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Examine And Discuss Three Representations Of The Nude In Sixteenth-century Art

Representations of the nude

Date : 11/11/2015

Author Information

Carmel

Uploaded by : Carmel
Uploaded on : 11/11/2015
Subject : Art

The revival of antiquity and the archaeological finds of antique sculpture gave way to many representations of the nude in the 16th century. Michelangelo`s David (1501-1504, Carrera white marble) and Cellini`s Perseus and Medusa (1541-54, Bronze) are both heroic male nudes that were created for the Piazza della Signoria, in Florence. The representations signify the different political rulings of the time in their respective High Renaissance and Mannerist fashion. While in the region of Venice the Donna Ignuda genre had presidence and the European archetype is Titians `Venus of Urbino` (1538, oil on canvas, patron: Duke Cammerino) In contrast, the interest was in sensual femininity fueled with eroticism that suited private commissions and painting.

Michelangelo`s David is a standing male nude figure in the round. There is a frontal emphasis, posed in the antique contrapposto, with one engaged and one free leg. His left leg is side opened towards the hypothetical philistine giant Goliath. The physique is fluid with subtle renderings of the rib-cage and abdomen such that it holds structural integrity, whilst evoking a veil of flesh overlying the musculature Michelangelo had to remove a ``certain knot`` (Vasari) from the chest and is one aspect of his triumph with the material over his predecessors, Rossellino and Duccio, from whom the marble block was abandoned. Davids relaxed pose empahises his elegant muscularity of a classical nude, to do this Michelangelo had to magnify his age despite being described as ``but a youth`` in the Old Testament. Another biblical departure is in his uncircumcised genitals in the final carving. This suggests there is a civic emphasis in the commission in which Michelangelo also appropriates the classical style and Jewish figure into the Christian context of Florence, a hall mark of the High Renaissance. The genitals are also small which is an antique tradition that suggested decorum and propriety in the nude a tension Titian explores in Venus of Urbino.

The right arm is relaxed by his side with his wrist cocked against his thigh. Thus making subtly evident to a frontal viewer the stone he conceals in his hand. The left arm is folded back holding a slingshot over his shoulder. These hand placements solve the issue of the shallowness of the block of marble Michelangelo was working from. It secondly compensates for the low tensile strength of marble by avoiding excessive projections and is therefore self supporting. Davids monumental size of 17feet in polished carrera white marble evoke a grandeur that aligns itself with the classical sentiment of Protagoras that ``man is the measure of all things``. The humanist scholars and enlightened individuals, especially at the court of Medici in Florence began the revival in classical art and literature. Michelangelo had been exposed to the antique sculpture in the Medici sculpture Garden. The dissections at the church of Santo Spirito meant Michelangelo could witness the visible veins and bone structure on Davids forearms. This shows his attempt to unite the ideal forms of antique sculpture and a new realism based on his own study of anatomy.

Davids face is handsome with an aquiline nose an antique symbol of nobility, the use of a bow drill to undercut his classical curls create a youthful vigor. However, the furrowed brow shows his capacity for physiological depth. It indicates the internal conflict and anxiety for his upcoming battle that contrasts to his relaxed pose. The commission later changed from being a public religious nature, in a niche in a buttress in a Florence cathedral, but now one of a civic purpose. David was placed in the square and the bow drill, that pierced his pupils give a direct determined gaze north towards Rome. The regions were the de-facto leaders, the Medici, were exiled to in 1494 which is why this gesture can be interpreted as a symbol of warning and also triumph. David represents the young Florence Republic, a small but mighty force, Vasari writes that `David was symbol of Liberty`. The position of David replaced the Judith and Holofernes by Donatello which confirms the governments wish to remove associations with the Medici. (As it was a Medici commission)

The Nude male figure of Perseus was created when Cosimo I has been ennobled and back to having autocratic rule of Florence. The figure is a demi-god based on Greek and Roman mythology from Ovid metamorphosis. Therefore the choice of nude aligns itself with not only classical sculpture but like David, emphaises the titular figures heroism in defeating the female monster, Medusa. He is in a triumphant pose clasping her head in his right hand this pose is allowed by the high tensile strength of bronze. The political significance of the subject, pose and being placed in the square, stanza sella signoria with David, by the Loggia in Florence is critical. The Medusa symbol comes to represent Cosmio`s reinstated power. This in symbol runs throughout the Medici lineage and appears on bust of Cosimo 1 and an earlier bust of Lorrrenzo Medici by Verrochio. The medusa head turns people to stone even once dead and the sculpture is turned towards marble statue David, the symbol of the republic. The sophisticated illusion and humor is one of the hallmarks of Mannerism.

