Italian Renaissance Research Paper

The Italian Renaissance was a momentous time period for all things to do with the arts

and culture. Art was branching into other avenues far from just being expressionism. It became

a “statement” whether it be political, social, or economical, there was a message to be

conveyed to a particular party. In a sense “Italian Renaissance” is to broad of a term in a

historically and culturally. Each region and city-state within Italy experienced the Renaissance is

different ways. Moreover, the same could be said about the state of affairs in Renaissance

Venice. In contrast to other city-states within Italy, Venice was an independent state; it was

most importantly a maritime empire.

The Venetian Renaissance bore a group of fine artists,
including The Bellini Brothers,

Gentile and Giovani, Titian, and others that traveled in and around Venice. Thus, the Venetian

school of artistry was established during the period. Among other subjects, these artists were

interested in depicting people in authoritative positions. Likewise, Bellini’s often portrayed

singular Doge’s and others in positions of power through paintings. These artists used

symbolism and other techniques, including visibility to the public to convey power and

authority. This research essay will employ various primary and secondary sources to answer a

research question: How did artwork reflect power and authority of the Venetian Republic

during the Renaissance?

Several aspects of the central research question will be explored through this

essay. I would like to further examine the reasons why these artists chose to depict these

officers, were they commissioned or was it by choice. Furthermore, I would like to analyze the

importance of who could see these works. Were the most opulent of architecture and artistry

reserved for those in positions of higher power? Moreover, why did the people of the lower

classes need to see this work? Did these paintings and imposing buildings serve as propaganda?

One big question that will be examined is, why would these artists chose to paint

authoritative figures of the time. Did they choose to focus on these figures or were the painting

commissioned? A key factor to these questions will be finding the connection between artistry

and government. In his article, “Images of Power: Art and Pageantry in Renaissance Venice.”

Edward Muir articulates, “The capacity of the visual arts to convey beguiling impressions

entranced Renaissance rulers, grave republican patricians and princely dandies alike, and

artistic patronage became an arm of the government.” This depicts just how influential art was

in the period.

Another vital point of analysis is how viewable were these works, were they only

accessible to the elite classes or did the artists and owners of the art want it to be seen by the

masses? Obviously the outward architecture of Venetian buildings such as the Ducal Palace and

the Cathedral of Saint Mark were seen by people of all classes, but what was made private, if

anything? In the monograph Art and Life in Renaissance Venice by Patricia Fortini Brown, the

author distinguishes, “Ninety-five percent of the population who were not allowed to

participate in the exercise of political power, there were important arenas of participation that helped to ensure a domestic tranquility for which Venice was acclaimed a the Serenissima, the

most serene Republic.”

It is essential to explore art and architecture of the Venetian Renaissance period to

determine the importance of power and authority of the republic. Venice was a unique and

eclectic nation-state that was different than any other in Renaissance Italy. The research

question was formulated under the assumption that the Doge’s and other officials’ in

Renaissance Venice displayed their wealth and authority through the opulent architecture and

the bounteous amount of luxurious artwork that defined the region.

What led you to be interested in it?

It was extremely difficult to find primary sources to utilize for this project. Most of the

primary sources that were found ended up being written in Italian. Since I do not speak Italian,

it was a dead end. After hours of online research, I was able to find some reputable sources to

utilize.
A copious amount of artwork that is original to the period was found. Two paintings that

were applicable to the topic were both crafted by Giovanni Bellini. The first being, The Doge

Leonardo Loredan and Portrait of a Young Man in Senator’s Garb.

The Commonwealth and Government of Venice by Cardinal Galper Contareno and

translated into English by Lewes Lewkenor Elquire will be not only useful as a firsthand account

of Venice at the time, but also a wealth of knowledge about the governing bodies therein.

Horatio Brown edited a collection of documents and correspondence pertaining to Venice and

English Affairs in Venice. His collection, State Papers and Manuscripts, Relating to

English Affairs Existing in the Archives and Collections of Venice and in Other Libraries of

Northern Italy, can give a unique perspective from someone from a foreign land.

A diverse pool of secondary sources will be used to analyze the research question

through the perspective of other historians. Various monographs and other books will be

important in fleshing out major themes in this time period and about this subject. Monographs

like, The Art of Renaissance Venice: Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting, 1460-1590,
by

Norbert Huse and Wolfgang Wolters will be a good source in the fact that it contains

information about the Renaissance itself, information about Venice singularly, about Venetian

government and about the artists of the period.

Peter Burke authored an important monograph, The Italian Renaissance: Culture and

Society in Italy. This will be important in establishing cultural and social differences in Italy at

the time, providing a background on the issues. Monographs on political history in Venice will

also be exploited in the investigation of the Venetian government officials.
Some of these

monographs include Edward Muir’s Civic Ritual in Renaissance Venice and Representing

Justice: Invention, Controversy, and Rights in City-States and Democratic Courtrooms by Judith

Resnik and Dennis Curtis.

Ample scholarly articles will be used to examine more specific issues. Stanley

Chojnacki’s “Social Identity in Renaissance Venice: The Second Serrata”, Elizabeth

Horodowich’s “Civic Identity and the Control of Blasphemy in Sixteenth Century Venice” and

Claire Judde De Larivière’s “The ‘Public’ and the ‘Private’ in the Sixteenth-Century Venice” will

be essential in the discussion of social class in Venice, specifically, in differentiating who was

depicted in these portraits, more importantly who was not and furthermore, who was able to

view this lavish artwork and architecture. The most important scholarly article that will be

utilized in terms of power and authority in imagery is Edward Muir’s “Images of Power: Art and

Pageantry in Renaissance Venice”, seeing as the research question is implying that these

“images” paintings, sculptures and architecture are all displayed as descriptions of
power,

Muir’s article will be a central resource.