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Florence Program
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About
the program: |
The Politics of Art in Renaissance Florence Instructor:
Gail Solberg |
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Major monuments of the Florentine Renaissance, notably those of a religious nature, were sponsored by groups or individuals whose aims were to a large degree political. Below: Portrait of Lorenzo de’ Medici from the Florentine School in the 16th century. |
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 This
course looks at a variety of material asking where political motivation
lies. We start with the layout of the city and then focus on conspicuous
buildings, including the cathedral, major churches, and civic structures,
particularly the town hall. Next we move inside to look at the subdivision
of large spaces, such as the various areas of a grand religious edifice,
and their still smaller units which are family chapels. Finally we
scrutinize single objects or decor such as fresco cycles, altarpieces
and tombs to discover the implicit (political) messages embedded in
the visible forms. |
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The course presents architecture, painting and sculpture with a heavy emphasis on the latter two media. It privileges the 14th century background to great developments in the 15th century, arguing that the much-noted political brokering of the famous Medici family was based on patterns of behavior and art sponsorship established earlier. |
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updated 9/7/07
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