Form:

Very classic gold background symbolizing the divine light. Different he painted Madonna and child with a gold skin tone. The red pillow adds an interesting focal point which then leads to the child giving movement for the eye to circle around the painting. Very little sense of dimension, looks like a flat plain. The angels wings are painted up facing madonna and child as well. The robes are painted completely different than other artists, painting lines instead of shadows to imply folds. Overall the painting has a lot of very fine line details, figures painted in a natural form and very rich colors. Monumental size painting.

Content:

Painting showing an older woman holding a child in what seems to be a throne with people with wings above there heads. The painting also has a gold background. The child and woman seem to be royal.

Iconography:

painting by Coppo Di Marcovoldo, 1265. showing Madonna and child which is the Virgin Mary and Jesus. They are painted with a gold background representing the divine light. Above their heads are two angels which symbolize god and the heavens even more. Madonna and child are typically painted like this in the 12th and 13th century as a prayer to god.

Context:

Coppo Di Marcovoldo. Madonna and Child. C. 1265. Panel. S. Martino Dei Servi, Orvieto.

Coppo is a Florentine painter who would be described as Byzantine in style. Which this painting would be identified as mostly Byzantine, showing very natural human forms. During the 12th and 13th century Italy made lots of contact even bringing many Virgin Mary painting just like this one which inspired Coppo’s Painting.

Vocab:

Naturalism- The depiction of realistic objects in a natural setting.

Form:

First look there is a great sense of 3 dimensionality the angels surrounding the women create an affect that this isn’t 2d. Towards the bottom of the painting the architecture adds more to the 3D aspect. The painting has a gold background, and has very fine line work within the architecture and people.

Content:

This seems to be a women and Child painting, with angels and prophets below. Madonna is on a throne holding the child as everyone watches her.

Iconography:

This is a painting of Madonna and child, the Virgin Mary and Jesus. Madonna is holding the holy child on a throne surrounded by angels and prophets below symbolizing that the ones above are more holy. They also sit in a golden light which represents the divine light.

Context:

Ciambue, Enthroned Madonna and Child with Angels and Prophets. C. 1280. Panel. Uffizi Gallery Florence. Commissioned for the high altar of sta, Trinita, Florence. This monumental size Panel was commissioned  for the high altar of sta for the church of Santa trinita. The Panel shows Madonna and child enthroned with angels surrounding. Madonna and child are a lot bigger to show there importance. They also sit in a gold throne which represents there holiness. The four prophets below are Jeremiah, Abraham, David and Isaiah they are included because they were the ones according to the Old Testament that made the coming of Christ possible.

Vocab:

 Panel- a flat smooth surface to paint on with no texture. Different from canvas because canvas wasn’t around yet.

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Form: 

medium is a mosaic wall piece. Gold background with many patterns. Depicts two large people and many others. Many separate small scenes all connected together.

Content:

a very large scene showing a large woman and man on a throne, they seem holy from the smaller people below praying to them. The mosaic also shows many small scenes that are connected showing the same man and woman being prayed to.

Iconography:
This mosaic by Jacopo Torriti shows many scenes from the holy child’s life. From him as a child to him as an older man. The center piece shows him and the Virgin Mary sitting on a throne as the holy child enthroned his mother with angels praying below. The whole of the painting has a gold background showing the divine light.

Context: Jacopo Torriti. Coronation of the Virgin. C. 1294. Apse Mosaic. Sta. Maria Maggiore, Rome. This mosaic created by Jacopo was commissioned by the Franciscan Pope Nicholas IV for the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome. The mosaic depicts The holy Child giving a crown to his mother the Virgin Mary. The mosaic shows many other scenes from his life leading up to the main scenes moment. They wanted a different almost gothic style mosaic.

Vocab:

Basilica- a large hall or building with double colonnades and a semicircular apse.

Form:

This painting has a great sense of dimension, the people surrounding the woman and child create that depth, even the frame popping out ads more depth to the painting. It has a gold background with many circle cut outs around the faces. The panel show very fine line work with the architecture and designs within. The bottom of the painting seems to flatten out the painting as it looks a little 2d down there.

