CHAPTER 21—THE RENAISSANCE IN QUATTROCENTO ITALY
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. In 1401 an important competition was held to determine the design of the Baptistery doors for the
Cathedral of Florence. Even at this early date Renaissance traits were evident. Which of the following
is one of those traits?
a.
adherence to the 14th century frame
b.
a new pictorial illusionism
c.
maintaining artist anonymity
d.
humility of civic pride
2. Ghiberti’s competitive panel for the Baptistery doors of the Florence Cathedral shows classical
references that reflect influences of humanism. Which of the following is a classical reference seen on
Ghiberti’s panel?
a.
the drapery flowing from the body of Isaac
b.
the elongated S curve of Isaac’s body
c.
the profusion of cloth puddled around Abraham
d.
the naked figure of Isaac
3. In Ghiberti’s Isaac and his Sons from the east doors of the Baptistery, he arranged the figures in front
of grandiose architecture. Which of the following architects stated, “the grandeur of the architecture
reflects the dignity of the events shown in the foreground”?
a.
Michelozzo
b.
Brunelleschi
c.
Alberti
d.
Andrea da Sangallo
4. Which of the following describes the Medieval narrative method?
a.
presenting several episodes in a single frame
b.
presenting several episodes in sequential frames
c.
presenting several episodes in multiple round frames
d.
presenting several episodes framed by Doric columns
5. Which of the following describes Ghiberti’s use of the Medieval narrative method in his Baptistery
panel?
a.
The figures on either side gracefully turn in opposite directions.
b.
The figures gracefully move in the same direction.
c.
The figures in varying degrees of projection and postures, move gracefully through a
convincing stage space.
d.
The center figures point to the sides and include them in the dialogue.
6. Which of the following artists actively collected Classical sculpture?
a.
Nanni di Banco
b.
Ghiberti
c.
Brunelleschi
d.
Gentile da Fabriano
7. Which of the following works represented the beginning of the process of separating architectural
sculpture from its architectural setting or niche?
a.
Bronze doors, Baptistery, Florence Cathedral
b.
Portal South Transept, Chartres Cathedral
c.
13th century statues, West Front, Reims Cathedral
d.
Four Crowned Saints, Or San Michele
8. By ____ Donatello revolutionized relief sculpture in his image of Saint George Slaying the Dragon.
a.
placing his work in a quatrefoil
b.
gilding the surface
c.
creating an atmospheric effect using incised lines
d.
including many episodes of one scene
9. How does Gentile da Fabriano reconcile the Adoration of the Magi with the current trends in
Florentine Renaissance art?
a.
He included a classical nude in the predella scene of the Flight into Egypt.
b.
He used a “modern” architectural setting for the Adoration scene.
c.
The background scene of the Adoration is the classical Roman countryside.
d.
He depicted animals from a variety of angles and foreshortened their forms convincingly.
10. How did Masaccio create a sense of bulk for his figures in the Tribute Money?
a.
through modeling with a specific light source outside the picture
b.
through modeling with a flat neutral light
c.
through modeling with an identifiable light source within the picture
d.
through modeling
11. In Masaccio’s Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden Adam’s feet clearly come into contact with the
ground. Which of the following is the interpretation for this?
a.
It marks the Original Sin.
b.
It marks the human presence on earth.
c.
It marks the direction the viewer must proceed in the chapel.
d.
It points the viewer toward the theme of Salvation and Redemption.
12. In Masaccio’s Trinity there is a coffered barrel-vault reminiscent of which of the following?
a.
The Baths of Diocletian
b.
The Pantheon
c.
A Roman triumphal arch
d.
The Basilica of Constantine
13. In Masaccio’s Trinity, he embodies two principal Renaissance interests. One is realism based on
observation. Which of the following is the other?
a.
It is the application of mathematics to pictorial organization of perspective.
b.
It is the use of antique elements as components of the work.
c.
It is the introduction of the donors into the context of the work.
d.
It is using architecture as a frame.
14. In Masaccio’s Trinity, the vanishing point can be found at which of the following?
a.
between the dove of the Holy Spirit and God the Father
b.
above the head of God the Father
c.
at the foot of the Cross
d.
on the face of the Crucified Christ
15. Which of the following artists was the winner of the famous competition for the bronze doors of the
Florence Baptistery?
a.
Donatello
b.
Ghiberti
c.
Brunelleschi
d.
Nanni di Banco
16. Which of the following architects wrote influential treatises on painting and architecture?
a.
Brunelleschi
b.
Michelozzo
c.
Alberti
d.
Vitruvius
17. Which of the following was the Dominican painter-friar who combined elements of the new style of
art with traditional religious devotional works that did not conflict with the content of the works?
a.
