AH 331 - Renaissance Art and Patronage: Comparing Siena and Florence

This course offers an introduction to Renaissance Art in Tuscany by exploring in depth the historical, political and cultural evolution of Siena and Florence between the 15th and 16th centuries. This overview is not confined to works of art but will include social and patronage issues - i.e. the role of the guilds, the differences in private, civic and church patronage - that affected the style, form and content of the rich Italian artistic output, which reached a peak often nostalgically referred to by later generations as the “golden age.” Attention focuses on the way art evolved in the most important artistic centres of Tuscany and how the cities’ diversities during this period created a range of distinct styles and "schools." The course analyzes the historical and social background of the beginning of the early Renaissance during the 15th century (i.e. Brunelleschi’s, Donatello’s and Masaccio’s achievements), and deals with the Medici’s and Piccolomini’s patronage during the second half of the 15th century (i.e. Leon Battista Alberti, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Verrocchio and Francesco di Giorgio Martini). Lastly, it analyzes the ‘golden Age’ of High Renaissance during the 16th century, specifically focusing on Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael Sanzio, Sodoma and Beccafumi.