|
Description:
| An introduction to the history and art of Florence in its most celebrated century. This course surveys various aspects of the life of Republican Florence through the rise of the financial empire of the Medici, the moral reform movement of Savonarola, and the politics of young Machiavelli. It will examine the contemporary evolution of the arts, from the classical inspiration of sculptors Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, and Donatello, the first formulation of the rules of perspective, and the landmark work of painters Masaccio and Fra Angelico to their influence on the later fifteenth-century artists.
Attention will be given, in particular, to the impact of developments in church and state on intellectual and artistic activity. The architecture of Brunelleschi and Michelozzo, a turning point in the history of design, will form the setting for our discussions and daily strolls. In addition, two out-of-town excursions, including a visit to Medici villas, are planned.
|
