Details

ONLINE ART HISTORY COURSE
“Renaissance Popes in the 16th Century: Piety and Patronage Part II”

Part I available on Rocky’s Italy TV: “Renaissance Popes in the 15th Century”

Course Description:

This course will examine the reign and artistic patronage of four High Renaissance popes in the first half of the 16^th century who played a critical role in transforming Rome into Europe’s leading cultural center. From Julius II who reestablished control over the Papal States and began the rebuilding of St. Peter’s Basilica, to Leo X whose abuse of indulgences led to the Protestant Reformation of 1517, to Clement VII who papacy was stained by the Sack of Rome in 1527, to Paul III who summoned the Council of Trent in 1545 to begin the Catholic Counter-Reformation and appointed Michelangelo as head architect of St. Peter’s, these four popes transformed Rome into the permanent capital of Catholicism and a city fit for a king.

We shall explore the extraordinary art, architecture and history produced during the reign of these four popes to fully understand the roles of papal piety and patronage in Renaissance Rome.

Course Objectives:

• To bring a historical period to life through a “hands on” approach to the works of art produced through the patronage of four early Renaissance popes.
• To understand the role that the historical context of 16th-century Rome had on this extraordinary period of artistic production.
• To learn and appreciate the rich and influential aspects of early Renaissance Italian art in Rome in the first half of the 16th century.
• To develop the fundamental skills of art historical analysis that include formal analysis and iconographic interpretation
• To develop an ability to interact in a personal and intimate manner with works of art and their surroundings.

Virtual Classroom: Full access to an online educational platform with videos of recordings and syllabus.

Credits: Certificate of Completion

Location: LIVE INTERACTIVE ON-LINE ART HISTORY LECTURES

Optional Readings:
Information will be provided upon registration.

Complete syllabus will be provided upon registration.

• ALL LECTURES WILL BE RECORDED AND AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT YOUR CONVENIENCE IN OUR VIDEO LIBRARY FOR TWO WEEKS AFTER THE COURSE HAS ENDED.

Schedule

LECTURE 1 – Pope Julius II – “The Most Fortunate Patron in History” 

-Wednesday, May 1:

Pope Julius II (Giuliano della Rovere) reigned as pope from 1503 until 1513. While most of his time was spent leading armies in an attempt to recover lost papal territories, he also found time to commission some of the most important artists in history. Julius hired Bramante to build a new Basilica of St. Peter, Michelangelo to sculpt a tomb for him and paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and Raphael to fresco the walls of his personal apartments. This lecture will explore Julius’ new “Imperial style” where he employed art and architecture on a grand scale to assert papal power and authority and to establish Rome as the capital of a new spiritual empire.

LECTURE 2 – Pope Leo X – “Since God has Given Us the Papacy, Let Us Enjoy It!” 

-Wednesday, May 8:

Second-born son of the celebrated Lorenzo “the Magnificent” de’ Medici, Pope Leo X (Giovanni de’ Medici) was used to a life of opulence and erudition. That luxurious lifestyle carried over into his reign as pope from 1513 until 1521. He used the great wealth accumulated through the sale of indulgences (money in exchange for forgiveness) throughout Christian Europe to employ artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo to increase the prestige of his family and the splendor of Rome, as well as to reward loyal cardinals. This abuse of power led to Martin Luther’s famous “protest” against immoral church practice in 1517. This lecture will not only explore Leo’s artistic legacy as patron in High Renaissance Rome, but also the corrupt papal policy which led to Christianity’s greatest falling out.

LECTURE  3 – Pope Clement VII – “The Most Unfortunate of Popes” 

-Wednesday, May 15:

Elected pope in late 1523, Clement VII (Giulio de’ Medici), who was the son of the murdered Giuliano de’ Medici, had high hopes for his papacy. He sought to unite Christian rulers throughout Europe against the Turkish threat and to free Italy of foreign rulers. But his vacillating allegiance between Europe’s two most powerful rulers, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and King Francis I, ultimately led to the Sack of Rome in 1527 and the pope’s imprisonment. In the same year, he refused Henry VIII’s request for an annulment, setting the stage for the eventual separation of the Church of England. Notwithstanding his political failures, Clement left behind an impressive artistic legacy commissioning Michelangelo’s Laurentian Library and Raphael’s “Transfiguration.”

LECTURE  4 – Pope Paul III – “The Counter-Reformation Pope” 

-Wednesday, May 22:

Pope Paul III (Alessandro Farnese) came into the papacy in 1534, following the turbulent rule of Clement VII. He immediately tried to muster a response to the Protestant threat, but it was not until 1545 that he was able to convene the Council of Trent, which marked the beginning of the Catholic Counter-Reformation (1545-1563). This movement ushered a period of reforms, heresy trials, new religious orders, spiritual movements, and a new artistic philosophy. Paul III was also one of the greatest patrons of the Renaissance commissioning Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment,” Pauline Chapel frescoes, and Capitoline Hill, as well as several portraits by Titian. He also enlarged his magnificent family palace under the direction of Antonio da Sangallo the Younger.