Pietà

Anne Tucker’s philosophy was that “all art requires courage.” Cosmè Tura is an artist who embraced this same philosophy through his different style and approach to painting. Within his work, he is courageous, takes chances, and incorporates a unique mixture of different elements into his collection. Tura’s piece entitled Pietà uses a blend of Gothic and Renaissance styles to allow the viewer to see the Madonna and child in a different light.

Upon first glance, this painting may be under appreciated. It is a small work, which according to the museum, was probably used as a personal devotion. It is not a grand piece that was created for a palace or cathedral, but simply a piece of painted wood that was intended as a religious meditation for an individual in their home. However, within this small piece of work, Tura manages to capture an enormous amount of emotion and thought through the efforts he made to incorporate the developing Renaissance techniques of his time.

This artwork is classified as an “early-Renaissance” work and was painted in 1472 during the 15th century. As a result of the period when this was painted, it seems to be an almost even mixture of the Gothic and Renaissance styles. The work is experimenting with the new Renaissance ideas of human characteristics, a larger number of color variations, and perception but still incorporates the Gothic style.

The first aspects of Renaissance to be incorporated are demonstrated through the figures. Tura’s Madonna and child is not the commonly replicated scene of Mary holding the Christ child. It is instead Mary holding her crucified child. He is placed across her lap and she is embracing him in the same way that a woman would hold her infant. Tura’s famous for mixing idiosyncratic figures into his artwork, and this piece is no exception. Jesus is portrayed in a somewhat corpse-like manner. The fact that Christ looks peculiar, especially within his facial expression, is what makes this piece epitomize the style of Tura. The awkwardness of his body, however, was more likely due to the lack of understanding about human movement. It wasn’t until the Renaissance, according to Gombrich, that newer models were developed for creating a realistic human body which was capable of movement. “Erhard Schon's Underweisung der proporzion of 1538 is a sophisticated affair. Here we find a basic schema for the human head seen from all sides and a method of imagining the human body as composed of simple forms.” The fact that Gombrich refers to this idea as sophisticated, shows that it is ahead of its time. If this painting had been created years earlier, it would have lacked the ability to form the human body into the position that Tura has chosen, but in the years that followed, artists were able to develop an even stronger understanding of the workings of the body.

Within the same painting, Mary seems realistic and humanized. Her garment is beautifully depicted with a realistic draping of the fabric. The lighting and use of different shades of the same pink give the garment depth and texture, which in accord with Panofsky’s description of the Gothic style of portraying fabric, is a sign of Tura’s use of Renaissance style. Panofsky says that “The streaks of light and grooves of shade that served as the depiction of drapery tended to be hardened into strips; but these strips were never transformed into purely graphic lines.” This style of harsh coloring is represented in the rest of the painting where the colors do not flow as smoothly. Mary also emanates emotion. There is honesty in this work that was normally avoided during the Gothic era when artwork was created of the Madonna and child for solely religious purposes. It gives the viewer a different perspective of the events involved with the crucifixion.

Besides the two figures in this painting, there is also a rather noticeable background. Mary is holding her beloved son in front of the mountain of Calvary. Upon the mountain are the three crosses which were present during Christ’s crucifixion. Jesus has been taken down while the other two criminals are still nailed to their crosses. This painting tells a story in itself. It is not just a freeze frame of a point in time, because it shows what happened while still representing the aftermath of the crucifixion as well. Mary’s face shows the broken heartedness she is feeling after watching her son’s death. The viewer can understand this because the events are all suggested within the frame, and Tura captures that emotion so vividly in the expression upon her face. In addition to the figures, several other techniques used by Tura show a movement into the Renaissance era.

