A Visual Feast - Snow in the Middle Ages - (and beyond)

Allegory of Winter by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, fresco at the Palazzo Publico in Siena, c. 1338-1340 (click photo for larger image)A Snowball Fight in a Book of hours, second quarter of the 16th-century (click photo for larger image)Details from the January fresco at Castello Buonconsiglio, c. 1405-1410 (click photo for larger image)The Census at Bethlehem by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1566 (click photo for larger image)Here are some wonderful images for you to enjoy! The folks of the Middle Ages were well acquainted with snow! See more images like these at Retronaut.

Ambrogio Lorenzetti was an extraordinary Sienese painter whose most brilliant achievement was a fresco series on good and bad government that occupies three walls of the room in the Palazzo Pubblico. A “Book of Hours” refers to an illuminated Christian devotional book that was particularly popular in Northern Europe during the Middle Ages. Castello Buonconsiglio refers to a castle built for defensive purposes on a rocky hill, which was originally home to a Roman fortress.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder is considered by some to be the greatest Flemish painter of the sixteenth century. He is particularly well-known for his witty depictions of peasant life--and is definitely one of the fathers of genre painting.

The Ghent Altarpiece

Ghent Altarpiece detail, completed c. 1432, closed view, back panelsGhent Altarpiece detail, completed c. 1432, The Virgin MaryOne of the great masterpieces of art is the treasured Ghent Altarpiece--an early Flemish polyptych panel painting. Begun by Hubert van Eyck and completed by his brother, Jan van Eyck, in around 1432, this work was a major innovation for its time. It introduced a shift away from the idealization of the Middle Ages to a more precise representation of nature. When opened, the altarpiece measures 11 x 15 feet (3.5 x 4.5 metres), so it’s not a small matter, to be sure!

You can find lots of information about the Ghent Altarpiece online. But for a fantastic look at an ongoing project designed to assess the structural condition of this seminal work, visit Closer to Van Eyck: Rediscovering the Ghent Altarpiece. Here you'll find multiple views of the panels, various types of photographic analysis (including macrophotography, infrared macrophotography, reflectograph and x-radiography), along with a wealth of documentation and details.

A Tip of the Hat to my friend, Linda C., for turning me on to this site!

Modernism and Giotto: Back and Forth on a Time Machine

(Left) Diego Rivera - The Agitator, detail, 1926, Autonomous University of Chapingo. (Right) Giotto - Crucifixion, detail, c. 1305, Scrovegni Chapel, PaduaOne of the primary goals of Modern Art was to break with the traditions of the past that had been defined by the Renaissance. But inspiration doesn’t develop in a vacuum! Key modernists such as Matisse, Picasso, Modigliani, Rivera--and many other artists--journeyed back in time to pre-Renaissance days in search of a muse. They found one in the great fourteenth century master, Giotto. I will begin a five-week program on this topic at the Palos Verdes Art Center--on Tuesday afternoons from 12:30-3:30, and beginning Tuesday, April 10th. In this program, we will examine the significant links (and in some cases direct quotations) between the “father of European painting” and the Moderns masters. Giotto once said, “Every painting is a voyage into a sacred harbor.” Come on our voyage to find out how modernism interpreted this idea--working from the Giotto model. Space is limited so register now! Click here for more info and to register.

Giotto: “The Father of European Painting”

Giotto - Scenes from the Life of Joachim: Joachim among the Shepherds - 1304-06 - Fresco, 200 x 185 cm - Cappella Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), PaduaGiotto (c. 1266-1337) was the most important Italian painter of the 14th century. His works point to the innovations of the Renaissance style that developed a century after he lived. For seven centuries, Giotto has been revered as the “Father of European Painting” and the first of the great Italian masters. He is the only artist in the Western Tradition who has no forerunner. Without precedent, he broke away from the styles of the Middle Ages and ushered in what Vasari called “the good modern manner”. Giotto’s influence can also be felt in the Modern and Postmodern movements--particularly in works by such artists as Diego Rivera and Fernando Botero.

Nativity

Duccio, Nativity panel, National Gallery of Art, Washington 1308-11