- Liana De Girolami Cheney, PhD is presently a Visiting Scholar in Art History at the Università di Aldo Moro in Bari, ... moreLiana De Girolami Cheney, PhD is presently a Visiting Scholar in Art History at the Università di Aldo Moro in Bari, Italy, and Investigadora de Historia de Arte, SIELAE, Universidad de Coruña, Spain. She received her BS/BA in Psychology and Philosophy from the University of Miami, Florida, her MA in History of Art and Aesthetics from the University of Miami, Florida and her Ph.D. in Italian Renaissance and Baroque from Boston University, MA. Dr. Cheney is Renaissance and Mannerist scholar, author, and coauthor of numerous articles and books, including: Botticelli’s Neoplatonism in his Mythological Paintingsedit
was a renowned Baroque painter from Portugal who lived between 1630 and 1684. She was an accomplished artist and one of the most notable female artists of her time. Her works included both secular and religious themes, and she used a... more
was a renowned Baroque painter from Portugal who lived between 1630 and 1684. She was an accomplished artist and one of the most notable female artists of her time. Her works included both secular and religious themes, and she used a variety of mediums with great skill. Despite having different surnames, she signed her paintings under Josepha em Óbidos. This article concentrates on the artist's landscapes (vedute) and integrated still-life paintings (bodegones). It delves into her capacity to depict the changing seasons through these themes. Josefa expertly combined Baroque tenebrism and illusionism with her love of Nature, highlighting both the physical and spiritual aspects of the natural world. Her paintings are visually captivating, with beautiful colors and intricate details. She incorporated emblematic and mystical symbolism, which added to their spiritual significance in portraying the flora and fauna of her homeland.
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This article delves into the significance of Guido Reni's Infant Bacchus, created during the Italian Baroque period. By examining historical and iconographic elements, the study aims to interpret the symbolism depicted in the painting.... more
This article delves into the significance of Guido Reni's Infant Bacchus, created during the Italian Baroque period. By examining historical and iconographic elements, the study aims to interpret the symbolism depicted in the painting. The historical aspects include the birth of Dionysus or Bacchus in classical and Italian Renaissance imagery and literary and visual sources that influenced Reni's solo painting. The iconographic components encompass the infant's nude body, the child's bodily functions, and the attributes associated with Bacchus, the God of Agriculture, Revelry, and Wine, such as the grapevines, grapes, ivy, glass flask, kantharos (wine cup), and wine barrel. The emblematic and cosmological associations of Bacchus's divinity are considered as well.
Research Interests: Italian Studies, Ancient myth and religion, Italian Baroque art, Giovanni Bellini, Dionysus, and 10 moreRenaissance magic and astrology, Iconography and Iconology, Venetian Renaissance art, Emblematic studies, Venetian Renaissance Painting, Vine and Wines History, Bacchus, Classical Mythology and art, Anamorphic Art, and Baroque. Rome. Painting. Guido Reni. 17th century
Between 1563 and 1572, Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574) with his assistants painted battle scenes on the walls of the Salone dei Cinquecento in the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence. These frescoes on the east and west walls represent the wars between... more
Between 1563 and 1572, Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574) with his assistants painted battle scenes on the walls of the Salone dei Cinquecento in the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence. These frescoes on the east and west walls represent the wars between Florence and Pisa and between Florence and Siena in which the Florentine army under the leadership of Medicean troops triumphantly conquered their neighboring cities. In the design of the military attire for the infantry, artillery, and cavalry depicted in these battle scenes, Vasari combined his knowledge of historical and literary sources about vestiaria and his visual familiarity with ancient and Renaissance artistic representations of military vestiaria. His compositions depended upon natural observation (ritrattare dal vero) of Florentine military soldiers in combat and on artistic invention (invenzione) and artistic license (capriccio).
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Josefa Figueira de Ayala Cabrera de Óbidos (1630-1684) was an outstanding Portuguese Baroque painter. She was renowned for her talent and creativity, making her one of the most notable female artists of her time. Her artwork covered both... more
Josefa Figueira de Ayala Cabrera de Óbidos (1630-1684) was an outstanding Portuguese Baroque painter. She was renowned for her talent and creativity, making her one of the most notable female artists of her time. Her artwork covered both secular and sacred subjects, and she employed various mediums with versatility. Despite having different surnames, she signed her paintings under Josepha em Óbidos. This study delves into her religious art, focusing on her life and career, and analyses two religious paintings, the Lisbon Holy Family and the Baltimore Agnus Dei. Josefa skilfully integrated the spiritual reforms of the Counter-Reformation with the Baroque style in both paintings, emphasising the physical and spiritual aspects of nature. Her paintings were visually appealing, with pleasing colours and intricate detailing. Her use of emblematic and mystical symbolism added to their spiritual significance, resulting in devotional paintings that profoundly affected viewers.
