Popular in Arts and Humanities

Arts and Humanities

Titus Quinctius Flamininus’ “Italian triumph”

McGill University Michael Fronda

Arts and Humanities

Lincoln and the Jews

Brandeis University Jonathan Sarna

Arts and Humanities

Amputations and Convalescence

University of Western Australia Emily Brink

Art

Drawing on the past: Palladio, his precursors and knowledge of ancient architecture

University of Birmingham David Hemsoll

Art

Language, Sound, and Image in Wallace Berman’s Aleph, 1956–1966

University of San Diego Chelsea Behle Fralick

Arts and Humanities

Early Modern Natural Law Theories

University of Copenhagen Knud Haakonssen

The Italian Renaissance Altarpiece

View more insights in Art - Art History

View more figures from University of Leicester

View the page of David Ekserdjian

Read the Study

Next in Art

Redface: Race, Performance, and Indigeneity

Bethany Hughes | University of Michigan

Amputations and Convalescence

Emily Brink | University of Western Australia

David Ekserdjian discusses major developments in the history of the altarpiece throughout Italy, covers the three key categories of Renaissance altarpiece—“immagini” (icons), “historie” (narratives), and “misteri” (mysteries

Image courtesy of interviewee. May 28, 2024

Log-in or Sign-up to Faculti
Currently viewing this subject insight as a guest. You have insight(s) remaining for this month. Login to view 8000+ figures on the platform.

Generating Workspace...

Export as PDF

The speaker discusses the need for a comprehensive examination of altarpieces in the context of the Renaissance period, emphasizing a broader timeframe from the 13th century to around 1600. They express a desire to include lesser-known regions of Italy beyond the traditional centers like Florence, Rome, and Venice.

The speaker reflects on their research process, noting the importance of original documents over modern art history, and highlights the local pride in artistic traditions across Italy. They mention how contracts from the period reveal the expectations and preferences of patrons regarding altarpiece representations.

This video explores the evolution of altarpiece designs, categorizing them into three types: icons, narrative stories depicting specific moments, and representations that blend both elements, referred to as "mysteries." The discussion includes examples of artistic choices made when depicting biblical scenes and the broader implications of these representations.

The speaker hopes that readers will appreciate the diversity and richness of altarpiece art, encouraging them to engage with the material in a comprehensive way rather than selectively. They conclude with an example of a unique altarpiece that represents a vision from Dante's "Divine Comedy," highlighting the unexpected connections between literature and religious art.

Language:

Export as PDF

X-TIMESTAMP-MAP:LOCAL=00:00:00.000,MPEGTS=900000

00:00.685 --> 00:05.085
I felt that there was a real need for a big,

00:06.015 --> 00:08.045
large scale book on the

00:08.565 --> 00:13.165
s piece in Renaissance if Lee understanding Renaissance to

00:14.225 --> 00:16.635
stretch rather earlier

00:17.095 --> 00:20.715
and a little bit later probably than it often does.

00:21.655 --> 00:25.235
So Alta pieces begin in the 13th century.

00:25.405 --> 00:26.755
There aren't any before that.

00:27.575 --> 00:31.035
Uh, but the 13th century isn't a conventional understanding

00:31.135 --> 00:32.435
of Renaissance.

00:33.335 --> 00:36.355
And I wanted to go up to roughly

00:37.185 --> 00:38.835
1600, give or take.

00:39.495 --> 00:41.595
And so that's what I did.

00:42.295 --> 00:46.595
Uh, the Altarpiece is an

00:47.115 --> 00:50.675
absolutely major feature of

00:51.235 --> 00:52.635
artistic production.

00:53.295 --> 00:57.035
Uh, it's all over, not just Italy,

00:57.095 --> 00:58.875
but all over Europe, of course.

00:59.375 --> 01:01.875
But there has to be some kind of limit to

01:02.025 --> 01:03.315
what one's going to discuss.

01:05.155 --> 01:09.325
The fact of the matter is that nobody

01:10.145 --> 01:14.125
up to this point had been insane enough to try

01:14.505 --> 01:19.115
to discuss all of Italy

01:19.965 --> 01:22.785
across that big stretch of time.

