Italian Renaissance art have trouble in inculcating modern thoughts on sexuality and feminism. Quattrocento art can be described as a naturistic replication of a newly revealed reality rather than a collection of myths and gender based constructions. This form art acquired stature in the high culture. The different portraits of Florentine women bring theories of gaze and thus revealing the ostensible inevitability and impartiality of quattrocento art.
About forty panel portraits of different women survive from the renaissance period. Also, a cluster of five male portraits has been discovered. Most of the discussions regarding this art period tend to incline towards a male norm for all the surviving portraits2. As a result of few female portraits from the quattrocento period, the topic of women during the renaissance tends to be overlooked or even dismissed. Furthermore, theories from researchers who have attempted to study this period tend to be different maybe due to gender bias2. Artists who have studied women portraiture of the quattrocento tend to disagree on the functions, the psychological implication of the artists as well as the intensity with which the sitters were idealized.
Functions of gender and portraiture
Gender and social status affected the functions of renaissance art. Some of the functions of portraits include decorations of courtly halls, tokens of alliance, friendship and memorizing subjects and events. Paintings of men accentuated their social, political and expert roles. They appeared stereotypically manly. The portraits of male leaders specifically emphasized on politics[3]. These paintings often served as ambassadors and surrogates especially in the absence of the leaders. Furthermore, the portraits were used to strengthen foreign policies. The Portrait Giuliano de’ Medici represent a typical male portrait of the quattrocento period. Giuliano de ’Medici was portrayed by Sandro Botticelli as an idyllic leader3. It portrays tough and poised facial characteristics, a powerful torso and a courteous expression.
Giuliano de’ Medici by Sandro Botticelli
The functions of female portraits included commemoration, donor portraits and depiction of ideal beauty. When utilized as a commemorative painting, these portraits conveyed wealth and lineage[4]. According to scholars, women were painted as an honor of marriage or betrothal. This was depicted by the clothes, age and the bound hair of the female sitter. Women portraits were also utilized in commemorating the deceased.
Stylistic Developments and their Functions
The quattrocento reestablished the aspects of Western art according to the Greek principles. The Greek sculptures and paintings formed a basis for most artwork in this period. The quattrocento sculptors added new emotion and thoughts in their sculptures. This period experienced an increase in the use of both fresco and oils. The quattrocento art heavily focused on improving the Medieval Byzantine art and the International Gothic style of the 14th
century. In general, they shifted from illuminated manuscripts and different forms of book illustrations and adopted the panel painting4. Moreover, they focused on large-scale art such as fresco painting. The quattrocento saw the decrease of decorative and mosaic art. Oil painting adopted from West attracted may painters. Nonetheless, tempera continued to be an essential medium.
Renaissance artists made substantial evolution in figure painting as well as the application of linear perspective. Basically, this period saw a shift from decorative painting which was done in in the style of Byzantine icons4. The artists began to heavily focus on male nudes and less on female nudes. This stylistic change served to demonstrate the renaissance philosophy of humanism. Furthermore, the stylistic developments indicated that the quattrocento artists were in favor of realism.
The quattrocento also focused on foreshortening as well as trompe l’oeil painting techniques which was rather illusionistic. These techniques were used on canvas, murals and ceiling. Additionally, oil painting spearheaded the development of new ways of handling light as well as the developments of new techniques such as sfumato and chiaroscuro. Ideally, the stylistic devices adopted during the quattrocento aimed at modernizing art and promoting the new focus of the philosophy of humanism.
Quattrocento portraiture experienced continuity especially in plastic art. The renaissance artists improved gothic works as they added a new form of emotion, energy and thought into their figures[5]. This stylistic development was heavily borrowed from classical sculpture.
The leading painters of quattrocento were Sasseta and Giovanni di Paolo who focused on harsh colors, elongated forms and overall dreamlike quality.
Religious art.
Religious art can be defined as imagery inspired by religion and its motifs. Often, it aims at wining new coverts or uplifting those who are already spiritual. The renaissance saw a constant presence of Christian art up until the Protestant Reformation[6]. Religious art was for the church, clergy as well as the laity. During the quattrocento, many artists created Christian masterpieces. For instance, Michelangelo Buonarroti painted the Sistine Chapel whereas Pieta Gianlorenzo carved the infamous columns found in St. Peter’s Basilica. Moreover, Leonardo Da Vinci painted the image of the last supper7. However, the reformation spearheaded the decline in the production of Christian art. In fact, Christian art stopped in protestant countries and the Christian art that previously existed was damaged.