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In previous studies on the iconographical symbolism revealed in Giorgio Vasari’s fresco decoration for the Cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore (Dome of Florence, 157-74), I discussed three points: 1) the impact of Dante’s Divine Comedy, in... more
In previous studies on the iconographical symbolism revealed in Giorgio Vasari’s fresco decoration for the Cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore (Dome of Florence, 157-74), I discussed three points: 1) the impact of Dante’s Divine Comedy, in particular, the Inferno, 2) the influence of Coppo di Marcovaldo’s mosaic decoration on the cupola of the Florentine Baptistery (1300), and 3) the inspiration of Renaissance Neoplatonism in Vasari’s paintings. In this essay, I will focus on another iconographical representation, the metaphysical and physical symbolism of the eye (“l’occhio”) in Vasari’s cupola imagery. This approach will connect with Cosimo Bartoli’s lecture on Dante’s Divine Comedy, and in particular, on Dante’s Purgatorio (Cantos XXX and XXXI), as well as with Vincenzo Borghini’s program for the decoration of the Cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore.
Research Interests: Dante Studies, Italian Studies, Italian Cultural Studies, Italian Renaissance Art, Italian Renaissance, the classical tradition; the social and cultural history of early modern Europe; women and learning 1300-1800; and the history of childhood from antiquity to the present, and 5 moreIconography and Iconology, Christian Studies, Cosimo Bartoli, Italian frescoes of the High Renaissance and Mannerism, and Giorgio Vasari and art historiography
This essay examines an American 19th-century sculpture, Howard Roberts' Hypatia, both historically and aesthetically (see Figures 1 and 2). Problems of interpretation are found at both levels because of limited documentation. However, a... more
This essay examines an American 19th-century sculpture, Howard Roberts' Hypatia, both historically and aesthetically (see Figures 1 and 2). Problems of interpretation are found at both levels because of limited documentation. However, a speculative analysis adapting Plotinus' notions on the "delight of the intellect" and of "seeing" assist in considering beauty in the carved form, even if the subject is grave. What prompted this commission and who commissioned this work are questions to be considered.
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was a renowned Baroque painter from Portugal who lived between 1630 and 1684. She was an accomplished artist and one of the most notable female artists of her time. Her works included both secular and religious themes, and she used a... more
was a renowned Baroque painter from Portugal who lived between 1630 and 1684. She was an accomplished artist and one of the most notable female artists of her time. Her works included both secular and religious themes, and she used a variety of mediums with great skill. Despite having different surnames, she signed her paintings under Josepha em Óbidos. This article concentrates on the artist's landscapes (vedute) and integrated still-life paintings (bodegones). It delves into her capacity to depict the changing seasons through these themes. Josefa expertly combined Baroque tenebrism and illusionism with her love of Nature, highlighting both the physical and spiritual aspects of the natural world. Her paintings are visually captivating, with beautiful colors and intricate details. She incorporated emblematic and mystical symbolism, which added to their spiritual significance in portraying the flora and fauna of her homeland.
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In 1569, Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) completed painting an altarpiece of the Madonna of the Rosary and a Tondo of angels dispersing roses. The commission was for the private chapel of the Capponi family in the church of Santa Maria Novella... more
In 1569, Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) completed painting an altarpiece of the Madonna of the Rosary and a Tondo of angels dispersing roses. The commission was for the private chapel of the Capponi family in the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. In his Ricordanze (Book of Records), Vasari explained the commission as well as documenting the assistance of his favorite Florentine pupil, Jacopo Zucchi (1541-1590), in the completion of the commission. This essay focusses on Vasari's design, location, and meaning of the Tondo and its emblematic symbolism of love through the rose motif.
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In 1569, Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) completed painting an altarpiece of the Madonna of the Rosary and a Tondo of angels dispersing roses. The commission was for the private chapel of the Capponi family in the church of Santa Maria Novella... more
In 1569, Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) completed painting an altarpiece of the Madonna of the Rosary and a Tondo of angels dispersing roses. The commission was for the private chapel of the Capponi family in the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. In his Ricordanze (Book of Records), Vasari explained the commission as well as documenting the assistance of his favorite Florentine pupil, Jacopo Zucchi (1541-1590), in the completion of the commission. This essay focusses on Vasari's design, location, and meaning of the Tondo and its emblematic symbolism of love through the rose motif.