Content:

the painting depicts a woman holding a child on a throne with many people surrounding. It also shows to people with wings at the bottom. It seems to be a celebration of a baby being born.

Iconography:

The painting by Giotto shows madonna and child surrounded by saints and angels below. Depicts the Virgin Mary and the holy child in a throne while saints and the the angels watch them.

 Context: 

Giotto. Enthroned Madonna with Saints(Ognissanti Madonna). C. 1305. Panel. Uffizi Gallery. Giotto painted this panel for the church of Ognissanti. Showing Madonna and child enthroned, a very popular painting of the 12 and 13th century between Italy and Byzantine. Many artist recreated Madonna and child enthroned showing there importance.

Vocab:

Ognissanti- all saints day.

Form:

This monumental size fresco at first look has lots of depth. Adding bleachers in the back a lot smaller created a lot of dimension. The fresco almost seems to show three separate scenes at the bottom but are not fully separated.

Content:

This large fresco shows a man in a throne surrounded by some sort of circle. To his sides are many others that are in thrones that don’t seem as important as his. There is a large seating area in the back where many watch. And below are three separate scenes, the one on the left seems to be a cloudy area with many people praying. The middle scene looks like 3 woman and a man giving another man a house, and scene on the right looks like a torture and kill chamber with red mist or fire.

Iconography:

This large fresco by Giotto shows The holy child becoming the last judgement on the dead rising to heaven or going down to hell. This is shown by the holy child in aa thrown in the center with what seems to be a judge. The holy one is surrounded by a halo which suggests he is the holy one. He looks down upon a cloudy area that looks like heaven and a red area that looks like hell, and in the middle and area that looks like the final judgment between heaven or hell as the holy child makes his decision.

 Context:

Giotto. Last Judgment. C. 1305. Fresco. Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel. Padua.

Commissioned by Enrico Delhi Scrovegni in the Scrovegni Chapel. Giotto Frescoed the Last Judgment where the holy child decides a life’s path to heaven or hell. At the bottom of the painting shows Enrico gifting the church to Mary to redeem himself for his fathers wrong action, in hopes to cleanse himself.

Vocab:

Fresco- A medium of art the includes painting with watercolor on wet plaster.

Form:

This fresco has very fine line details within the boarders and patterns. The fresco is separated into a main scene and three different portraits. The men are depicted super natural just how they should be. Some of the architecture seems very thin and unstable.

Content:

The fresco depicts 3 men and what looks to be the top of a child’s head. The man in the red looks like he is lecturing the child, while the man in the green is doing the same to the man. The fresco also includes three portraits of the men depicted in the scene.

Iconography:

 In this fresco by Giotto Joachim is seen being expelled from the temple of Jerusalem for him and his wife being childless. Joachim and his wife have been childless for years and now is old and may be infertile. Joachim tried to offer the priest a lamb but the priest denied and expelled him 

 Context: 

Giotto. The expulsion of Joachim from the temple. C. 1305. Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel. Padua. This fresco commissioned by Enrico Scrovegni attached to the last judgment depicts Joachim being expelled from the temple for his infertility, him and his wife have been childless for years and now he’s grown older into infertility. Joachim offers a lamb for forgiveness but is rejected and expelled.

Vocab:

Usury- lending money at excessively high rates of interest.

Form:

Fresco with very fine line detail, split up into one main scene with a portrait. The fresco shows little dimension looks very 2d. The men and women are depicted very natural.

Content:

The fresco depicts a man and woman kissing at a small gate. Many women are watching.

Iconography:
This fresco by Giotto shows Joachim and Anna meeting at the golden gate after an angel has told them that Anna can bear a child once again.

 Context: 

 Giotto.Meeting at the Golden Gate. C. 1305. Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel. Padua. Commissioned by Enrico Scrovegni connecting to the last judgment. This fresco shows Joachim and his wife finding each other after an angel had told both of them that Anna Joachims wife could bear a child again. They then found each other at the golden gate. This is where Joachim's expulsion ends.