Tura experiments with perception and landscape in his work, Pietà. While he is able to master it in some areas, others fail to portray it. Mary and Jesus are much larger in proportion to the rest of the artwork. Because of the mixture of Gothic and Renaissance works, it is difficult to tell whether this is an imperfect attempt at perspective or whether it is showing that Mary and Jesus are important religious icons. The three dimensional figures are however sitting upon a bench which indeed shows perspective. The mountain in the background has some depth to it as well, but the rest of the picture is two dimensional. The hills off in the distance, and the tree placed on the left hand side of the painting are unrealistic representations of the nature that they depict, but the simple fact that there is vegetation and landscape in general shows Tura’s movement away from Gothic painting.

Through his courageous attempts at the innovative styles of the Renaissance, Tura is able to connect with the viewer. He gives his painting a realistic sense, and invites them to feel the pain that Mary endured. It gives the ability to be empathetic to the reality of the event in a way that the Gothic style does not. Tura’s piece, while intending to still be a religious meditation, is enhanced by his ability to incorporate the Renaissance.

The Artwork of Venice

This past week we had the opportunity to look at some incredible works of art placed throughout Venice. I had no idea how many incredible things were kept within the museums and churches of this city. I was able to see works by Bellini, Tintoretto, Titian, Donatello, and even Leonardo Da Vinci. Not being one who has ever studied art, or really taken the time to appreciate it, I am blown away by everything. I do not traditionally view life in an abstract way, and I am someone who very much thrives with structure and rules. However, by learning about the different styles and the history of art, I am developing a greater appreciation for this form of expression which I have often run from.


While the Bellini’s are beautiful, and the incredible craftsmanship of the Vitruvian Man by Da Vinci is inexplicable, it is Tintoretto who captured me. Walking through the rooms at Scuola di Rocco made me feel like a kid in a candy store. The reality that he portrays in his paintings is something that I admire because it drew me in as a viewer. We’ve talked a lot about different aspects of the Renaissance and that they often make one feel like they are invited into the picture, but Tintoretto really hit the nail on the head in my opinion. I loved the fact that he gave us the entire setting of each situation he painted. He showed us the action at the Crucifixion, the animals at Jesus’ birth, the bystanders at the Last Supper, and so many other things that are often left out of pictures. He painted more of a reality then other artists seem to.

This makes me think of Venice, and my preconceived notions I had about the city. I had this idea of a quiet Italian town, gondola rides, and the beautiful Basilica di San Marco. When Venice is painted it is portrayed through canals, beautiful churches, and campaniles. Although today at the Accademia we did get a small taste of the true Venice being painted, traditionally the artist leaves out the reality just as those artists did when depicting religious scenes. What would a painting of Venice be of if it included all of the truths of the city? Perhaps the tourists would be flooding the quiet canals, or maybe the artist would include the platforms set up during an acqua alta. Would they include the vaporetti in order to depict the main form of transportation?

I guess it is partially personal choice, but I wonder why artists only paint a portion of what they see or know. To me, the acqua alta we experienced, and the hustle and bustle of people is what makes Venice the unique city that it is. Just as a person shouldn’t pretend to be somebody they aren’t, why would an artist want to paint this idea of a city that doesn’t actually exist?

The Politics of the Gothic Form

Charles H. Moore wrote in his work entitled Development and Character of Gothic Architecture, that “the Gothic monument, though wonderful as a structural organism, is even more wonderful as a work of art.” Gothic architecture plays an irreplaceable role in the history of society through its use of structural and artistic design. Whether it is the verticality of the ceilings which draw people’s attention towards the heavens, or the grotesque faces painted upon the columns which give each church or palace its own distinct personality, the buildings of this architectural era have an impact on the people and places that surround them.

With the birth of Gothic architecture in the fourteenth century many scientific and mathematical factors were taken into account to redesign the style in which buildings were constructed. These changes were designed not only for structural purposes but also for societal purposes. Many structural distinctions exist that clearly categorize a building as Gothic. Some of the most significant changes include the height of buildings, the flying buttresses, the ribbed vaults or the ogee arches. The primary significance being that with the new additions of these features upon buildings, palaces, and churches, they were able to reach new heights without adding unbearable amounts of structural weight. This is something that is particularly important in Venice where the weight of buildings is more significant than in some other areas of the world due to the structure of the city as a whole.