01:23.215 --> 01:27.005
Because what you normally find is that

01:28.115 --> 01:31.415
in books that call themselves the Italian Renaissance

01:31.415 --> 01:35.605
something or other, Italy is mostly,

01:37.115 --> 01:39.895
and for understandable reasons, Florence,

01:40.725 --> 01:42.175
Rome and Venice.

01:43.225 --> 01:47.825
I didn't want only to look at those great centers at all.

01:48.685 --> 01:52.065
Uh, there are all sorts of other fantastic places to

01:52.715 --> 01:55.465
think about, and I

01:56.785 --> 01:59.865
absolutely went outta my way to make sure

02:00.215 --> 02:02.465
that I covered everything I possibly could.

02:03.285 --> 02:07.265
So Sardinia and Sicily

02:07.845 --> 02:08.945
and so on

02:08.945 --> 02:12.425
and so forth is all included as

02:12.685 --> 02:15.345
to why the altarpiece, well, as I say,

02:15.345 --> 02:19.705
because there's virtually nobody in that period

02:20.245 --> 02:23.745
who doesn't get to grip with the task of either painting

02:23.805 --> 02:26.665
or indeed carving, an altarpiece.

02:26.965 --> 02:30.545
I'm always rather entertained when people use the word

02:31.145 --> 02:34.905
research because I never do actually use it.

02:35.345 --> 02:39.545
I suspect it's a kind of posh way of saying,

02:40.505 --> 02:43.985
I read a book, I don't really comprehend

02:44.775 --> 02:47.425
what else is involved other than

02:48.375 --> 02:50.065
reading and looking.

02:51.005 --> 02:54.545
And I did a lot of both, particularly

02:55.425 --> 02:58.785
I did a lot of looking. And in the

02:58.785 --> 03:02.085
Case of Italy, which still retains

03:03.355 --> 03:06.605
extraordinary as it were, local patriotism.

03:07.225 --> 03:09.405
So people from pretty

03:10.255 --> 03:14.645
small scale towns are very, very gripped by, artistic

03:15.335 --> 03:16.965
traditions and achievements.

03:17.785 --> 03:21.165
And the consequence is that you can find

03:21.935 --> 03:26.775
books on the Italian Renaissance in not just

03:26.985 --> 03:31.925
again, Rome, Florence, sna, even,

03:32.105 --> 03:33.365
Venice Pedro.

03:33.745 --> 03:37.005
You might take it for granted

03:37.005 --> 03:38.525
that those places would be covered,

03:38.665 --> 03:41.905
but all sorts of pretty microscopic

03:42.755 --> 03:44.545
kinds are also covered.

03:44.805 --> 03:47.525
And that's what I wanted

03:47.555 --> 03:51.725
because I had to, get to grips with everything.

03:51.745 --> 03:56.445
But the other aspect in terms of reading is

03:56.475 --> 04:00.325
that I spent very little time reading

04:01.145 --> 04:05.245
modern art history other than to check the odd fact.

04:05.825 --> 04:10.285
But I was very interested in reading original documents.

04:10.745 --> 04:13.365
And again, one is incredibly fortunate

04:13.365 --> 04:15.925
because in the context of Italy,

04:16.535 --> 04:18.965
especially in the late past the 19th century

04:19.025 --> 04:23.565
and probably on into the early 20th century, there were

04:24.295 --> 04:28.445
again, incredibly, as it were locally patriotic

04:29.355 --> 04:31.965
individuals who were gripped by

04:32.275 --> 04:36.205
what went on in terms of artistic production

04:36.785 --> 04:38.005
in their place

04:39.025 --> 04:42.965
and spent lifetimes going through

04:44.285 --> 04:48.895
predominantly lawyers papers, nutter

04:49.935 --> 04:53.535
archives, which is where things like contracts

04:53.535 --> 04:56.095
for altar pieces ought to be found.

04:57.035 --> 05:01.415
And I wanted to read all that material in order

05:01.475 --> 05:03.535
to find out what people had said at the time,

05:04.235 --> 05:08.295
and also to discover what they

05:08.875 --> 05:11.615
wanted and what they didn't want.

05:12.245 --> 05:14.295
Sometimes, for example,

05:15.165 --> 05:18.215
they're pretty vague about what should be

05:18.735 --> 05:19.855
represented in a painting.

