MODULE 1 INTRODUCTION & Precursors to the Italian Renaissance

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 Modules: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

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INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Distant Learning’s Art 101 course. In preparation for your exploration of this course and the accompanying text, Marilyn Stokstad’s “Art History,” I suggest you read her introduction.

Comments on Stokstad’s Introduction-
The dialogue between artist and audience is fundamental to any experience of art. That is, an understanding of the creative impulse, the metaphoric function of imagery, ideas, symbols (iconography), and the characteristic social conditions of the artist’s environment, are but a few of the significant aspects of the process. The viewer of art brings to the experience greater or lesser degrees of understanding that bridges the gap between themselves and, the artist and his/her art.

In an effort to facilitate such a bridge, Stokstad presents a number of learning paradigms. The graphic design of her text includes bold face type in the body of the copy, plate captions, maps & timelines and boxes that focus on “special material that complements, enhances, explains or extends the text.”

Stokstad further attempts to codify and explain the highly subjective idea of aesthetics. Tracing intellectual roots back to ancient Greece, Stokstad presents her arguments in terms of an interpretation of precedence.

My suggestion is that the student will be best served by engaging these arguments with as much of their own experience as possible. In that way, the experience of this course will reflect more an enhancement of your sensibilities rather than a passive acceptance of academic canon.

With this caveat in mind, I will venture some concurrent commentary upon the ideas and conclusions presented by Stokstad.

The first provocative idea she presents is “What is Art?” Her argument brings up the issues of interpretation- who interprets and by what credential do they interpret? She mentions “specialists,” “scholars” and “philosophers.” I don’t know about you, but these three guys are intimidating. There is nothing more stifling to education than the ‘closed door’ of authority. Like a ‘fixed’ card game, you know when you engage this kind of experience that the answers are already known and you must merely absorb the wisdom set forth. And at times, this may be an adequate stance.

But let me propose other ways of reading the information. In Stokstad’s argument “What is Art?” she mentions ancient Greek philosopher Plato as supportive authority. Unfortunately for her position, Plato detested the subjective character of art. He mentions many times the intellectual subterfuge of art, in terms of suggesting reality but not being reality- the kind of trompe l’oeil or “fool the eye” (the senses), which will be described more fully later in the text. He distrusted arts illusory quality. The only art he appreciated was Egyptian ‘art’- it never changes. The Greek tradition was focused on order, reason, idealism of a rational character, and with clearly defined parameters. This ‘tightly’ defined universe would be later used by the Catholic Church to support its god-ordered universe of liturgical dogma.

On the other hand, knowledge of all these intellectual positions gives us a kind of insight into how these assumptions were made.

As art critic Robert Hughes has said, there is no way that we can see through the eyes of a 14th century Italian penitent, in the presence of Giotto’s frescos on the walls of the Scrovegni Chapel, to what the penitent saw. That person’s experience of the world is far different from ours. What we can do is open ourselves up to a greater understanding of all the factors that may energize any cultural artifact.

Stokstad presents a number of provocative topics, such as “Styles of Representation,” “Why Do We Need Art?” “Art and the Search for Meaning,” etc. All of these topics are worthy of discussion. Try to create a response from your own perspective. As with much history, it is interpretive and always open to debate.

Precursors to the Italian Renaissance

Human cultural development began with nomadic hunter/gatherers; tribal culture and the development of agriculture initiated geographically permanent communities; dynastic cultures led to imperialism and complex societies; war, religion, technology and aesthetics led to the establishment of civilizations; trade and colonization by the civilizations of Greece, Rome, China, India, Asia Minor and Egypt became the cultures of origin for what we know as Western Civilization.

During this period, other civilizations around the world were thriving. Some, like China, intentionally isolated themselves from the rest of the world. Others like the Anazazi of northern Mexico, Aztec of central Mexico, Mayan of Central America, and the Inca of Peru, were isolated geographically. Bantu speaking Africa, though the seat of significant military power and political intrigue did not extend their cultures beyond central Africa [though the Nubian Kingdoms Kushite State (1000BC to 350AD) ruled Egypt for 100 years.]

The 5th century rise of Christianity and the 7th century rise of Islam marked the transition from Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages. This began a process of distinction from Neolithic farmers and tribal nomads to the modern, urban technological society. Feudalism created a new form of society.

What can be reasonably argued is that after the Middle-Ages (400 to 1200AD) Europe began to significantly impact every culture they came in contact with.

Not only did culture play a role in reshaping European history, but also disasters such as the Black Death or Bubonic Plague of 1348 that killed up to 40% of the population of Europe

By the time of the Early Renaissance (both Christian and Muslim), trade, colonization, technological innovation, and aesthetic creativity helped these two cultures dominate those who they came in contact with.

The following are important ideas and personalities of this period:

• Pilgrimage/Hadj = for both Islam and Christianity pilgrimage/hadj fostered contact, communication, cultural diffusion and new ideas.
   

• Internationalism = the Crusades and Romanesque Art initiated cultural mixing between Europe and the Middle East.
   

• Literature = the novel/romance novel developed its modern form in Europe in the Gothic and Renaissance. “Beowolf” Anglo-Saxon 900, “Percival or the Story of the Grail” Troyes 1190, “Tristan und Isolt” Strassburg 1210, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” Anonymous late 1300’s, “Divine Comedy” Dante Italy 1321, “The Decameron" Boccaccio Italy 1353, “The Canterbury Tales” Chaucer England 1400, “Le mort d’Arthur” Malory 1470, “Don Quixote” Cervantes Spain 1615, “Robinson Crusoe” Defoe England 1719, “Tom Jones” Fielding England 1749.
   

• Religion = Papal intrigue aligned it self with the Kings of France and England, eventually in exile in Avignon, France 1305 for 70 years. Religious dogma was primarily focused on sin and salvation.
   

• Politics = The Ile de France and England emerge as the 13th century powers at the expense of Germany.
   

• Architecture = much creative energy was expended on the Age of Great Cathedrals, 1150 to 1250. The pivotal Gothic architecture was Paris’s 1140 Abbey Church of St. Denis by Abbot Suger. Notre-Dame Cathedral, 1250 contained elements of Romanesque with Gothic “flying buttresses.”
   

• Painting = Giotto (1266-1336) was a transitional Italian artist who greatest influence was the work of the Northern Renaissance. Daringly original and radically simplified, he put the viewer in the scene by portraying the action in the foreground. Giotto marks the start of the ‘era of painting’ in Western Art. The International Style reached its peak phase with the Limbourg Bros. Their calendar depicts the life of humanity and the changing aspects of nature. The images show people who cast visible shadows, leave footprints in the dirt, and have realistic details.

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