History · Art · Culture
~ Introduction to the Italian Renaissance ~
The High Renaissance : Rome
Duration
90 minutes
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Take-Aways
After this seminar, you'll know all there is to know about : the High Renaissance, Pope Julius II, Pope Sixtus IV, the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Rooms, Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, Saint Peter's Basilica, the David.
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At the end of the 15th century, the tides turned : the Medici fell into political disfavour and were chased from Florence. This brought about a huge change on the political scene, and the popes in Rome were happy to pick up where the Medici had left off. The centre of power and artistic patronage suddenly turned to Rome, which would become the home of the High Renaissance.
Unlike its earlier counterpart, the High Renaissance in Rome would be a highly concentrated movement involving only a handful of extraordinarily gifted artists and their papal patrons : Bramante the architect, Michelangelo the sculptor, Raphael the painter, and Popes Julius II and Leo X.
During the third and last lecture, we'll explore the work of these three talented artists, and discover how they picked up from where earlier generations had left off and took their creations to even greater, more magnificent heights.
Architecture
During the first part of the seminar, we will discover Hear all about the construction of Saint Peter's Basilica, a colossal project spanning no less than eight decades, first begun by Pope Julius II and involving a long list of architects, including Bramante, da Sangallo, Michelangelo, and Raphael. See Michelangelo's magnificent dome at Saint Peter's, and explore some of Bramante's great masterpieces, such as the Vatican staircase and the Tempietto, a tiny architectural jewel.
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Sculpture
Next, we will explore some of Michelangelo's greatest sculptures, including the Moses and the Dying Slave -- all part of a project called "The Tragedy of the Tomb" by the artist himself -- and the incredibly moving Pietá, which now stands in Saint Peter's Basilica. Hear all about Michelangelo's David, which was sculpted for the City of Florence and represents the purest and truest of the Highest Renaissance artistic ideals.
Painting
And last but certainly not least, we will discover two of Rome's greatest and most iconic masterpieces : the Sistine Chapel ceiling and the Raphael Rooms. See the ceiling as painted by Michelangelo in only four years, and discover the Biblical tales that each scene tells, from the Separation of Light and Dark to the Disgrace of Noah. Learn how Michelangelo felt about his years in the Sistine Chapel, and also discover the Wall of the Last Judgment, which he painted on the alter wall of the chapel three decades later. Hear about the Raphael Rooms, just down the hall from the Sistine Chapel, painted at the very same time as the chapel ceiling and for the very same patron, Pope Julius II. Also discover Raphael's numerous portraits depicting the illustrious figures of the day, including his very own papal patron, Pope Julius II.
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