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Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) skillfully created small devotional altarpieces depicting holy saints with their respective attributes of martyrdom, seen in Saint Agnes of Rome (c. 291-304) with an ewe, Saint Cecilia (c. 200-235)... more
Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) skillfully created small devotional altarpieces depicting holy saints with their respective attributes of martyrdom, seen in Saint Agnes of Rome (c. 291-304) with an ewe, Saint Cecilia (c. 200-235) with a portable organ, Saint Catherine of Alexandria (c. 287-304) with a broken spiked wheel, and Saint Justina of Padua (c. 3rd century) with a small sword in her chest. For their physical sacrifice, Heaven rewarded them with a palm frond as an honorific spiritual gift. Barbara included some of these saints in her paintings on the theme of holy conversation (sacra conversazione; a religious gathering with the Madonna and Child) and depicted the female saints as a single panel-solo image-for private devotion or supplicatory assistance. Most of the biographies and historicity about the lives of these saints are recounted by Jacobus de Voragine (1222-1298), Archbishop of Genoa, in his Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea, 1275). This essay only comments on the iconography of one of Barbara's female saints, Saint Justina of Padua.
Research Interests: Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, Italian Cultural Studies, Italian Renaissance Art, Christian Spirituality, and 8 moreWomen Artists, Iconography and Iconology, Italian Female Artists, Saint, Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies, Mannerism in Italian Painting, Italian Renaissance and Baroque Women painters, and Female Painters
Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) skillfully created small devotional altarpieces depicting holy saints with their respective attributes of martyrdom, seen in Saint Agnes of Rome (c. 291-304) with an ewe, Saint Cecilia (c. 200-235)... more
Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) skillfully created small devotional altarpieces depicting holy saints with their respective attributes of martyrdom, seen in Saint Agnes of Rome (c. 291-304) with an ewe, Saint Cecilia (c. 200-235) with a portable organ, Saint Catherine of Alexandria (c. 287-304) with a broken spiked wheel, and Saint Justina of Padua (c. 3rd century) with a small sword in her chest. For their physical sacrifice, Heaven rewarded them with a palm frond as an honorific spiritual gift. Barbara included some of these saints in her paintings on the theme of holy conversation (sacra conversazione; a religious gathering with the Madonna and Child) and depicted the female saints as a single panel-solo image-for private devotion or supplicatory assistance. Most of the biographies and historicity about the lives of these saints are recounted by Jacobus de Voragine (1222-1298), Archbishop of Genoa, in his Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea, 1275). This essay only comments on the iconography of one of Barbara's female saints, Saint Justina of Padua.
Research Interests: Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, Women's Studies, Italian Cultural Studies, Italian Renaissance Art, and 7 moreChristian Spirituality, Women Artists, Iconography and Iconology, Italian Female Artists, Mannerism in Italian Painting, Italian Renaissance and Baroque Women painters, and Female Painters
Professor of Art History (emerita), UMASS Lowell, USA "O fortunately-born one, you, to whom grace concedes the right to see the thrones of eternal triumph, before you abandon the place of militancy, we are fired by the light... more
Professor of Art History (emerita), UMASS Lowell, USA "O fortunately-born one, you, to whom grace concedes the right to see the thrones of eternal triumph, before you abandon the place of militancy, we are fired by the light that burns through all the heavens, and therefore if you want to be lit by us, satisfy yourself at pleasure." Dante, The Divine Comedy, Paradise, Canto V
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Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) enjoyed creating small devotional paintings depicting holy saints, in particular Saint Agnes (c. 291-304). This saint's life and martyrdom was recorded by the Bishop of Milan, Saint Ambrose... more
Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) enjoyed creating small devotional paintings depicting holy saints, in particular Saint Agnes (c. 291-304). This saint's life and martyrdom was recorded by the Bishop of Milan, Saint Ambrose (339-397), a Doctor of the Church and theologian, in his book Concerning Virgins (374) and by Jacobus de Voragine, the Archbishop of Genoa, in his Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea, 1275). The saint's story continues to be imaged and recounted to the present day because she is an icon of a pure and virtuous adolescent female. Barbara Longhi, along with her father, Luca Longhi (1507-1580), painted several versions of Saint Agnes. In their many depictions they composed two types of images: a single-solo-image of the saint; and her presence in a group of saints-a theme known as holy conversation. In her paintings of Saint Agnes, however, Barbara Longhi preferred to depict the solo image of the saint as virgo, a young maiden of virtue. This essay is composed of two parts: (1) an account of the life and martyrdom of Saint Agnes; and (2) an iconographical interpretation of Barbara Longhi's Saint Agnes of Rome.
