Florence Art Between 1370 and 1430
Renowned for its flourishing Renaissance spirit, Florence witnessed a remarkable era of innovation and creativity.
Between 1370 and 1430, Florence, the vibrant Italian city, thrived as a hub of artistic, cultural, and intellectual advancement.
Amidst political intrigues, economic prosperity, and patronage of the arts by influential families like the Medici, Florence became a crucible of creativity, setting the stage for an extraordinary artistic and intellectual renaissance that would forever shape history.
Visionary artists like Giotto, Masaccio, and Brunelleschi left an indelible mark on the city’s landscape, while luminaries like Petrarch and Boccaccio enriched its literary heritage.
With some of the world’s best museums and art galleries, Florence (Firenze in Italian) is a small city rich in culture. In addition to being the cradle of the Renaissance, the city is an outdoor museum.
Located on the first floor of the Accademia Gallery in Florence, you will find Florence between 1370 and 1430, featuring a collection of Florentine paintings from that period.
The newly renovated floor offers a tranquil setting, ideal for appreciating the treasures from the late Gothic Florentine period.
It is notably less crowded than the ground floor, offering a more peaceful experience.
Like the Florentine Gothic hall, this floor is nearly entirely devoted to religious imagery and the Florentine collection religious statues.
The hall exhibits more panels, altarpieces, and several exquisite works of art created on cloth rather than the typical wood.
It houses artwork by Jacopo di Cione, Don Silvestro Gherarducci, Giovanni del Biondo, Mariotto di Nardo, Spinello Aretino, and Lorenzo Monaco.
Spend some hours at the Accademia with the guided tour for a richer experience of Italian art from the late 14th to 16th century.
Vestibule
Jacopo di Cione’s panels and a splendid gold-backed Madonna and Child by Don Silvestro of Gherarducci are in the modest vestibule.
The Massacre of the Innocents is one of Jacopo di Cione’s (workshop) most moving pieces.
In the Madonna of Humility by Don Silvestro, you can see the Virgin carrying the Child in her arms as he affectionately reaches for his mother’s breast while sitting on a cushion.
The intricate blue mantle edge and numerous punch marks used to embellish the beautiful robe are evidence of Silvestro’s technical expertise making the painting exceptionally valuable.
Central Hall
The main hall houses some large-scale paintings ordered by some of the wealthiest Florentine Guilds for the altars of churches and monasteries in the city.
These artworks depict the social-economic and religious aspects of Florentine life.
The altarpieces have rich gilded frames enriched with spires, pinnacles, pillars, and shrines whose slender shapes relate to sophisticated and exquisite Gothic architecture.
Here you can find remarkable paintings of impressive quality by artists like Giovanni del Biondo, Mariotto di Nardo, Spinello Aretino and Lorenzo Monaco.
- Annunciation with the Blessing God Father by Giovanni del Biondo
The main subject of one of the most intricate and opulent altarpieces is the Annunciation with the Blessing Father surrounded by multiple angels and saints in several of the altar’s peaks.
- Annunciation and Saints by Lorenzo Monaco
The Annunciation in the work’s central panel is topped by a tondo showing God the Father observing the dramatic scene below and two groups of saints to the sides.
- Coronation of the Virgin
‘Coronation of the Virgin’, produced in 1401, is a collective effort by artists Lorenzo di Niccol di Martino, Spinello Aretino, and Niccol di Pietro Gerini.
In this piece, the angels at the Virgin’s feet are playing various musical instruments, including drums, bagpipes, and wind instruments.
- Coronation of the Virgin, eight angels and fourteen saints by Jacopo Cambi
‘Coronation of the Virgin, eight angels and fourteen saints’ is an exquisitely preserved linen cloth richly embellished with gold and silver polychrome silk threads.
Created by Jacopo Cambi in 1336, it shows the value of Florence’s embroidery culture, which flourished during the 14th century and gained widespread acclaim outside the Florentine Republic.
Hall of the International Gothic
The Hall of the International Gothic is a section of the exhibition located further into the hall and up a flight of stairs.
This section displays the works of foreign and Florentine artists who have widely traveled abroad.
Lorenzo Monaco is a well-known Florentine painter active from the end of the 14th century to the beginning of the 1420s, represented by several significant pieces in this collection.
One of Florence’s key works of the International Gothic style is Gherardo Starnina’s Madonna and Child with Saints.
Each delicate figure in Starnina’s attractive works expresses religious devotion, elevated by clean blue, pink, and violet colors that create the impression of a heavenly world aglow with light.
Featured Image: Finestresullarte.info