05:20.525 --> 05:23.975
They kind of jolly Neely say, well, you know,

05:24.195 --> 05:27.135
my name's George, so I want something to do with St.

05:27.135 --> 05:30.575
George, but for the rest, I trust the artist.

05:31.545 --> 05:33.775
Other individuals are obsessive

05:34.315 --> 05:38.175
and not only say exactly who should be in a picture,

05:38.755 --> 05:42.095
but also who's on the left, who's on the right, what sort

05:42.095 --> 05:44.375
of clothes they're wearing and all that kind of jazz.

05:44.715 --> 05:49.295
So that material is incredibly fascinating

05:49.555 --> 05:51.255
and one couldn't possibly,

05:51.875 --> 05:54.455
and I suppose that would be genuine research,

05:55.185 --> 05:58.685
spend 500 years, years going all over Italy

05:58.685 --> 06:02.285
and reading through endless, 16th

06:02.425 --> 06:04.245
and 15th century lawyers papers.

06:04.785 --> 06:09.365
If somebody's done it for you, that's a fantastic shortcut.

06:09.945 --> 06:14.525
My conception of the altarpiece response to what people

06:15.065 --> 06:18.085
say again in the period at the time,

06:18.665 --> 06:21.245
and notably, for instance, in contracts.

06:21.945 --> 06:24.045
And they use this word icon

06:24.665 --> 06:29.445
and what they mean is a representation that isn't

06:30.265 --> 06:33.325
set in any particular moment in time.

06:34.425 --> 06:38.965
Uh, the standard type, which I think pretty well all

06:38.965 --> 06:42.605
of us are familiar with, is some kind of Madonna

06:42.605 --> 06:46.725
and child picture with other saints.

06:47.225 --> 06:51.445
Uh, what's interesting in terms of the evolution

06:51.585 --> 06:56.125
of the type over the period is that

06:56.785 --> 07:00.885
in the early days, there's a predominance

07:01.585 --> 07:03.445
of what you might describe

07:03.465 --> 07:05.965
as compartmentalized or to pieces.

07:06.905 --> 07:09.045
So you will have the virgin

07:09.105 --> 07:13.325
and child, let's say in the middle, and a number of saints

07:13.325 --> 07:15.725
and possibly even Old Testament prophets

07:15.725 --> 07:19.965
and other kinds of people around them to left and to right.

07:20.665 --> 07:25.045
But each of them can frequently be in their little kind

07:25.045 --> 07:26.525
of century box.

07:26.525 --> 07:29.765
They're physically separated by,

07:29.765 --> 07:32.125
by a complicated elaborate frame.

07:33.605 --> 07:35.465
And in the early period,

07:35.775 --> 07:38.545
also the background is uniform gold.

07:39.325 --> 07:43.065
So you are not set, if you like the task

07:43.085 --> 07:44.465
of thinking, well, where are these people?

07:44.705 --> 07:47.465
'cause you sort of accept that they're,

07:47.775 --> 07:48.825
they were in particular

07:48.965 --> 07:51.305
or they're in heaven maybe or something.

07:52.125 --> 07:56.585
But as things evolve and as art evolves

07:57.245 --> 08:01.145
and people want to represent, real settings,

08:01.215 --> 08:05.545
they also come up with the idea of placing the

08:06.585 --> 08:09.425
relevant figures, the attendant figures,

08:09.645 --> 08:14.265
the subsidiary saints, let's say for the standard model,

08:14.525 --> 08:16.945
within an architectural

08:17.205 --> 08:21.465
or landscape unity with the virgin and child.

08:21.465 --> 08:22.825
So everybody is together.

08:23.885 --> 08:26.745
And that type of altarpiece has come to be known

08:27.785 --> 08:32.145
slightly misleadingly as a scra converse, a

08:32.245 --> 08:33.705
who conversation,

08:34.625 --> 08:37.505
although as a matter of fact, they usually don't look

08:37.505 --> 08:39.265
as if they're chatting to each other at all.

08:39.685 --> 08:43.625
The other big option, so to speak, is

08:43.625 --> 08:45.545
that you tell a story.