Vocab:

Foreshortening- a shallow 3 dimensional suggestion. Such as barely depicting a building in the background.

Form:

This fresco shows one main scene with two small portraits on either side. It shows fine line details in the boarders and the patterns with great texture and folds in the robes. The scene has pretty good dimension and depth having space between the people shown and in different grounds of the scene.

Content:
This scene shows men and women standing in front of two people on the ground praying. The man and woman to the left seem very important and the man in the green seems to be telling the other men and women something important.

Iconography:

This fresco by Giotto depicts the holy child proving his abilities of being able to cure the sick. The fresco shows Jesus to the right and others wanting to be cured after he has cured some sick.

 Context: 

 Giotto.The Raising of Lazarus. C. 1305. Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel. Padua. Commissioned By Enrico Scrovegni this fresco depicts The Holy Child showing his powers and proving he can cure sickness and even revive the dead. Below Jesus kneels Mary and Martha praying towards him. The Painting below is Jesus’s resurrection which these two paintings play offf of each other. 

Vocab:

Deacon- An ordained minister of an order ranking below a priest.

Form:

This fresco shows a main scene with three separate portraits. There is very fine line detail in the surrounding boarder patterns and even the architecture. The scene gives some sense of depth with how the crowd is spaced with the stand. The robes have great folds and shadows.

Content:

The fresco shows a large crowd, 2 men at the front, and 2 men that seem to be working some sort of stand. The 2 people up front seem to be handing the men working the stand something.

Iconography:
In this scene all the men are giving the rods away to see who’s rod will burst into a flower with a dove on top. This will then show who will be Mary’s husband.

 Context:

 Giotto. Suitors Presents the Rods. C. 1305. Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel. Padua. Commissioned by Enrico Scrovegni depicts all the possible suitors of Marys husband, they hand in there rods to be placed on the alter. It had been told to Joachim and Anna that the owner of the flowering rod is an established biblical symbol and his the selection of Mary’s husband.

Vocab:

Cosmology- the origin and development of the universe.

Form:

This painting is very rich in color and almost has a gold hue as well as a gold background. The painting shows very fine line skills within the architecture and patterns. The robes and clothing are painted very well with natural shadows. The hole painting seems to be painted in a naturalism way.

Content:

This panel depicts a large women and child on a throne. They are surrounded by many people with crosses or other objects praying and watching them.

Iconography:

This panel by Duccio depicts Madonna and child, the Virgin Mary and the holy child. They sit on a throne surrounded by many men and women with golden halos. They all are watching or praying towards the virgin and child.

 Context: 

 Duccio. Maesta. 1308-11. Central front Panel (Madonna). Muses dell Opera del duomo, Siena. A civic commission done by Duccio showing Madonna and child enthroned as the main scene. With many small scenes from the virgins life including the death and assumption. This piece was done as a dedication the the virgin majesty. The base of the altar piece includes scenes from the virgins maternity.

Vocab:

Civic commission- a commission from the city council or an organization.

Form:

Digitalized. Not a lot of depth created. Clearly a remake. The architecture looks very flat making the whole piece look very flat. The building looks very unreal and bland compared to the style and rich colors of each scene shown within.

Content:

This digitalized piece shows a large church with many separate scenes that seem to connect to each other. The main large scene shows a woman holding a child as many people surround them holding different objects or watching them.

Iconography:

Digitalized, Maesta reconstruction. Shows Madonna sitting it a throne holding the holy child. The holiness is represented in many ways, like the gold background showing the divine light, madonna and child being seated above and depicted as larger than the ones below suggest they are holy. The reconstruction also includes many small scenes leading up to the birth of Jesus.

 Context: 

Duccio. Maesta reconstruction of the front. Digitalized reconstruction by Lew Minter. A reconstruction of Duccio Maesta. This Digitalized reconstruction remakes the architecture at the top of the building. He emphasizes the points and central area making the whole of the building look more gothic.

