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Period: Jan 1, 1550 to
Lykins Art 623
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Apr 1, 1555
The Florintine Piata
The identity of Nicodemus was formed in the likeness of Michelangelo. It identified him in spirit to Reformation. Michelangelo imitated the story of Nicodemus. He secretly organized Reformation. He tolerated the Catholic Church’s dependency on its value of good works. However, Michelangelo believed spiritualism reflected the nature of man’s work. He repressed his identity compiling with Pope Paul IV’s demand, repressing his form of beauty. Michelangelo attempted to destroy his spirituality. -
Jan 1, 1558
Prophetiae Sibyllarum
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Orlande de Lassus presented this motet to Albrecht V in Munich. The harmonic idiom represented past cultural, Greek Sibylline prophecies, and the present chromaticism. The Greek Sibylline prophets, similar to the oracle at Delphi, told of conditionals of future battles. The chromaticism was different tones composers formed in their motet. Lassus formed melody with sibylline prophecy into minor tones behind the instrumental major thirds. -
Apr 1, 1560
Uffizi Palace
The Piazza degli Uffizi served as grand court to Cosimo I. A part of his duties included weddings. The U shaped Mannerist structure opened to the public as a garden, giving the wedding guest an aesthetic experience. Vasari intended the structure’s function as a stage and theater for a wedding party’s presentation. Later, it served as a theater for some of the most performers. -
Apr 1, 1563
Tower of Babel
The Tower of Babel represented cultural humus in that the structure seemed to form out of a mountain represented as nature. However, the structure appeared unfinished in the likeness of the continuously changing culture. The most distinguished point centered on the stone emerging from the top of the tower. This represented the humus of society falling into its self with its own distruction -
Apr 1, 1566
Stari Most
The Stari Most constructed by Mimar Hayruddin in a historic Ottoman style stood as a symbol of solidarity joining the multi-cultural and multi-ethnic strains of Bosnians, Croats, Serbs, Muslims, Christians, and Jews together with a sense of heterogeneous mixture. The bridge was destroyed in 1994; however, the World Bank funded its renovation and the bridge was inaugurated on July 23, 2004. The bridge provided Mostar its identity maintaining peace between muti-cultures. -
Apr 5, 1568
Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects
Giorgio Vasari constructed biographies on 133 lives of artist based on the epitaphs placed on the artists’ tomb. The most famous of artist described was Michelangelo who died in 1564. This practice of placing poetry on artists’ tombs originated beyond Homer’s time frame. Homer described Zeus’ son Sarpedon being honored as such in the Iliad. Furthermore, Plato suggested the content be no more than four verses. -
Apr 1, 1569
Mercator's Map
Gerhardt Mercator constructed this illustration dividing parallel borders with right angles significant of one degree. He showed his work to Mr. Edward Wright who found it genius in nature to mathematics that was furiously growing around navigation. Mr. Wright took the map onto himself to publish, but was embarrassed to conclude its mathematical equivalence. Later, mathematicians such as Isaac Newton examined the maps design, but could not abstract its mathematical genius. -
Apr 1, 1569
The Rape of Sabine
Giambologna was never commissioned to for this piece of work. The work was purchased by the Duke Francesco after it was nearly completed. Giambologna never names the work. Borghini claims that Giambologna passes the chore of naming his work on to the writers. This concept illustrates the artist’s imaginary art as a non existence. -
Apr 1, 1581
Ballet Comique de la Reine
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Brantomes choreographed sixteen girls costumed as the sixteen provinces of France. The ballerinas danced around a rock centered on the stage. The ballerinas formed an imaginary labyrinth. They weaved in an out of each other drawing a path with their feet. The rock represented Anchises’ tomb, a character from Virgil. The ballerinas represented his granddaughters playing funeral games, enchanting his tomb from evil spirits’ decent. -
A Festive Dance
John White explored Roanoke Island, North Carolina with Sir Walter Raleigh. They encountered the Algonquian Indians inhibiting the island. White illustrated the Algonquian Indians’ village and their habits and rituals in watercolors. White documented the customs and natural environment of the Algonquian Indians with fine detail. White returned to England to present his work then return to the island a year later, but all evidence of the colony he left a year ago had vanishes. -
Entombment of the Count of Orgaz
El Greco was commissioned by Andres Nunez, the Cardinal-Archbishop of Toledo, to replace the old tomb of Don Gonzalo, Senor to Orgaz. The church imposed a binding contract specifying El Greco’s design juxtaposed the past with the present. El Greco interrupted his contract with the content the church required, but El Greco formed his present mannerist style lying under the Byzantine Deesis as a representation of the past position to the present. -
Boy Bitten by Lizard
Caravaggio reproduced a mirrored image of himself. The portrait identified certain angles the boy was positioned had reflected a mirrored image of the artist. The anguished look on the boys face imitated the long hours Caravaggio must had spent looking over his shoulder. The lizard biting into the boy’s finger represented the artist paintbrush that caused the artist pain. There was a controversial suggestion of homosexuality that stemmed from the boy’s famine features. -
Midsummer Night’s Dream
William Shakespeare develops one half of fairy characters in the traditional sense of Greek mythology, but he marries the Greek goddess to a Middle Eastern philosophy. The story portrays the King of fairies origins in the Eastern hemisphere with a military persona. The fairy queen forms a likeness of classical goddess Diana with a charismatic personality. The married couple argue over control of a child that may represent the borders that separate the two hemispheres. -
King John
William Shakespeare controversial play illustrated uncertain parallels of Judas Iscariot. There were many critics who saw King John as the cursed Judas, turning his back on Church; however, the monk closely paralleled Judas’ traits, turning his back on the king hence a replica of Christ. -
Sacrae Symphoniae (Kyrie)
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Giovanni Gabrieli juxtaposition creates a powerful finish in his musical creations. In particular, Kyrie reaches a huge climax with its rising voice. Gabrieli begins with five voices harmonizing to simple cords for the first invocation. He then increases the voices in the second invocation to eight giving Kyrie’s performance a spiritual lift. In the final invocation he lifts the spirit higher with twelve voices harmonizing to Kyrie. -
The Peony Pavilion
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Tang Xianzu staged tragedy a young couple experienced in 55 scenes of Kunqu opera. The story mimicked Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. However, Tang Xianzu continued after Du Liniang’s death, reflecting Juliet’s, suicide. She continued in death, pursuing her true love in spirit. Tang Xianzu illustrated how love’s true passion began in spirit before real passion of love took a human form.