Piero della Francesca
b.
Pollaiuolo
c.
Fra Angelico
d.
Fra Filippo Lippi
18. The fifteenth-century Italian artist whose work showed the most influence of the International style
was ____.
a.
Masaccio
b.
Gentile da Fabriano
c.
Andrea del Castagno
d.
Pollaiuolo
19. Which of the following individuals denounced humanist philosophy?
a.
Marsilio Ficino
b.
Piero della Francesca
c.
Savonarola
d.
Lorenzo de’ Medici
20. The development of linear perspective is generally credited to ____.
a.
Donatello
b.
Brunelleschi
c.
Uccello
d.
Ghiberti
21. Which of Brunelleschi’s buildings comes the closest to the centralized plan so loved by Renaissance
architects?
a.
Ospedale degli Innocenti
b.
Palazzo Medici-Riccardi
c.
Pazzi Chapel
d.
Santo Spirito
22. Which Italian city played the most important role in the development of Renaissance ideas and art
forms in the early fifteenth century?
a.
Venice
b.
Florence
c.
Siena
d.
Rome
23. Which of the following accounts for the decline in the role Florence played in the support of the arts at
the end of the 15th century?
a.
death of Lorenzo de’Medici
b.
incursion of the French armies
c.
death of Masaccio
d.
Savonarola’s brief span of power
24. Which of the following was the most prominent patron of fifteenth-century Florentine art?
a.
Medici family
b.
Pazzi family
c.
Riccardi family
d.
Gonzaga family
25. The style of Ghiberti can be characterized as a rhythmic, unified system for depicting space. He is
further credited with which of the following?
a.
heavy reliance on Medieval sculptural elements
b.
continued use of Gothic frames
c.
realism in characterization, movement, and surface detail
d.
posing his figures in the architectural space he created
26. Which of the following artists departed from the rule of frontality that dominated sculpture since the
Middle Ages?
a.
Piero della Francesca
b.
Paolo Uccello
c.
Pollaiuolo
d.
Andrea del Castagno
27. The Classical principle of contrapposto, or weight shift, was reintroduced into Western art by the
sculptor ____.
a.
Ghiberti
b.
Verrocchio
c.
Pollaiuolo
d.
Donatello
28. The duke of Mantua commissioned the frescoes of the Camera degli Sposi from Mantegna for which
of the following purposes?
a.
To memorialize courtly life
b.
To create a visual expression of his authority
c.
To challenge the Medici as the leading patron of the arts in Italy
d.
to create a tribute to his wife
29. In Perugino’s Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St. Peter, the artist has reminded the
viewer of the link between Constantine, St. Peter, and the basilica of St. Peter. Which of the following
is the vehicle used as that reminder?
a.
the triumphal arches in the background
b.
the Pantheon -like temple in the background
c.
the key dangling from Peter‘s hand
d.
the great marble piazza in the background
30. Which of the following describes the style of Fra Angelico?
a.
lush and opulent
b.
scientifically precise
c.
simple and direct
d.
dynamic and complex
31. Which of the following artists was most interested in depicting the human body in violent action?
a.
Fra Angelico
b.
Signorelli
c.
Mantegna
d.
Perugino
SLIDE IDENTIFICATION
Select the response that identifies or corresponds best to the image on the screen.
32. (Figure 21-31)
a.
Alberti
b.
Michelozzo
c.
Lombardo
d.
Brunelleschi
33. (Figure 21-1)
a.
Botticelli
b.
Fra Angelico
c.
Filippo Lippi
d.
Castagno
34. (Figure 21-26)
a.
Mantegna
b.
Perugino
c.
Ghirlandaio
d.
Botticelli
35. (Figure 21-45)
a.
Mantua
b.
Rimini
c.
Florence
d.
Urbino
36. (Figure 21-2)
a.
door panel Siena Cathedral
b.
door panel St. Peter’s, Rome
c.
competitive panel Santa Croce
d.
competitive panel Baptistery, Florence
37. (Figure 21-10)
a.
Donatello
b.
Ghiberti
c.
Brunelleschi
d.
Pollaiuolo
38. (Figure 21-30A)
a.
Alberti
b.
Ghiberti
c.
Brunelleschi
d.
Michelozzo
39. (Figure 21-41)
a.
Mantegna
b.
Perugino
c.
Signorelli
d.
Botticelli
40. (Figure 21-12)
a.
Rossellino
b.
Desiderio
c.
Verrocchio
d.
Donatello
41. (Figure 21-37)
a.
Brunelleschi
b.
Michelozzo
c.
Alberti
d.