08:46.485 --> 08:51.325
And I think that that, story,

08:52.605 --> 08:57.205
his story is what they use both in, Latin

08:57.625 --> 09:01.085
and in Italian is ever

09:01.105 --> 09:02.765
so slightly misleading

09:03.035 --> 09:06.725
because what they're normally actually representing

09:07.545 --> 09:10.165
is a moment within a story.

09:11.135 --> 09:15.595
So you don't have the equivalent of, you know,

09:16.075 --> 09:18.675
a children's cartoon book with lots

09:18.675 --> 09:22.795
and lots of different frames telling the story bit by bit.

09:23.575 --> 09:27.235
You pick out a really gripping moment

09:28.135 --> 09:29.595
and beam in on that.

09:30.575 --> 09:33.355
So let's say you're doing the baptism of Christ,

09:34.015 --> 09:37.755
you would normally show John the Baptist pouring the water

09:38.785 --> 09:39.875
over Christ.

09:40.495 --> 09:44.515
Uh, there's another nice example of something

09:44.515 --> 09:49.195
that somebody thought up, which is rather less,

09:49.675 --> 09:53.235
standard shall we say, which is that they wanted

09:53.255 --> 09:56.195
to represent the beheading of St.

09:56.195 --> 09:57.515
John the Baptist himself.

09:58.455 --> 10:03.315
And that's quite commonly shown in one way or another,

10:04.135 --> 10:07.155
but not normally as in one particular case

10:07.925 --> 10:10.475
where his head is in midair.

10:11.105 --> 10:13.715
It's only just been chopped off.

10:14.295 --> 10:16.395
It hasn't be even bounced on the ground.

10:17.175 --> 10:21.415
Uh, but in terms of narrative, the other thing

10:21.415 --> 10:25.365
that people were thoughtful about is

10:25.365 --> 10:26.485
that they did realize

10:26.485 --> 10:29.805
that showing just one moment was sometimes not

10:30.045 --> 10:31.125
entirely satisfactory.

10:31.705 --> 10:36.295
So they occasionally back it up in the background

10:36.435 --> 10:40.095
or possibly even the bottom of the foreground with

10:40.705 --> 10:44.975
subsidiary representations that kind of extended.

10:45.635 --> 10:49.375
So the equivalent in cinematic terms of prequels

10:49.435 --> 10:52.655
and sequels can sometimes be included.

10:53.445 --> 10:58.375
Most altar pieces are either icons or narrative stories,

10:59.195 --> 11:01.695
but there's a third category

11:01.715 --> 11:06.615
and they often use this term mystery to,

11:07.195 --> 11:08.535
categorize it.

11:09.035 --> 11:13.575
And that is representations that aren't quite

11:14.845 --> 11:17.845
a moment in time within a story

11:18.505 --> 11:21.805
or a timeless assemblage of saints,

11:22.305 --> 11:26.765
but something that is somewhere in between.

11:27.665 --> 11:31.925
Uh, examples of that would be representations

11:32.145 --> 11:35.805
of the Virgin Mary in the form

11:35.825 --> 11:40.005
of what's called in Italian, the Madonna de Missouri Cordia,

11:40.005 --> 11:42.965
the mother of mercy, who is shown

11:44.035 --> 11:45.365
extending her arms

11:46.185 --> 11:50.205
and sheltering the faithful beneath her

11:51.255 --> 11:52.985
cape, so to speak, her garment.

11:53.905 --> 11:56.925
That's not representing a real moment

11:57.555 --> 12:00.645
because those people, were never

12:01.405 --> 12:03.125
actually other than in their

12:03.685 --> 12:06.525
imaginations being sheltered by the Madonna.

12:06.825 --> 12:10.315
Uh, another really weird

12:10.315 --> 12:14.275
and wonderful example is a subject,

12:14.925 --> 12:18.355
where Christ is shown as

12:19.165 --> 12:23.435
being crushed within a mystic wine oppressed.

12:23.855 --> 12:27.675
So his body is being squeezed

12:28.655 --> 12:30.235
and the blood is coming out

12:30.255 --> 12:32.555
and turning into the wine of the holy community.