Research Interests: Gender Studies, Art History, Art, Italian Studies, Cult of Saints, and 15 moreItalian Cultural Studies, Italian Renaissance Art, Christian Spirituality, Christian Iconography, Iconography and Iconology, Christian Studies, Christian symbolism, Herstory, Female Saints, Saint, Gender Issues In Art History, Italian Mannerism, Mannerism in Italian Painting, Italain Renaissance, and Female Painters
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This paper discusses the state of Muslim education in colonial Bengal during the crucial years of 1920s and 1930s. It evaluates the impact of some of the post war reforms introduced by the colonial government to improve Muslim education,... more
This paper discusses the state of Muslim education in colonial Bengal during the crucial years of 1920s and 1930s. It evaluates the impact of some of the post war reforms introduced by the colonial government to improve Muslim education, and shows how these reforms influenced the progress of the community. It also analyzes how the relationship between Hindus and Muslims gradually deteriorated as a result of these educational reforms. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the educational reforms introduced during the period of intense political and financial crises.
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Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) enjoyed creating small devotional paintings depicting holy saints, in particular Saint Agnes (c. 291-304). This saint's life and martyrdom was recorded by the Bishop of Milan, Saint Ambrose (339-397),... more
Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) enjoyed creating small devotional paintings depicting holy saints, in particular Saint Agnes (c. 291-304). This saint's life and martyrdom was recorded by the Bishop of Milan, Saint Ambrose (339-397), a Doctor of the Church and theologian, in his book Concerning Virgins (374) and by Jacobus de Voragine, the Archbishop of Genoa, in his Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea, 1275). The saint's story continues to be imaged and recounted to the present day because she is an icon of a pure and virtuous adolescent female. Barbara Longhi, along with her father, Luca Longhi (1507-1580), painted several versions of Saint Agnes. In their many depictions they composed two types of images: a single-solo-image of the saint; and her presence in a group of saints-a theme known as holy conversation. In her paintings of Saint Agnes, however, Barbara Longhi preferred to depict the solo image of the saint as virgo, a young maiden of virtue. This essay is composed of two parts: (1) an account of the life and martyrdom of Saint Agnes; and (2) an iconographical interpretation of Barbara Longhi's Saint Agnes of Rome.
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The essay examines for the first time the Christian symbolism in the Immaculate Conception or Madonna Purissima (1620-1625) of Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638). In the Italian sixteenth century, she is the first female painter to... more
The essay examines for the first time the Christian symbolism in the Immaculate Conception or Madonna Purissima (1620-1625) of Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638). In the Italian sixteenth century, she is the first female painter to concentrate in her oeuvre on sacred devotional painting of Marian iconography. This endeavor reveals her aim to fuse physical motherly love and spiritual devotion. Her religious images reflect the artistic patronage of Ravenna as well as the religious decrees of the Counter-Reformation in Italy. Longhi's Immaculate Conception represents the Virgin Mary (Madonna) as the Woman of the Apocalypse described by Saint John in the Book of Revelation (12:1, 2, and 5). Longhi paints the Madonna emerging from a cloud of light and standing on a crescent moon holding her son, Christ. Rays of light emanate from her being and continue to expand in vortices within a nimbus (mandorla) to a ring of twelve stars crowning her and her son. The Madonna's virginal nature embodied in the divine golden light designates her as "Maria Purissima." The stars forming a celestial crown metaphorically symbolize her immortality and wisdom. In the doctrinal precepts of the Counter-Reformation, the Virgin Mary became honored as the Virgo Sapientissima and Gloriosa, the Queen of Wisdom and Glory, and Regis Coeli, the Queen of Heaven. In her artistic manner, Longhi paved the way for mystical devotion, which would later be interpreted by female painters in the seventeenth century.