A person’s standing in society was another aspect portrayed by the Gothic architecture. If one walks into a church with towering spires and large windows or painted designs towards the ceiling then they are inevitably going to have their gazes directed upwards. This reminds them of the omnipotence of God and the meagerness of humanity in comparison. One great example from Venice itself is la Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. This exquisite Gothic church, which takes the title of a minor basilica, clearly makes one aware of the presence of God. The same can be said for Gothic architecture in palaces. When an outsider approaches this building they will sense that power resides within it. The architecture alone is thought to be capable of emitting this aura of power although Foucault would disagree by saying that power is only a factor when people make it one. The grandness of the door alone to Ca’ D’Oro emits power. However, some such as Ruskin would be more willing to say that the importance of the Gothic form should be credited to the artistic details.

Once someone is able to see past the pointed arches and towering heights of a Gothic building, the miniscule and tedious details will capture them. The beauty of the Gothic style is within the details. Walking through the streets of Venice one can miss the intricate workings on the columns and buildings altogether, but a vast amount of the beauty is in turn lost. That is something special to Gothic style. It replaces the grandness of the gold mosaics, like those that we see at St. Mark’s Basilica, and the domes of the Byzantine style with imperfections and the unique artistic flairs of the workers.

Gothic architecture, as stated by Ruskin, is savage, grotesque, rigid, and filled with nature, among other things. It is this whole idea that reforms what it means to be beautiful. The unevenly carved lion that used to be the rejected sculpture is now put atop a Venetian doorway for all to see. All of these things define Gothic and give a building meaning in addition to the structural differences.

When looked at as an entire work of art, a Gothic building can leave a different impression upon its viewer than the original one imposed by the structural aspects. Ruskin is a tremendous advocate for the imperfections of the Gothic form because he sees art as an expression of the worker. In his writing The Stones of Venice he says that “accurately speaking, no good work whatever can be perfect, and the demand for perfection is always a sign of a misunderstanding of the ends of art.” When one takes away the imperfections created by the laborer, he takes away the true spirit of the hand that formed it. Each sculpture is formed by a hard working hand and each portrait is painted with meaning. Ruskin believes that each piece of work has a story behind it and the Gothic form embraces that ideology. When one takes the time to perceive these meticulous details they are able to have a greater respect for the art because they can visualize the true essence of the place.

Gothic architecture was filled with innovative building styles and revolutionized the view of imperfections of manual labor. All of the aspects of this popular fourteenth and fifteenth century architecture, when combined together, can embody a whole range of ideas. Through the structural patterns and the ornate workings which cover parts of these buildings, a certain understanding of the space fills the streets. Perhaps at first glance the architecture insinuates power or maybe it gives an appreciation for the beauty of the savageness within the art. Nonetheless, Gothic form is thoughtfully designed to bestow a certain presence upon a society.

Verona

This Saturday our class took our first weekend trip. We decided that we were going to take a day trip to the beautiful city of Verona. It was a trip that we planned sort of on a whim. The idea had been mentioned and on Friday night we got together to plan the next day. We decided that we wanted to get an early start so that we would be able to spend the greater part of the day in the city. Maria looked up train schedules and we decided that we would take the 10:00 regional train. We were uncertain about how to buy tickets, which train to get on, and how to even get to the train station, so we took our 7:35 vaporetto from San Servolo in order to have plenty of time. We certainly had plenty of time and even managed to spend several minutes in one of the stores at the station.

We hopped on the train and after the initial amazement from being on our first train together wore off we all opened up our readings in order to not fall behind on homework. Some of us were reading the essays while some of us got cozy with a novel. Once in Verona we encountered a map and began to plot out our day. Our first stop?? Lunch! We were all so hungry and we decided to stop at a nice pizza place in the city center. I got vegetarian pizza and it was incredible! After lunch we split up into two groups and began to explore the city. We all purchased Verona cards which allowed us access into several of the museums, churches, and other attractions for only ten euros! It was too good of a bargain to pass up. My group did a little bit of shopping, saw the Roman arena, stood in amazement of la Chiesa S. Anastasia, had a photo opportunity with Juliet’s balcony, and climbed all 368 steps to the top of Torre dei Lamberti. We of course managed to make time for gelato on the way back to the train station too!