12:33.805 --> 12:36.865
Now again, it's not that anybody thinks

12:36.865 --> 12:39.305
that within the Bible story, within the story

12:39.305 --> 12:41.425
of the New Testament, there was a moment when Christ

12:42.125 --> 12:45.385
was hopping underneath, this wine press

12:45.445 --> 12:47.345
and getting a painful squishing.

12:48.245 --> 12:50.625
Not at all. But this is a way

12:50.625 --> 12:53.065
of representing a doctrinal idea

12:53.215 --> 12:56.305
that was fantastically important within Catholicism.

12:56.485 --> 13:00.385
Namely that when you take holy communion,

13:01.085 --> 13:04.785
but not just drinking symbolic wine, you are

13:05.305 --> 13:06.865
actually drinking Christ blood.

13:07.535 --> 13:12.065
It's difficult to know exactly what people are going to make

13:12.925 --> 13:15.145
of any book one writes.

13:15.765 --> 13:20.665
But I think what I'd like to happen is that at least one

13:20.665 --> 13:25.145
or two people would actually read jolly nearly

13:25.845 --> 13:29.105
all of it and not just plunder it for the bit

13:29.125 --> 13:30.425
of interests them.

13:31.045 --> 13:33.785
So you can imagine somebody,

13:34.405 --> 13:38.305
is writing a book on a particular artist who did a painting

13:38.325 --> 13:39.945
of the coronation of the virgin,

13:40.045 --> 13:43.225
and they might say, what did Mangan say about

13:43.285 --> 13:44.385
the coronation of the virgin?

13:44.525 --> 13:46.425
And read that page.

13:47.045 --> 13:51.435
But I'd prefer them to appreciate the bigger picture

13:52.415 --> 13:56.115
and also just to enjoy what I enjoyed,

13:57.095 --> 13:59.885
which is the extraordinary variety

14:01.075 --> 14:02.215
and diversity

14:02.795 --> 14:06.895
and at least on occasion, baity of

14:07.085 --> 14:08.295
what is produced.

14:08.565 --> 14:13.345
Because if you stick to the straight narrow,

14:14.125 --> 14:16.345
you just miss out on so much.

14:16.565 --> 14:19.945
And one of the things that I enjoyed was,

14:20.565 --> 14:23.425
and I suppose in the sense that could be called research

14:23.525 --> 14:27.665
or at least discovery, finding out about

14:28.605 --> 14:32.085
really peculiar paintings.

14:32.705 --> 14:37.485
Uh, and I'll finish just by mentioning one, which is,

14:37.685 --> 14:41.125
a painting by a late 16th century article called Em Poly,

14:42.225 --> 14:44.255
which is a representation

14:44.795 --> 14:48.255
and it's an of the

14:49.305 --> 14:53.645
conclusion, roughly speaking of Dante's divine comedy.

14:54.585 --> 14:58.005
Uh, it's the vision at the end of the divine comedy,

14:58.065 --> 14:59.685
the vision of the Virgin Mary.

15:00.605 --> 15:03.305
Now, this is very odd indeed

15:03.305 --> 15:05.865
because the Dante text

15:06.765 --> 15:08.425
is not holy writ.

15:09.015 --> 15:12.065
It's what I used to tell my children

15:12.735 --> 15:14.985
when they were frightened by something in a book.

15:15.305 --> 15:19.225
I I say, don't worry, it's only a made up story.

15:20.125 --> 15:21.465
And as a matter of fact,

15:21.745 --> 15:24.065
although what a rather elevated level,

15:24.245 --> 15:28.065
the divine comedy is a made up story, it's not meant again,

15:28.165 --> 15:30.145
really to be something that happened.

15:30.965 --> 15:34.545
So the idea of representing it,

15:35.045 --> 15:38.785
in an altarpiece is completely crazy.

15:39.485 --> 15:42.425
Uh, and we have no doubt at all that that's what's going on,

15:42.445 --> 15:44.905
by the way, because it's all mentioned again

15:45.485 --> 15:46.345
in the contract.

