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Patronage, Iconography and Social Context of Early Italian Renaissance art
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Historical and Social Overview With the 1204 looting of Constantinople in the Crusades, came the discovery of Byzantine artefacts and relics. These were scattered throughout Europe by the Crusaders, with many transported west to Italy. Prior to the Crusades in the 13th century, there were only a few Byzantine icons in Italy. These works were valued as highly as the most exquisite and costly Italian relics, as they were commonly thought to be authentic works by Christ’s contemporaries, such as Luke the Evangelist. Although there is a belief that there were copies made of these works, they had no stylistic impact on the Italian art of the time. After the Crusades, however, the Byzantine art movement had a large influence over the development of Renaissance art. Two influential Italo-Byzantine artists were Cimabue and Coppo de Marcovaldo. As well as having an impact on the 13th century art movement, the Crusades also helped create internal trade routes that cut through Europe from Italy to the Near East. These routes opened the way for the growth of a new middle class consisting of merchants and traders. The members of this new group acquired an independent wealth. With the aim to demonstrate this prosperity in mind, some merchants began to commission artworks. It must be understood that beforehand, the only art patrons in Italy were abbots and noblemen. The formation of this new middle class prompted the appearance of instability in the rigid hierarchy of the Feudal System, with the oppression of serfs bringing civil unrest due to widespread discontent. In the Old Testament, idolatry was forbidden as it was in the Eastern Orthodox Church, where iconoclasm was even encouraged. Another major issue was the spending of money on inanimate objects, rather than on the needy and poverty stricken. However, St Francis of Assisi encouraged the depiction of holy figures in artworks to educate the illiterate through the pictorial narration of the Bible. He pushed for the cause of education and literacy to be available for all people, regardless of their social or financial standing.
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