During the Quattrocento, functions of religious art mainly included the illustration of divine stories from the bible[7]. Furthermore, it was meant to expound on an ordered universe under God. As such, it contributed to the creation and preservation of social order. Religious art in the quattrocento was heavily financed by the Christian churches and political leaders such as the Medici family. The Sistine Madonna and the Genesis Fresco by Raphael and Michelangelo respectively are among examples of high renaissance religious painting.
The last supper by Leonardo da Vinci
Secular art.
The quattrocento introduced secular history painting and portrait art. Botticelli produced some metaphorical masterpiece in this sector7. The proliferation into secular art was only natural due to the view of power and the subsequent influence of strong political personas such as the Medici Family in Florence and the Gonzaga family in Mantua among others. These families were influential and pioneered the development of secular art. Basically, functions of secular art included decoration and emphasized on politics.
Bibliography
Bussagli, M. (2009). Italian art. Firenze: Giunti.
This book explores the history of Italian art including portraits. It was published in 2009 by Giunti Editore and thus it is a reliable source of information. It describes various artists their styles of art. It has over 500 illustrations of art and further describes artists who best represent Italian art. It best explains the Italian renaissance though clear and concise narratives. It describes the quattrocento period in an enlightening and entertaining way. Furthermore, it contains the biographies of different artist form the high renaissance period. The quattrocento reestablished the aspects of Western art according to the Greek principles. The quattrocento sculptors added new emotion and thoughts in their sculptures. This period experienced an increase in the use of both fresco and oils. The quattrocento art heavily focused on improving the Medieval Byzantine art and the International Gothic style of the 14th century. As such, this book details into the different styles and material used during the quattrocento.
Goldstein, C. (1991). Rhetoric and Art History in the Italian Renaissance and Baroque. The Art Bulletin, 73(4), p.641.
This article was written by Goldstein in 1991. It criticizes the Italian renaissance traditions through the classical view following a panegyric rhetoric. The article praises and blames the different methods utilized during the renaissance period in Italy. It links the focus of Florence during the quattrocento period. It is useful for my research as it describes the various styles used in renaissance art and their importance. Furthermore, it describes the works of various artists through vivid illustrations. It traces the history of Italian art through the middle ages to the high renaissance. Moreover, it gives the various functions of different art pieces. This article can be found in The Art Bulletin, which is a reliable journal.
Paoletti, J. and Radke, G. (2012). Art in Renaissance Italy. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall.
By exploring art in three centuries, this book describes the importance of art through the renaissance in Italy. It describes the different effects of art on the Italian people especially during the quattrocento period. It is a reliable source of information as its author John. T Palleti as an art history professor at Wesleyan University. Furthermore, this author is the former editor of the journal “The Art Bulletin”. The book explores the reason why different renaissance art was created and who commissioned them. Therefore, it embraces both cultural and artistic activities involving painting, architecture and sculpture between 1400 and 1500 in Italy. As quattrocento coincided with the Florentine Renaissance, this term is often seen as a synonym for the early renaissance art. The quattrocento embraced the classical antique forms adopted from the ancient Greeks and Romans. The authors of this book further describe different terms and meanings engraved into quattrocento portraits.
Richardson, C. (2007). Locating Renaissance art. New Haven: Yale University in association with the Open University.
This book has been written Carol Richardson, a lecturer at Yale University. It focuses on the dynamic interchange between European artist centers. It also considers the impact of different locations of art on the artists. Furthermore, it provides economic, social and political backgrounds to different periods of art including the quattrocento period. It is useful to my research as it illustrates the interests within which the artists in renaissance Italy operated. Moreover, it presents different case studies that vividly portray art in renaissance Italy as exciting. Furthermore, the author inextricably binds together the different aspects of portraiture relating them to economic and political conditions of the quattrocento period. Carol M. Richardson is art history lecturer thus this book is a credible source of information.
Vasari, G. and Bull, G. (1993). Lives of the artists. London: Folio Society.
Welch, E. (1997). Art and society in Italy 1350-1500. New York: Oxford University Press.
Woods, K. (2007). Making Renaissance art. New Haven [Conn.]: Yale University Press.
[1]
Bussagli, M. (2009). Italian art. Firenze: Giunti.
[2]
Goldstein, C. (1991). Rhetoric and Art History in the Italian Renaissance and Baroque. The Art Bulletin, 73(4), p.641.
[3]
Paoletti, J. and Radke, G. (2012). Art in Renaissance Italy. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall.
[4]
Richardson, C. (2007). Locating Renaissance art. New Haven: Yale University in association with the Open University.
[5]
Vasari, G. and Bull, G. (1993). Lives of the artists. London: Folio Society.
[6]
Welch, E. (1997). Art and society in Italy 1350-1500. New York: Oxford University Press.
[7]
Woods, K. (2007). Making Renaissance art. New Haven [Conn.]: Yale University Press.