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Abstract: In 1862, Myles Birket Foster, an English illustrator, commissioned the Morris, Marshall, Faulkner and Company to design ceramic tiles for his new house at The Hill in Witley, Under Morris’ guidance, Edward Burne-Jones composed... more
Abstract: In 1862, Myles Birket Foster, an English illustrator, commissioned the Morris, Marshall, Faulkner and Company to design ceramic tiles for his new house at The Hill in Witley, Under Morris’ guidance, Edward Burne-Jones composed nine sets of drawings for a Sleeping Beauty cycle to be transformed into ceramic tiles. Lucy Faulkner painted the tiles while Morris decorated the background and borders with swans, Celtic symbol of love as well as of music In the Sleeping Beauty cycle, Burne-Jones was inspired by the fairy tales of French Charles Perrualt’s La Belle au Bois Dormant, seventeenth century, the German Brothers Grimm’s version of the tale, early nineteen century, and Alfred Tennyson’s poem The Day-Dream of 1830/ 1842. Burne-Jones’ spatial illusions unite the narrative scenes as well as creating an imagery of suspension for the viewer. With this unusual aesthetic moment, he expressed through fantasy his reflections on art, beauty and love.
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In 1569, Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) completed a painting of the Madonna of the Rosary for the private chapel of the Capponi family in the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. In his Ricordanze (Book of Records), Vasari explained the... more
In 1569, Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) completed a painting of the Madonna of the Rosary for the private chapel of the Capponi family in the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. In his Ricordanze (Book of Records), Vasari explained the commission as well as documenting the assistance of his Florentine pupil, Jacopo Zucchi (1541-1590), in the completion of this painting. This essay discusses Vasari's symbolism of the rosary as a reflection of the Tridentine Reform in Florence as well as a visual interpretation of Italian Mannerist painters on this devotional subject.
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From the variety of types of portraiture, there evolved the imaging of a self-portrait as we see in Saint Catherine of Alexandria by Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638). The self-portrait is a unique work of art, an intimate record of a... more
From the variety of types of portraiture, there evolved the imaging of a self-portrait as we see in Saint Catherine of Alexandria by Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638). The self-portrait is a unique work of art, an intimate record of a sitter's personality. It is an acknowledgment of worth, an exercise in technique, and a designator of era, style, and likeness. The self-portrait can be a study in expression, an impersonation of a virtue, or a document in a history of aging. As William Shakespeare noted in Hamlet, "[The self-portrait is] to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure." In the sixteenth-century in Italy, artists often included themselves or their self-portraits in religious and secular scenes as a type of signature, as seen in the paintings of the Longhi family. In their many depictions of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the Longhis composed two types of such images: a single-solo-image of the saint; and also her presence in a group with saints-a theme known as holy conversation. In her paintings, Barbara Longhi preferred to depict the solo image of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, using herself as a model for the figure of the saint or as a muse impersonating or personifying the saint's virgo virtue. This essay is composed of two parts: (1) a brief explanation of the meaning of self-portraits in sixteenth-century Italy; and (2) a study of Barbara Longhi's self-portraits as Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
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In 1564, in honor of the death of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), an artistic extravaganza was invented by the Benedictine monk Vincenzo Borghini (1515-1580)-prior of the hospital of the innocents, humanist, and administrator of the... more
In 1564, in honor of the death of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), an artistic extravaganza was invented by the Benedictine monk Vincenzo Borghini (1515-1580)-prior of the hospital of the innocents, humanist, and administrator of the Florentine Academy of Design (Accademia del Disegno or Florentine Academy)-and was implemented by Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574)-artist, writer, and artistic director of the Academy, who engaged his Florentine assistants to work on the execution of the tomb in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence (see Figure 1). The commission of Michelangelo's tomb was prompted by his nephew, Lionardo [Leonardo] Simoni-Buonarroti (1522-1599), and the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I de' Medici (1519-1574). The tomb was completed in 1578. Vasari designed the architectural monument, and his assistants, members of the Florentine Academy, collaborated in the following manner: The sculptures of the Fine Arts were carved by Giovanni Bandini (1540-1599), who represented the personification of architecture; Valerio di Simone Cioli (1529-1599), who represented the personification of Sculpture; and Battista Lorenzi (1527-1594), who represented the personification of Painting and the portrait bust of Michelangelo. Giovanni Battista Naldini (1537-1591) completed al fresco the burning urns, the purple-colored doorway of the tomb, the suspended canopy, and the Pietà in the center of the marble tabernacle. This latter artistic contribution is the topic of this essay.