The work used the ancient method to be cast all in one piece to highlight Cellini`s technical mastery, and Cellini`s Vita (auto-biography) he declares he want it to be `the finest piece in the pieza`. The inherent competitive element in the complex technical mastery of subject is typical characteristic in Mannerist artists. This is also why to surpass David, and antique sculpture, Cellini designed the sculpture with eight principle viewpoints. He achieves this by modelling an exaggerated contrapposto that twists in space. The elegance and grace this generates is emphasised by the Patina to highlight the rendering of muscles that are further empahsised in contrast to the splayed limbs of the decapitated female below. Medusa`s blood and Perseus`s hair are intricately modeled in a decorative fashion which highlights Cellini`s past training as a goldsmith.

Compared to the heroic muscular nudes in Florence, Titian`s Venus of Urbino reflects the regional style in Venice that favored sensuous, feminine flesh and warm colours. The image depicts a reclining female nude in the foreground, a pose that is passive and alluring. She takes up a third of the upper lower composition and the bed takes up the lower third. A tiled pavement leads the eye through into the right hand side of the painting by linear perspective to a central point above the genitals. This recalls the perspective device recommended by Alberti in his book ‘On Painting’ 1435, showing Titians keeping of Renaissance values in Venice despite, the emergence of Mannerism in Rome and Florence. Two handmaids have opened the marriage chest and they occupy square of the composition. This juxta poses with the dark square behind the nude on her left hand side. The nude woman`s pose with her hand resting on her genitals recalls the Venus Pudica pose in the Aphrodite of Cindus by Proxalites in which the Medici had a copy. Titian would have been aware of this therefore highlights Titian exploring the tension between modesty and seduction. Henceforth it becomes slightly ironic if this is a pose of modesty as the central vertical division, tilted heads of the handmaids, the hand placement and tiled pavement all draw attention to genitals. Whereas Giorgione`s Sleeping Venus which Titian later finished she is occupying the Venus Pudica pose of modesty.

The frontal illumination of Venus projects her forward, drawing attention to her pose that is framed by her red skin tones onher calf and face. The stfumato is inherited from Girogione, one of Titians contemporaries it reinforces her unblemished tranquility of the flesh, much like the highly polished flesh of David and Persues. The repeating use of red in the flesh ‘’retains the individual brilliance of each hue yet relates it tonally to the rest’ (L.Freedman) Titian is demonstrating his application of Albertis theory of conncinitas ‘’each part separate yet relates to the whole’’ in the mode of colour, in line with the colore style in Venice. Whereas Disegno is used to achieve concinitas in Rome and Florence, such as in David where his accurately rendered engaged and relaxed muscles are separate yet relate to the whole anatomy of the figure.

The window with the classical column is perhaps Titians reference o mythology in the setting to compliment the Venus. The revealed crepuscular sky silhouettes the tree and myrtle to help bridge the divide between the dark square of colour. The red on the bed and roses repeats on maiden’s dresses and the green in rose repeats in the green of the marriage chest. This tonally unites the foreground and background while the red roses reinforce erotic overtones, mimicked by the myrtle plant on the window ledge. This plant is a justified attribute to Venus and also a symbol of fidelity in marriage. Therefore the marriage symbols suggest a propriety and alignment with the High Renaissance value of decorum in her overt nudity, much like the small genitals on David. This is also expressed in the calm subdued atmosphere which is indicated by the open body language of the female and her soft gaze towards welcoming the viewer (private patron, Duke of Camerino) into the 16th century interior. While the Donna Ignuda was not uncommon in Venice this is the first female nude to be fully occupied in her active relationship with the viewer as oppose to engage in a larger narrative or other figures. But Titian may be recalling the image from the previous century were on the caissone lids there would be decorations of reclining female nudes which on the context of marriage and a mythological veil, elevates the purity of the eroticism present. Manets Olympia in 1863 is a symmetrical deposit of the same ideas.

To conclude, David and Perseus reflect the favor for heroic male nudes in Florence, in the High Renaissance and Mannerist style, whereas, Titian identifies with the warm sensuous pallet in the colore style in Venice. Titians Venus of Urbino representation is not loaded with the same political cannon as David and Persues Slaying Medusa because Venice had political stability and was unaffected by the changing governments and political instability that we see in the other Italian States.

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