"Exploring the Expansive Scope of Renaissance Altarpieces"

00:00:00 - I felt that there was a real need for a big, large scale book on the s piece in Renaissance if Lee understanding Renaissance to stretch rather earlier and a little bit later probably than it often does. So Alta pieces begin in the 13th century. There aren't any before that. but the 13th century isn't a conventional understanding of Renaissance. And I wanted to go up to roughly 1600, give or take. And so that's what I did.
00:00:47 - absolutely major feature of artistic production. it's all over, not just Italy, but all over Europe, of course. But there has to be some kind of limit to what one's going to discuss. The fact of the matter is that nobody up to this point had been insane enough to try to discuss all of Italy across that big stretch of time.
00:01:28 - in books that call themselves the Italian Renaissance something or other, Italy is mostly, and for understandable reasons, Florence, Rome and Venice. I didn't want only to look at those great centers at all. there are all sorts of other fantastic places to think about, and I absolutely went outta my way to make sure that I covered everything I possibly could.
00:02:07 - and so on and so forth is all included as to why the altarpiece, well, as I say, because there's virtually nobody in that period who doesn't get to grip with the task of either painting or indeed carving, an altarpiece. I'm always rather entertained when people use the word research because I never do actually use it. I suspect it's a kind of posh way of saying, I read a book, I don't really comprehend
00:02:48 - reading and looking. And I did a lot of both, particularly I did a lot of looking. And in the Case of Italy, which still retains extraordinary as it were, local patriotism. So people from pretty small scale towns are very, very gripped by, artistic traditions and achievements. And the consequence is that you can find books on the Italian Renaissance in not just
00:03:32 - Venice Pedro. You might take it for granted that those places would be covered, but all sorts of pretty microscopic kinds are also covered. And that's what I wanted because I had to, get to grips with everything. But the other aspect in terms of reading is that I spent very little time reading modern art history other than to check the odd fact. But I was very interested in reading original documents.

"Exploring Artistic Production and Local Patriotism in Renaissance Italy"

00:04:13 - because in the context of Italy, especially in the late past the 19th century and probably on into the early 20th century, there were again, incredibly, as it were locally patriotic individuals who were gripped by what went on in terms of artistic production in their place and spent lifetimes going through predominantly lawyers papers, nutter archives, which is where things like contracts
00:04:57 - And I wanted to read all that material in order to find out what people had said at the time, and also to discover what they wanted and what they didn't want. Sometimes, for example, they're pretty vague about what should be represented in a painting. They kind of jolly Neely say, well, you know, my name's George, so I want something to do with St. George, but for the rest, I trust the artist. Other individuals are obsessive
00:05:38 - but also who's on the left, who's on the right, what sort of clothes they're wearing and all that kind of jazz. So that material is incredibly fascinating and one couldn't possibly, and I suppose that would be genuine research, spend 500 years, years going all over Italy and reading through endless, 16th and 15th century lawyers papers. If somebody's done it for you, that's a fantastic shortcut. My conception of the altarpiece response to what people
00:06:18 - and notably, for instance, in contracts. And they use this word icon and what they mean is a representation that isn't set in any particular moment in time. the standard type, which I think pretty well all of us are familiar with, is some kind of Madonna and child picture with other saints. what's interesting in terms of the evolution of the type over the period is that
00:07:01 - of what you might describe as compartmentalized or to pieces. So you will have the virgin and child, let's say in the middle, and a number of saints and possibly even Old Testament prophets and other kinds of people around them to left and to right. But each of them can frequently be in their little kind of century box. They're physically separated by, by a complicated elaborate frame. And in the early period, also the background is uniform gold.
00:07:43 - of thinking, well, where are these people? 'cause you sort of accept that they're, they were in particular or they're in heaven maybe or something. But as things evolve and as art evolves and people want to represent, real settings, they also come up with the idea of placing the relevant figures, the attendant figures, the subsidiary saints, let's say for the standard model, within an architectural or landscape unity with the virgin and child.