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This essay examines Edward Burne-Jones’ (August 28, 1833–June 17, 1898) artistic concepts of ut pictura poesis (as is painting, so is poetry) and u t pictura musica (as is painting so is music), a comparison of poetry, music, and painting... more
This essay examines Edward Burne-Jones’ (August 28, 1833–June 17, 1898) artistic concepts of ut pictura poesis (as is painting, so is poetry) and u t pictura musica (as is painting so is music), a comparison of poetry, music, and painting depicted in his imagery of the Female Musician of 1866 (at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, UK, Fig. 1), and Music of 1877 (at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, UK, Fig. 2). The comparison or paragone between music and art is viewed here in two ways: 1) in a natural realm as an expression of love for a muse, Maria Cassavetti Zambaco; and 2) in a metaphysical realm as a vehicle of artist expression for depicting beauty. Painting and music are then poetical guidance for Burne-Jones’ manifestation of love. Maria is Burne-Jones’ model, muse, and sorceress. His paintings are depictions of musical scenes that capture a poetical world of ardent and endless love, as well the world of the senses, a physical realm, and the world of aesthetics, a metap...
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Research Interests: Art and The Renaissance
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Research Interests: Mythology And Folklore, Visual Studies, Iconography, Italian Studies, Visual Culture, and 15 moreRenaissance Art, Symbolism, Italian Cultural Studies, Italian Literature, Emblem studies, Italian Renaissance Art, Neoplatonism, Emblems and Alchemical Symbolism, Iconography and Iconology, Medieval Icoography, Alchemy Emblems Esotericism, Italian Academies, Italian Culture, Italian Imprese, and Italian Mannerism
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Research Interests: Religion, Christianity, Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, Iconography, and 15 moreArt, Renaissance Humanism, Symbolism, Emblem studies, Italian Renaissance Art, Neoplatonism, Iconology, Religious Studies, Iconography and Iconology, Giorgio Vasari, Marsilio Ficino and Renaissance revival of Plato, Mannerism, Renaissance Neoplatonism, Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies, and Preraphaelites
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This study examines the literary and visual connections between war and peace as a cultural diplomacy made by both Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) and Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574). The approach here is iconographical, focusing on three... more
This study examines the literary and visual connections between war and peace as a cultural diplomacy made by both Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) and Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574). The approach here is iconographical, focusing on three points. First, Machiavelli’s notions of condottiere, virtu, and war and peace in The Art of War (1521) are discussed in relation to Renaissance imagery, particularly in that produced as a result of Medicean patronage. Second, Vasari’s battle cycle in the Salone dei Cinquecento of the Palazzo Vecchio (1555-60) in Florence is examined within the context of peace as revealed in Renaissance art and emblems. Finally, Vasari’s assimilation of Machiavelli’s notions of the art of war are interpreted in relation to the painting cycle, which visually embodies the paradox of war and peace discussed in Machiavelli’s writing.
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In 1569, Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) completed a painting of the Madonna of the Rosary for the private chapel of the Capponi family in the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. In his Ricordanze (Book of Records), Vasari explained the... more
In 1569, Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) completed a painting of the Madonna of the Rosary for the private chapel of the Capponi family in the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. In his Ricordanze (Book of Records), Vasari explained the commission as well as documenting the assistance of his Florentine pupil, Jacopo Zucchi (1541-1590), in the completion of this painting. This essay discusses Vasari's symbolism of the rosary as a reflection of the Tridentine Reform in Florence as well as a visual interpretation of Italian Mannerist painters on this devotional subject.
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From the variety of types of portraiture, there evolved the imaging of a self-portrait as we see in Saint Catherine of Alexandria by Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638). The self-portrait is a unique work of art, an intimate record of a... more
From the variety of types of portraiture, there evolved the imaging of a self-portrait as we see in Saint Catherine of Alexandria by Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638). The self-portrait is a unique work of art, an intimate record of a sitter's personality. It is an acknowledgment of worth, an exercise in technique, and a designator of era, style, and likeness. The self-portrait can be a study in expression, an impersonation of a virtue, or a document in a history of aging. As William Shakespeare noted in Hamlet, "[The self-portrait is] to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure." In the sixteenth-century in Italy, artists often included themselves or their self-portraits in religious and secular scenes as a type of signature, as seen in the paintings of the Longhi family. In their many depictions of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the Longhis composed two types of such images: a single-solo-image of the saint; and also her presence in a group with saints-a theme known as holy conversation. In her paintings, Barbara Longhi preferred to depict the solo image of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, using herself as a model for the figure of the saint or as a muse impersonating or personifying the saint's virgo virtue. This essay is composed of two parts: (1) a brief explanation of the meaning of self-portraits in sixteenth-century Italy; and (2) a study of Barbara Longhi's self-portraits as Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
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Abstract: In 1862, Myles Birket Foster, an English illustrator, commissioned the Morris, Marshall, Faulkner and Company to design ceramic tiles for his new house at The Hill in Witley, Under Morris’ guidance, Edward Burne-Jones composed... more
Abstract: In 1862, Myles Birket Foster, an English illustrator, commissioned the Morris, Marshall, Faulkner and Company to design ceramic tiles for his new house at The Hill in Witley, Under Morris’ guidance, Edward Burne-Jones composed nine sets of drawings for a Sleeping Beauty cycle to be transformed into ceramic tiles. Lucy Faulkner painted the tiles while Morris decorated the background and borders with swans, Celtic symbol of love as well as of music
In the Sleeping Beauty cycle, Burne-Jones was inspired by the fairy tales of French Charles Perrualt’s La Belle au Bois Dormant, seventeenth century, the German Brothers Grimm’s version of the tale, early nineteen century, and Alfred Tennyson’s poem The Day-Dream of 1830/ 1842.
