Patronage During the Renaissance
Written By: Amayah Meas
The rebirth of culture, architecture, science, and arts during the Renaissance was the central focus of society starting in the early 14th century. It was a way for people to connect among common beliefs about the world and its creation, along with its creators. This fascination led to the rise and priority of patronage of the arts across society. Much of the middle class embraced patronage due to the explosion of interest in literature and creativity. Wealthy patrons (clients who commissioned or bought artwork) held an unspoken authority in society as well, due to their high-class status and power driven by money. During the Renaissance, patronage of the arts was fueled by societal devotion to religion and scholarship and was a way for high class socialites to show off their status.
Although architecture was not as prominent during the Early Renaissance due to the lack of engineering skills and knowledge, scarce luxurious buildings were still present and held the noblest of society. In Florence there existed the Medici family, a group of wealthy merchants with immense power and leadership in the realm of intellectual and artistic patronage. Cosimo the Elder of the Medici family commissioned Michelozzo di Bartolomeo to construct the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, a grand palazzo, or palace, of residence that also served as their place of business and gathering for important political figures. Although they were not societal leaders by law, their high-class status unofficially named the Medici rulers of Florence, and their palazzo delivered this message effectively to all of Florence and beyond, sparking conversation among its passersby and ultimately being noted on the same level of nobility as other grand cathedrals at the time. The Medici are not physically displayed on the building itself, but its rustic stone block architecture and detail of sgraffito work clearly manifests their authority while also incorporating Classical elements inspired by ancient Roman ruins and referencing the antiquity, harmony, and ideality of early Renaissance architecture.
Palazzo Medici Riccardi
Michelozzo di Bartolomeo
1446 – 1460
Rusticated stone block architecture
Early Italian Renaissance
Over in Rome, Pope Julius II commissioned Florentine sculptor Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in 1508. Although not pleased with the task because of his customary gravitation towards sculpting, Michelangelo nevertheless spent the next four years achingly lying on a mobile wooden scaffolding designed to move across the ceiling in order to paint under the order of a patron of such nobility; the task’s mere difficulty demonstrating the seriousness of artistic patronage during the Renaissance. With the chapel serving as a place of worship, Michelangelo includes numerous scenes from the Bible that beautifully depict classical figures of the Old Testament with an illusionistic marble form that reference his sculpting roots. Individual scenes of the massive ceiling are continuously examined for their subject matter, and its overall creation established a new, powerful style in Renaissance painting.
Sistine Chapel
Michelangelo
1508 – 1512
Fresco
Italian Renaissance
Many wealthy patrons sought to see themselves alongside holy figures in the art they commissioned to demonstrate their religious devotion and connection to Christ. In the latter half of the 15th century, Tommaso Portinari, head of the Medici bank, commissioned Hugo van der Goes to paint a grand altarpiece for the Portinari family chapel. The extraordinarily large triptych is a three-piece set of wooden panels hinged together which display numerous members of the Portinari family praying by the Nativity scene with the newborn Christ, the Virgin Mary and Joseph, and other angels and shepherds (simultaneously making this artwork a donor portrait). The iconography of the Portinari Altarpiece makes it extremely notable to this day, and the prominence of the patron saints displayed by their similarity in scale to that of the holy figures demonstrates the extent to which artistic patronage elevated the lives of people during the Renaissance.
Portinari Altarpiece
Hugo van der Goes
1475 – 1478
Oil on wood panel
Early Italian Renaissance
Patronage is a prevalent theme during the Renaissance that demonstrates the importance of arts during this rebirth of Classical culture in Italy. The extensive accomplishments of artists demonstrate its importance to wealthy patrons who held their high societal status tied to the art they commissioned, concurrently representing the intellectual and religious devotions that fueled the artistic community.
References
The palace. Palazzo Medici Riccardi. (2018, September 13). Retrieved October 15, 2021, from http://www.palazzomediciriccardi.it/en/palace/.
Medici Riccardi Palace. Florence. Retrieved October 15, 2021, from http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/medici_riccardi_palace.html.
Encyclopedia Britannica, inc. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved October 15, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Palazzo-Medici-Riccardi.
Michelangelo's painting of the sistine chapel ceiling. ItalianRenaissance.org. Retrieved October 15, 2021, from http://www.italianrenaissance.org/a-closer-look-michelangelos-painting-of-the-sistine- chapel-ceiling/.
Howard, D. R., & Howard, D. R. Hugo van der Goes, Portinari Altarpiece. Smarthistory. Retrieved October 15, 2021, from https://smarthistory.org/van-der-goes-portinari/.