"Exploring the Narrative and Symbolism of Renaissance Altarpieces"

00:08:23 - And that type of altarpiece has come to be known slightly misleadingly as a scra converse, a who conversation, although as a matter of fact, they usually don't look as if they're chatting to each other at all. The other big option, so to speak, is that you tell a story. And I think that that, story, his story is what they use both in, Latin and in Italian is ever so slightly misleading
00:09:07 - is a moment within a story. So you don't have the equivalent of, you know, a children's cartoon book with lots and lots of different frames telling the story bit by bit. You pick out a really gripping moment and beam in on that. So let's say you're doing the baptism of Christ, you would normally show John the Baptist pouring the water over Christ. there's another nice example of something
00:09:49 - standard shall we say, which is that they wanted to represent the beheading of St. John the Baptist himself. And that's quite commonly shown in one way or another, but not normally as in one particular case where his head is in midair. It's only just been chopped off. It hasn't be even bounced on the ground. but in terms of narrative, the other thing that people were thoughtful about is
00:10:26 - that showing just one moment was sometimes not entirely satisfactory. So they occasionally back it up in the background or possibly even the bottom of the foreground with subsidiary representations that kind of extended. So the equivalent in cinematic terms of prequels and sequels can sometimes be included. Most altar pieces are either icons or narrative stories, but there's a third category and they often use this term mystery to,
00:11:09 - And that is representations that aren't quite a moment in time within a story or a timeless assemblage of saints, but something that is somewhere in between. examples of that would be representations of the Virgin Mary in the form of what's called in Italian, the Madonna de Missouri Cordia, the mother of mercy, who is shown extending her arms and sheltering the faithful beneath her
00:11:53 - That's not representing a real moment because those people, were never actually other than in their imaginations being sheltered by the Madonna. another really weird and wonderful example is a subject, where Christ is shown as being crushed within a mystic wine oppressed. So his body is being squeezed and the blood is coming out and turning into the wine of the holy community.

"Exploring the Intersection of Art, Doctrine, and Narrative in Renaissance Altarpieces"

00:12:36 - that within the Bible story, within the story of the New Testament, there was a moment when Christ was hopping underneath, this wine press and getting a painful squishing. Not at all. But this is a way of representing a doctrinal idea that was fantastically important within Catholicism. Namely that when you take holy communion, but not just drinking symbolic wine, you are actually drinking Christ blood. It's difficult to know exactly what people are going to make of any book one writes.
00:13:20 - or two people would actually read jolly nearly all of it and not just plunder it for the bit of interests them. So you can imagine somebody, is writing a book on a particular artist who did a painting of the coronation of the virgin, and they might say, what did Mangan say about the coronation of the virgin? And read that page. But I'd prefer them to appreciate the bigger picture and also just to enjoy what I enjoyed,
00:14:01 - and diversity and at least on occasion, baity of what is produced. Because if you stick to the straight narrow, you just miss out on so much. And one of the things that I enjoyed was, and I suppose in the sense that could be called research or at least discovery, finding out about really peculiar paintings. and I'll finish just by mentioning one, which is,
00:14:42 - which is a representation and it's an of the conclusion, roughly speaking of Dante's divine comedy. it's the vision at the end of the divine comedy, the vision of the Virgin Mary. Now, this is very odd indeed because the Dante text is not holy writ. It's what I used to tell my children when they were frightened by something in a book. I I say, don't worry, it's only a made up story.
00:15:45 - although what a rather elevated level, the divine comedy is a made up story, it's not meant again, really to be something that happened. So the idea of representing it, in an altarpiece is completely crazy. and we have no doubt at all that that's what's going on, by the way, because it's all mentioned again in the contract.

Faculti AI can make mistakes

Faculti

Popular in Arts and Humanities

Titus Quinctius Flamininus’ “Italian triumph”

Lincoln and the Jews

Post-Kantian perfectionism

Amputations and Convalescence

Drawing on the past: Palladio, his precursors and knowledge of ancient architecture

Language, Sound, and Image in Wallace Berman’s Aleph, 1956–1966

Early Modern Natural Law Theories

The Italian Renaissance Altarpiece

Next in Art

Guide

Platform and Category Pages

Contact Us

FAQs

What is Faculti?

How do you select interviews?

Interview Process

Page Structure

Popular in Arts and Humanities

Guide

Platform and Category Pages

Contact Us

FAQs

What is Faculti?

How do you select interviews?

Interview Process

Accessibility Options

Contrast Adjustment

Text Size Adjustment

Text Spacing Adjustment

Line Height Adjustment

Cursor Size Adjustment

Page Structure Options

Page Structure