Burne-Jones’ spatial illusions unite the narrative scenes as well as creating an imagery of suspension for the viewer. With this unusual aesthetic moment, he expressed through fantasy his reflections on art, beauty and love.
In the Sleeping Beauty cycle, Burne-Jones was inspired by the fairy tales of French Charles Perrualt’s La Belle au Bois Dormant, seventeenth century, the German Brothers Grimm’s version of the tale, early nineteen century, and Alfred Tennyson’s poem The Day-Dream of 1830/ 1842.
Burne-Jones’ spatial illusions unite the narrative scenes as well as creating an imagery of suspension for the viewer. With this unusual aesthetic moment, he expressed through fantasy his reflections on art, beauty and love.
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Among the numerous themes on the suppers cited in the Bible, the Last Supper of Christ with His twelve apostles is the most poignant and rewarding for Christianity. Florentine Renaissance depictions of the theme are numerous and varied,... more
Among the numerous themes on the suppers cited in the Bible, the Last Supper of Christ with His twelve apostles is the most poignant and rewarding for Christianity. Florentine Renaissance depictions of the theme are numerous and varied, traditionally represented as a predella (step) panel and as an altarpiece in dining halls or sacristies of churches and convents. Vasari's Last Supper for the Refectory of Le Murate (The Walled) in Florence is an unusual depiction of Christ's thanksgiving. This imposing religious structure was painted for a poor Benedictine nunnery's cenacolo (refectory) in Florence. Vasari completed two drawings for the commission in 1546. The drawings and painting reveal how Vasari drew upon the work of his predecessors to create an innovative expression of thanksgiving, betrayal, and departure. This large masterpiece was severely damaged, almost irreparably, by several mishaps and floods in 1583 and 1718 and, more recently, by the major Florentine alluvione (flood) of 1966. In commemoration of the 50th year anniversary of this last catastrophic event, Vasari's Le Murate Last Supper was carefully and magically restored by a group of masterful technicians, artists, and scientists. Their collaboration and support from the private sector demonstrate the successful bond among art, technology, science, and patronage.
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The theme of the Conception of the Virgin Mary fascinated 16th-century Mannerist painters, as manifested in Giorgio Vasari's many drawings and paintings and also the numerous replicas in drawings, paintings, and engravings made after his... more
The theme of the Conception of the Virgin Mary fascinated 16th-century Mannerist painters, as manifested in Giorgio Vasari's many drawings and paintings and also the numerous replicas in drawings, paintings, and engravings made after his paintings by his contemporary artists. This essay focuses on Vasari's complex iconography of The Conception of Our Lady of 1540 at SS. Apostoli in Florence, Italy. In his documentation of the painting, Vasari never referred to or entitled the painting as an Allegory of the Immaculate Conception or Immaculate Conception but coined it as The Conception of Our Lady (Concezione di Nostra Donna) as it will be referred in this essay. Vasari's complex iconography derived from the writings of the Aretine canon Giovanni Pollastra. The Virgin Mary is depicted as a victorious symbol of grace and salvation, triumphing over evil. Rejoicing angels surround her with scrolls containing Latin inscriptions, QUOS EVE CULPA DANAVIT and MARIE GRATIA SOLVIT. These joyful words allude to the restoration of the fate of Adam and Eve after eating the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge in Paradise. A sinuous serpent coils around the fig tree, while tied-up Old Testament and New Testaments wait for forgiveness and salvation. Three considerations are addressed in this essay: (1) discussion of Vasari's recorded commissions; (2) stylistic observations and influences; and (3) interpretation of the imagery, that is, some observations on the symbolism of the painting.
