Events

Past Event

Columbia Seminar in the Renaissance: DIANA GISOLFI (Pratt Institute; Director, Pratt in Venice)

March 8, 2022
4:00 PM - 6:15 PM
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Zoom

Cinquecento Façade Frescoes in Venice and descriptions of ancient painted exteriors

Abstract

The Renaissance vogue of frescoing facades of palaces was not limited to Venice and the Veneto, but façade frescoes in Renaissance Venice proliferated after the decision of the Senate in 1505 that statuary and encrustations of marbles on facades would be reserved for buildings of church and state. The painted palaces of patricians and wealthy merchants along the Grand Canal and in major campi are described as splendid in Cinquecento and early Seicento sources.

While the façade frescoes of the city of Venice can now be studied only via descriptions, drawings, prints, and a few salvaged fragments, in the Venetian Stato di Terra (Verona, Treviso, Bassano) many are quite well preserved.

Were there other reasons for this vogue, which seems unwise for a city in the sea where the salt air “eats” the paintings (Vasari 1568)?

This paper will explore the possible relation of the short-lived painted splendor of Renaissance Venice’s facades to written descriptions of ancient cities that were being published apace by Venetian printing presses (Herodotus 1502, Vitruvius 1511, Strabo 1516 and many more), and will consider if any city of the ancient world stands out as a model for emulation.

 

Details

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Those who respond will then receive an email Zoom invitation shortly after.

You do not need to own the software Zoom since you will be invited through the link. (We recommend opening the link 5-10 minutes before 4:00 PM that afternoon.) You must turn on your computer's speaker system when joining. You will then discover two buttons to the lower left of the bottom Zoom task bar that allow you to join aurally and visually.

As has become our new custom, we will stipulate an ending time of 6:15 PM, which will allow for a few minutes of informal conversation over a virtual toast of wine (BYOW).  Everything will be aural and visual, including the PowerPoint slides.  You can participate with or without your own camera on (or with it covered with tape, if you prefer). During the talk, we will ask everyone to "mute" their microphone (if you have not taken part before, how to do this will be made clear once we're all in the Zoom meeting).

Again, please be sure to respond at this link by Friday, March 4th if you plan to attend. If you require additional assistance, feel free to reach out to Mackenzie Fox at [email protected].