My favorite thing that we saw was la Chiesa S. Anastasia. This church was so simple on the outside and inside was the most beautiful building. It was done in the Gothic style and since we’ve been studying this I was able to point out several features while walking through. Right inside was a holy water bowl being held up by a unique man of some sort. It was something Ruskin would just love. My favorite part of the church was the incredible ceilings.  Pictured below are the holy water holder and the ceilings.

Heading home we had a bit of a delay on our train but all in all everything went smoothly. We shared a lot of funny stories on the way home and definitely enjoyed each other’s company. Once in Venice, we went out for a nice dinner. We then realized we were going to cut it close with our vaporetto and ran for twenty minutes across Venice in order to make it. From start to finish our day was filled with adventure.

To me, this trip to Verona was more than an enjoyable time. It marked the first time where I really felt that Venice was beginning to feel like home. We have talked so much about tourism and all along I have felt as though the characteristics of a tourist were characteristics that I still possessed within Venice. I stop to take pictures, I don’t fully speak the language, and I still love to look into all of the shops with Carnevale masks and Murano beads. One aspect about tourism that we focused on today especially was the idea that a tourist searches for something different than what they have at home. I feel like our trip to Verona was fulfilling that desire within me to search for something new. Stepping off of the train after our return trip felt to me like I was coming “home”. It felt as though Venice was becoming normal.

While I still have so much more adjusting to do in order to fully immerse myself into the culture of Venice, I feel like this weekend was a big step in that direction. Although I may never be a Venetian, I will continue to strive to no longer be just a Purdue student in another part of the World.

The Doge's Palace

It has now been a week and a half since I arrived in Venezia. I cannot even begin to explain how much I have already learned in such a short amount of time. There are so many things that I have experienced and could elaborate on, but there just simply isn’t time to share them all. I barely have a free minute to catch my breath! I’ve had the opportunity to partake in some of the more well known Venetian things such as a gondola ride and walking across the Rialto Bridge, however, I’ve also had the opportunity to delve deeper into the city as well. I’ve been able to shop at the local grocery store, and to even attend mass at St. Mark’s Basilica instead of simply touring it. I’ve had the opportunity (as I already wrote about) to look deeper into the architecture of the buildings and to begin to appreciate Venice for what it is.

In so many of our activities, I feel like I am able to focus and participate in a more meaningful way then I would have been able to even two weeks ago. Earlier this week we took a private class tour of the Doge’s Palace and I was so captured by all of the artwork throughout the building. There were paintings covering the walls and ceilings and each one was filled with so much. From one painting that was solely one woman to a whole wall that was filled with thousands of faces. Art is something that I have a hard time appreciating. I feel as though I normally don’t connect with pieces of art as others sometimes do, but for some reason this tour gave me a whole new perspective.

I was especially aware of the significance and prevalence of women throughout the different works. Our guide gave us an excellent explanation of so many women that were portrayed throughout the palace. Some women represented seasons of the year while other represented values such as peace or justice. There were two women that particularly stuck out to me. One symbolized Venice and one was the mother Mary.

Venice was portrayed as a queen in the one painting. She was sitting up higher than the other ladies in the picture and was wearing a crown. I thought it was simply because of the beauty of the city that caused Venice to be represented as a woman but today in class we also learned that it was because of the fragility of the city.

The reason that I noticed Mary was because of the sheer number of times she was painted. She was in nearly every painting and really represented the religious aspect of the city. Venice is known as being sort of rebellious against the Catholic Church and more relaxed in their religious ways. One example of this is that the piazzas are campi in order to make them seem more like public spaces instead of sacred places. Seeing Mary made me curious to learn more about their relationship with the Catholic Church. In class we discussed how some people see paintings and truly want to go back and hear the story behind them and the life of the artist and this is one of those instances in my life. As Ruskin believes, I feel that the work and the spirit of the artist are intertwined. 