Research Interests: Iconography, Renaissance Humanism, Italian Renaissance Art, Symbolism (Art History), Iconology, and 6 more19th-century Arts and Hand-craftsmanship movement; William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Giorgio Vasari, Marsilio Ficino and Renaissance revival of Plato, Mannerism, Renaissance Neoplatonism, and Preraphaelites
Giorgio Vasari (1511-74) as an artist and art historian of Italian Mannerism viewed himself as huomo buono et docto in buon letter (a fine and learned man). 1 In choosing to practice various arts such as writing treatises, collecting... more
Giorgio Vasari (1511-74) as an artist and art historian of Italian Mannerism viewed himself as huomo buono et docto in buon letter (a fine and learned man). 1 In choosing to practice various arts such as writing treatises, collecting drawings, painting decorative cycles, designing buildings, and decorating facades, Vasari was viewed by humanists as a virtuoso. This Tuscan painter, architect, art collector, writer, and art historian is best known for his Vite de' più eccellenti architetti, pittori e scultori italiani, da Cimabue insino a' tempi nostri (Lives of the Most Excellent Architects, Painters and Sculptors of Italy, from Cimabue to the present time), which was first published in 1550, followed by an enlarged edition illustrated with woodcuts of artists' portraits in 1568. 2 In 1960, Einar Rud (1892-1980), a Danish biographer and a scholar of Vasari, characterized him as the first art historian. 3 By virtue of Rud's text, Vasari is known as "the first art historian"-in particular, of Italian art-since Pliny the Elder wrote Book 35 on the History of Art in Ancient times in the Natural History, published posthumously in 79 CE. 4 It is almost impossible to imagine the history of Italian art without Vasari, so fundamental is his Vite (Lives). This sixteenth-century Italian work is the first real and autonomous history of art because of its monumental encompassing of all of the following: (1) preambles for explanatory data on the function of the text; (2) integration
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In 1564, in honor of the death of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), an artistic extravaganza was invented by the Benedictine monk Vincenzo Borghini (1515-1580)-prior of the hospital of the innocents, humanist, and administrator of the... more
In 1564, in honor of the death of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), an artistic extravaganza was invented by the Benedictine monk Vincenzo Borghini (1515-1580)-prior of the hospital of the innocents, humanist, and administrator of the Florentine Academy of Design (Accademia del Disegno or Florentine Academy)-and was implemented by Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574)-artist, writer, and artistic director of the Academy, who engaged his Florentine assistants to work on the execution of the tomb in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence (see Figure 1). The commission of Michelangelo's tomb was prompted by his nephew, Lionardo [Leonardo] Simoni-Buonarroti (1522-1599), and the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I de' Medici (1519-1574). The tomb was completed in 1578. Vasari designed the architectural monument, and his assistants, members of the Florentine Academy, collaborated in the following manner: The sculptures of the Fine Arts were carved by Giovanni Bandini (1540-1599), who represented the personification of architecture; Valerio di Simone Cioli (1529-1599), who represented the personification of Sculpture; and Battista Lorenzi (1527-1594), who represented the personification of Painting and the portrait bust of Michelangelo. Giovanni Battista Naldini (1537-1591) completed al fresco the burning urns, the purple-colored doorway of the tomb, the suspended canopy, and the Pietà in the center of the marble tabernacle. This latter artistic contribution is the topic of this essay.
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Giorgio Vasari's Prefaces: Art and Theory provides students and scholars alike with the opportunity to study and understand the art, theory, and visual culture of Giorgio Vasari and sixteenth century Italy. For the first time all of... more
Giorgio Vasari's Prefaces: Art and Theory provides students and scholars alike with the opportunity to study and understand the art, theory, and visual culture of Giorgio Vasari and sixteenth century Italy. For the first time all of Vasari's Prefaces from the Lives of the Artists (1568) are included translated into English as well as in the original Italian. Also included is an English translation of Giovanni Battista Adriani's letter to Giorgio Vasari enlightening Vasari on the art of the ancient masters. Through the eyes of Vasari, this book captures the creative achievements of his fellow artists - how they adopt nature and the classical tradition as their muses and how they ingeniously interpret the secular and religious themes of the past and present. Vasari himself is lauded for the transformation of the artist from one of being a mere laborer to one who imbues his work with intellectual depth and is recognized as a creator of beautiful visual myths.