Vocab:

 Predella- the base of an altarpiece 

Form:

Very fine line work within the patterns and architecture. The architecture adds a great sense of dimension. The angels surrounding the chair and also reaching towards the front of the throne creates a lot of depth in the panel. Even the frame how 3D it is and how it slopes in towards the panel adds dimension to the painting. The robes are depicted very well with good shadow between the folds. Figures are also painted very natural.

Content:

Panel shows two large figures a woman holding a child. The two sit in what  looks like a throne. While 6 others with wings surround them and watch them.

Iconography:

This panel depicts Madonna holding the holy child while they both sit in a throne. There is a golden light which is known to represent the divine light, also Madonna  and child are a lot larger than the others representing they are holy.

Context: 

Duccio. The Rucellai Madonna. C. 1285, Uffizi, Florence. The largest painting on wood in the 13th century commissioned by Florentine confraternity. One of Duccio’s oldest works showing Madonna and child enthroned which many painters made during this time. The name of this panel comes from where it was hung in a chapel owned by the Rucellai family.

Vocab:

Underdrawing- sketched lines made as a guide to paint on top of.

Form:

Good sense of dimension with how the crowd surrounds the child and woman on the throne. Great shadow in the folds of each robe very fine line work in the boarder and patterns. I think the cover above their heads looks quite odd compared to the angle from witch the painting was made from. Painted very each person very natural.

Content:

This panel shows a woman in a throne holding a child while many people kneel before them or watch them. They sit under cover in a luxurious throne which makes them seem very important, especially having a crowd surrounding them.

Iconography:

The panel shows Madonna sitting in a throne while holding the holy child. The throne suggest they are holy being gold and having a cross at the very top. The crowd suggest their holiness even more by kneeling before them or trying to gift them something.

 Context: 

Simone Martini. Maesta. Between 1311-1317. Fresco. Council chamber, Palazzo Pubblico, Siena. Commissioned by the governing committee of Siena. The fresco has an unusual frame with with 20 portraits depicting the blessing of Christ. The fresco is in the Palazzo Pubblico council chamber. Depicting madonna and child enthroned with angels, prophets, and priests.

Vocab:

Buon fresco- the materials or color becomes completely fused with the plaster becoming a part of the wall instead of being painted on top.

Form:

This panel at first look pops out a lot. The gold frame with bright robe colors makes it eye catching. The frame is very intricate, almost forming what looks like a chapel wall. Very fine shadow work within the robes. Small sense of depth with the floor extending into the background as well as the tilt of the chair. Interesting how the frame comes down as a pillar within the painting on both sides.

Content:

This panel depicts a women who seems royal in a throne. She is being given a plant cutting by a women with wings kneeling while two others on each side of the room stand by watching.

Iconography:

This panel shows Madonna being offered a plant cutting by an angel kneeling before her. Madonna sits in a gold throne, with a gold background representing the divine light. On either side of the room stand a person watching holding a cross and some sort of staff.

 Context: 

 Simone Martini. Annunciation with two saints. 1333. Panel. Uffizi Gallery, Florence. An altar piece commission dedicated to Saint Ansanus depicting the Annunciation. Simone worked alongside Duccio as his student. This panel was created after duccios altarpiece and is one of four altar pieces created for the four men in the bottom of duccios piece.

Vocab:

Transept crossing- the central space beneath the dome where Duccios Maesta stood on the high altar.

Form:

Very rich in color fresco, seems to be pretty large. Great depth and dimension with the surrounding building and objects smaller in the distance. The buildings to me seem a little cartoonish not supper real although they are painted well. The other men and woman shown seem to be painted in a very natural form, they all look pretty realistic. Very fine line work in the clothing and great shadows.

Content:

This fresco shows a natural scene of a town. Lots of people gathered holding hands, with many others going about there daily lives.

Context: 

 Ambrogio Lorenzetti. Allegory of good Government: Effects of good government in the city and the country. 1338-39. Fresco. Salla Della Pace, Palazo Pubblico, Siena. A fresco included in the Salla Della Pace on two short walls, he depicts what a good government can do to a city and country. This fresco is one of many he was commissioned to do inside the building.

Vocab:

Punch work- an open work embroidery with patterns of holes formed by separating threads of cloth and stitching them in place.