I hope to learn more about these pieces of art and more about the true relationship with religion that they represent.  I will be keeping my eyes and ears open as I continue to explore the city.  Perhaps I will have more to post about it in my future blogs!

Ciao!

Venice Realized

For this assignment, we were asked to study the architecture of any campo in Venice.  On Friday I walked around until I found a campo that really struck me as interesting.  I chose the Campo San Silvestro located just off the Grand Canal near the Rialto in the sestiere of San Polo.  This campo is home of the church, San Silvestro di Venizia which was originally built in the twelth century.  It was rebuilt in the fifteenth century and again in the nineteenth century.  The final building was designed by Giovanni Meduna and while it was completed at the very beginning of the twentieth century, it still represents elements of other architectural time frames (noticeably the Gothic and Renaissance era).  The purpose of this assignment was to challenge us to see Venice from a more detailed perspective.  The beauty of Venice is often viewed only in a panoramic sense by tourists, but the truth is that there is so much more depth to Venice. 

After only a few seconds of critically looking at the Campo San Silvestro, I was able to locate many of the terms on our list of architectural elements.  While I was unable to enter the buildings surrounding my campo, including the church, I was still able to encounter many different things.  These are some of the pictures I took in order to share my findings.

In this image we see an aedicule.  This doorway is framed by 2 pilasters with Ionic capitals.  In the middle we see a Ionic pillar.  All three of these are adorned with volutes and are supporting the entablature across the top of the door.  The entablature contains the cornice, frieze, and architrave.

This picture illustrates a stilted arch framing a window on the side of the church located in the campo.  The pillars are of the Doric style and are supported underneath with corbels.  We can also see the inner rim of the arch (the intrados) and the upper curve of the arch (the extrados). 

Here we have a balustrade surrounding a balcony.  This too is supported by corbels.

This is the sign representing the calle near the campo.  A calle is a narrow street in Venice.

This sign represents the Rio Tera which is a filled in canal that is now used as a street.

Here we have the campanile attatched to the church.








This is the top of a pillaster framing the main door of the church.  This capital is of the Corinthian style.

 

This is an ogee arch at the top of a window.  Inside of the arch are 2 cusps.

Here we have a dogtooth pattern which is very common of Byzantine and Romanesque architecture.

This is a zoomed in photograph of the entablature over the main door of the church.  Here we see a very clear Ionic capital containing volutes.  We also see a clear dentilled molding on the underside of the cornice.

This is an exedra on the side of the campanile.

The sign for the sotoportego on the edge of my campo.  A sottoportego is a part of a street that passes underneath a building.  This one happened to lead to the traghetto stop nearby.

Here we have a crocket on the back portion of the church.

This is a lancet with its shudders closed.

Here we have a lintel across the top of the door.

This is a photograph of the buildings opposite the church.  Here we have a mezzanine.

This is a circular window called an oculus.

This campo is filled with different styles of windows.  This is an example of  biforate windows with stilted arches.

Here is a pediment over the main door.

Although I wasn't able to take a picture of the entire window, this is the majority of a lunette.

In Italy, the main living floor (the floor with the balcony in this photo) is referred to as the piano nobile.  The ground floor is called the pianterreno.

When a pillar is square, it is referred to as a pier.

The Greek cross has all four arms of equal length.

When the pediment is rounded (as it is in this picture), it is referred to as a segmental pediment.

Although not very clear in this photograph, this is the window concealing the lantern inside.  Lanterns are very common in campi in venice.

Here is an example of a thermal window located on the ground floor of one of the surrounding buildings.

This photo contains a six-light window topped with the quatrefoil pattern.

This is a picture of a tondo in my campo.

Although all of the other photos have come from around my campo, this one is truly from across the canal.  I decided to include it none the less because it is a great example of a serliana window.



