Over the course of his career, Andrea del Sarto (1486–1530) created altarpieces rich in theological complexity, elegant in formal execution, and dazzlingly brilliant in chromatic impact. This book investigates the spiritual dimensions of those works, focusing on six highly-significant panels. According to Steven J. Cody, the beauty and splendor of Andrea’s paintings speak to a profound engagement with Christian theories of spiritual renewal — an engagement that only intensified as Andrea matured into one of the most admired artists of his time. From this perspective, 'Andrea del Sarto — Splendor and Renewal in the Renaissance Altarpiece' not only shines new light on a painter who has long deserved more scholarly attention; it also offers up fresh insights regarding the Renaissance altarpiece itself.
Author(s): Steven J. Cody
Series: Brill's Studies in Intellectual History, 314. Brill’s Studies on Art, Art History, and Intellectual History, 47
Publisher: Brill
Year: 2020
Language: English
Pages: 312
City: Leiden
Acknowledgments
Illustrations
Introduction
1. Painted Mysteries
2. The Painter without Errors
3. Andrea and the Monographic Tradition
4. Art, Renewal, and Reform
Chapter 1. Sight and Touch in the 'Noli me tangere'
1. Touching Christ
2. Flesh and Facture
3. Figures and 'Figurae'
Chapter 2. The Sweetness of the 'San Gallo Annunciation'
1. Conceiving Christ
2. 'A Sweet Word, but a Sweeter Act'
3. Gloria
Chapter 3. Light from the Light of the 'Madonna of the Harpies'
1. The Pursuit of Brilliance
2. 'Like a Divine Fire'
3. 'The Supreme Illumination of our Mind'
4. Among the Visionaries
Chapter 4. Sight and Sighs in the 'Disputation on the Trinity'
1. Paradigms of Renewal
2. Among the Visionaries, Again
3. Attending to Color
Chapter 5. The Splendor of the Luco 'Pietà'
1. Christ’s Death in Living Memory
2. The Bread of Life in Living Color
3. The Manner of Christ’s Death
Chapter 6. Light from the Shadows in the 'Gambassi Altarpiece'
1. Spiritual Transactions
2. Embodied Prayer
3. To 'Rest in the Shadow of the Almighty'
Epilogue
Bibliography
Index