Sangallo
42. (Figure 21-36)
a.
Pazzi Chapel
b.
Ospedale degli Innocenti
c.
Santo Spirito
d.
Santa Maria delle Carceri
43. (Figure 21-17)
a.
Leonardo Bruni
b.
Gattamelata
c.
Colleoni
d.
Pippo Spano
44. (Figure 21-49)
a.
Sacra conversazione
b.
di sotto in sù
c.
chiaroscuro
d.
entablature
45. (Figure 21-5)
a.
St. Mark
b.
David
c.
St. Sebastian
d.
St. James
46. (Figure 21-4)
a.
Donatello
b.
Nanni di Banco
c.
Verrocchio
d.
Pollaiuolo
47. (Figure 21-29A)
a.
Mantegna
b.
Perugino
c.
Signorelli
d.
Botticelli
48. (Figure 21-15)
a.
Rossellino
b.
Desiderio
c.
Verrocchio
d.
Donatello
49. (Figure 21-49A)
a.
Ghirlandaio
b.
Perugino
c.
Mantegna
d.
Botticelli
50. (Figure 21-37A)
a.
Rome
b.
Florence
c.
Venice
d.
Pisa
51. (Figure 21-41A)
a.
Piero Della Francesca
b.
Melozzo Da Forli
c.
Ghirlandaio
d.
Botticelli
SHORT ANSWER
1. In Castagno’s Last Supper, where does Judas appear and why?
2. Who was Erasmo da Narni, and what was his nickname? Explain its significance.
3. The Ruccellai family commissioned a new facade for Santa Maria Novella a thirteenth century
Florentine church. Why is the façade significant?
4. What was the function of Fra Angelico’s Annunciation?
5. Who was Savonarola?
6. What is the significance of Perugino’s Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St. Peter?
7. What was the importance to an artist of a papal invitation to Rome?
8. Why was Mantua important to art history in this period?
9. How was Signorelli influential?
10. What is significant about Nanni di Banco’s Four Crowned Saints?
11. Why is the subject of Piero della Francesca’ Resurrection atypical for its location?
12. What does the interior of Santo Spirito exemplify?
13. How did Masaccio impact 15th century Florence?
14. What features characterize the work of Domenico Ghirlandaio?
15. How did Donatello shift interest in the depiction of the nude?
16. Briefly describe the contributions of Lorenzo de’ Medici.
17. How was the Medici commission of the statues of David significant?
18. Describe linear perspective.
19. What caused a revival of portraiture in the fifteenth century?
20. How did Gentile da Fabriano reflect the International style in the first half of the fifteenth century?
ESSAY
1. Describe Donatello’s innovations in the sculpture of the fifteenth century. Use examples to support
your essay.
2. Explain the effect Florentine patronage had on the development of fifteenth-century art. Use at least
three examples to support your essay.
3. Describe the impact humanism and its attendant philosophy had on the subject matter of Italian artists.
Use examples to support your essay.
4. Contrast the work of Donatello and Verrocchio. How does each artist respond to the aesthetics of the
Renaissance tradition? Use examples to support your essay.
5. How does this statement by Ghiberti, “I strove to imitate nature as closely as I could…” reflect the
development of art in fifteenth century Italy? Use examples to support your essay.
6. How does the Trinity by Masaccio express 15th century Renaissance humanism? Include in your essay
examples from two other artists who express the same humanist ideals. Did they express humanism in
the same way? Use examples to support your essay.
7. How did perspective shape Renaissance art? Discuss three examples.
8. How did central-plan church design express Renaissance ideals? How did architects reflect
Renaissance ideals using other church plans? Use examples to support your essay.
9. Explain the extent to which Alberti realized the principles of his theoretical writings in the architecture
of specific buildings he designed.
10. How did the competition for the Baptistery doors of the Cathedral of Florence shape the Renaissance
tradition in 15th century Italy? Use examples to support your essay.
OTHER
SLIDE QUESTIONS
1. What are the Roman and Northern European influences seen in this work? How did Piero come into
contact with them?
2. What features of this tomb make direct reference back to ancient Roman motifs?
3. How did this artist “temper naturalism with artistic license”?
4. How does Verrocchio’s statue serve as a counterpoint to Donatello’s?
5. How does the renovation of this church by Alberti demonstrate his ideas about Classical form and
harmonic relationships between parts?
6. How is this portrait significant?
7. How did the artist deviate from his model in this sculpture?
8. How do these images symbolize Florence?
9. How does the work represent logical space?
10. What major change had taken place in the representation of pictorial space as seen in this work?
11. In what ways does the plan of this building reflect the ideal forms of Renaissance architecture?