When I began this assignment, I felt as though searching for these different architectural features was similar to completing a page in an “I Spy” book. I enjoyed taking photographs and realizing just how many things were present in my campo. What I was not aware of, was how this would effect my overall impression of Venice. After taking an hour to truly examine just one campo in Venice, I now find myself constantly searching for six-light windows and examining pillars to see which style of capital they have. I find it fascinating that all of these different attributes are a common thread throughout all of Venice. In a place where so many things have been rebuilt, and where the history is overwhelming, it is incredible that the common threads are still present in the architecture. I guess that just goes back to what Crouzet explains in Venice Triumphant when she speaks about neighbors eagerly imitating each others remodels during certain time frames when money was more plentiful. Those constant remodels and updates allow for the individual buildings to represent different eras of architecture within themselves.

This morning, I was particularly aware of the effect this assignment had on me and my appreciation for Venice as I walked into mass at St. Mark’s Basilica. I arrived around fifteen minutes early for the nine o’clock service and I could not help but sit down and just admire everything. From all of the domes and beautiful arches to the golden ceiling covered in Byzantine style mosaics. I have been inside of this church before and although I found it intriguing, I had been viewing it as I have so many other things in Venice. It was not until this morning, when I was able to examine just a small portion of the details distributed throughout every pillar and dome that I could see the true building as it was meant to be seen. To be honest, I found myself struggling to focus on the mass, the sole reason I had woken up so early.

I am already falling more in love with Venice as I am gaining the knowledge necessary to look at it with a detailed eye. I am anxious and excited to see how much more of this city there is to uncover.

First Impressions

When I initially arrived in Venice, I was completely overwhelmed. It was unfamiliar, it was chaotic, and it was a place that has caused me a lot of anxiety over the past few weeks. I was totally out of my comfort zone and was still concerned about whether or not I had brought everything. Thankfully I had been traveling for about a week and a half before hand in Germany and Austria so jet lag was no longer an issue. As soon as I arrived at the train station, my mom and I began asking around in hopes of finding a place to purchase my vaporetto pass. It took nearly two hours to find the office, to wait in line, and to fill out the completely Italian forms. I then stayed the night in a hotel and headed to the Island of San Servolo the next morning to begin getting situated in my new home.

After all of the logistics of Venice were taken care of, I felt much more relaxed and able to truly take in the city. Before I had arrived on the island, I had already been around town, gone down the Grand Canal, and tried out some gelato. Throughout all of this I felt like I was still preoccupied and overwhelmed. I felt almost as if I was in a haze from so many things. All of this was Saturday, and it wasn’t until Sunday that I felt as though I got my first real taste of Venice. Most of our group went to the main island and went exploring. We walked through the Piazza San Marco, over the Rialto Bridge, and down many alley ways that led us into various areas of Venice. We found the residential areas and other non tourist areas that were so peaceful and more what I imagined the city to be like. It was nearly a night and day difference from the tourist filled areas and these other sections of the city. I was astounded by the number of people, and especially tourists, in this city. It is definitely a different lifestyle than my home in the Midwest. I can’t imagine walking down my street in Indiana and seeing carts of key chains and t-shirts. It will be an interesting adjustment. It amazes me that people are surrounded by that in their everyday life.

My first trips through the city were simply trying not to get lost, taking in all of the colors of the buildings, and stopping to take in the beauty of all of the canals. Now that I have walked around for several hours, I’m starting to take in more of the details. I’m starting to be able to stop and look at the architecture and the carvings in the buildings. Professor Felluga walked with us for a while on Sunday and pointed out a narrative carving on one of the pillars of St. Mark’s Basilica. It was so interesting to see how one tiny pillar could tell a complete story. It makes me so curious to know what each and every one of them says, and what other things I have yet to notice in this incredible place. I look forward to truly being able to focus on the smaller details and to understand more. It is a city that I have just begun to learn about. It has such a rich history and so much of that history is still represented throughout the city today.