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Chapter Eleven

The Fourteenth Century:

A Time of Transition

Culture and Values, 6th Ed. Cunningham and Reich

Calamity, Decay, and Violence:

The Black Death 14th Century marks the end of the medieval

period and beginning of the Renaissance in Western Europe

– Time of unparalleled natural calamity, institutional

decay, and cruel violence

– Trecento – another name for the 14th century

Italian for “three hundred”

1348 Bubonic Plague Epidemic

– Upset trade, culture, and daily life


The Black Death – Population decline

Estimated that some cities in Italy lost as many as two-

thirds of their population

Boccaccio’s Decameron

– He was an eyewitness to the plague

Draws horrific picture of the plague in the introduction

– Collection of stories, plague setting

10 young men and women flee Florence to avoid the

plague; during their two week sojourn they tell stories.

Each of the ten young people tells a story on each of the

week days

Decameron is Greek for “ten days”


The Black Death

– The stories consist of fabliaux (folk tales), exempla

(moral stories), and romances

– Referred to as the “Human Comedy” vs. Dante’s

Divine Comedy

Culled from oral and written traditions of Europe

Romantic elements, earthiness, and shocking bawdiness

Stories are in sharp contrast to his introduction that

describes the horrors of the plague


The Great Schism Major changes in the medieval Christian church

occurred during the 14th century

Pope Boniface VIII vs. Philip the Fair of France

– Boniface celebrated the great jubilee year at Rome

Brought pilgrims and visitors from all over the Christian

West

– Within the next three years, Philip imprisoned and

abused Boniface at the papal palace of Anagni

– Boniface died as a result of humiliating encounters

with royal power


The Great Schism

Avignon Papacy / “Babylonian Captivity”

– 1309 – papacy was removed to Avignon (Southern

France) under severe pressure from the French

– Remained there for seventy years

– Saints wrote letters to the popes at Avignon

demanding that they return to Rome free from the

political ties of the French monarchy


The Great Schism 1378, Great Schism occurred

– Further weakened the papacy

– European Christians divided into hostile camps and

pledged allegiance to rival claimants to the papacy

– 3 papal pretenders were deposed before unity could

be achieved in 1417

Insistent demands for church reform resulted from the disarray of the church

– Literature satirized decadence of the church

– Saints wanted to free themselves from political ties


The Great Schism

Peasant Revolt of 1381

– Revolters were inspired by ideas of John Wyclif

He cried out against the immorality of the higher clergy

and the corruption of the church

Fueled anger and indignation in many people

– The lower-classes revolted against the nobility and

church during the 14th century

– Robin Hood myth – began in 14th century

Mirrors dissatisfaction with the church and the nobility

Themes of violence toward the wealthy and care for the

poor


The Hundred Years’ War Conflict between France and England

– Was another cause of violence in 14th century

– Fought on French soil

– Poitiers, Crécy, Agincourt – famous battles of the

war; brought misery to France

Pillaging bands of mercenaries

– Stole and pillaged to make up for

their lack of pay

Introduction of the longbow – able to

defeat the traditionally armed French

Literature in Italy, England, and France:

Petrarch (1304-1374)

2 major Tuscan writers: Francesco Petrarch & Giovanni Boccaccio

Petrarch:

From Tuscany, south of Florence – Studied law for one year in France & 3 years in

Bologna to please his father

– Abandoned law studies after his father’s death

Restless and curious – Wandered from place to place

– He was offered many lucrative positions, but accepted none

– Collected and copied ancient texts


Petrarch (1304-1374) – Wrote volumes of poetry and prose

– Carried on cast correspondence

– Had many artistic and literary friends

Poet Laureate of Rome - 1348

Renaissance sensibility or style

– Keen interest in self

– Desire for personal glory and fame

– Secretum – artist imagines himself in conversation with St. Augustine.

Self-confession & self-scrutiny

Petrarch discusses his moral and intellectual failings, besetting sins, and tendency towards depression



– Inspiration for the Secretum was Augustine’s

Confessions

Letter to Posterity – example of autobiography

– Reviews his life up until 1351; unfinished work

Omits any mention of the Black Death

– Augustine’s Confessions may have been model


Petrarch (1304-1374) Petrarch regarded his Latin works as the most

important Imitation of classical masters: Ovid, Cicero, & Vergil

Vernacular Poetry

– Mimics speech

– Canzoniere - Songbook

Contains 300+ sonnets & 49 canzoni (songs)

– Inspired by Laura – fell in love with her in 1327

She died of the plague in 1348

Never had an actual relationship with her; she was married



Petrarchism – form of sonnet

– Consists of sestet and octace (14 lines)

– Praise of a woman as the perfection of human beauty

and object of highest expression of love

– Form was introduced into other parts of Europe

before the century was over

Influenced English poets: Sir Philip Sidney, Edmund

Spenser, & Williams Shakespeare


Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400)

“greatest English writer of the century”

He entered royal service and became a squire

Highly placed civil servant – diplomat

His writing was done around the hectic round of public affairs and jobs

Composed: poetry, translations, treatise of the astrolabe

Used English language as literary vehicle

– Spirit of individualism present in Petrarch’s work is

absent in Chaucer’s

Medieval in style and thought



Extended the range of the language (created new words and phrases)

Skilled in the art of human observation

– Characters have become standard types in English

literature

Canterbury Tales – begun in 1385

– Narrative frame – journey in which people tell each

other stories

– Plan was for 30 pilgrims to tell 4 stories each (120

stories total)



– Cross-section of medieval society

No person lower in rank than a plowman or high in rank

than a knight

– Romances, fabliaux, & exemplum stories, and

legends

– Social commentary – points out social beliefs and

opinions

Chaucer never finished the work; he died before half of it was complete.


Christine de Pisan (1365-1428?)

First female professional writer

– Made her living writing

– Accompanied her father (the king’s physician,

astrologer, and adviser) to the French court

– Received education – could read and write both

Italian and French

– Married nobleman in 1380

– Father & husband both died so she had to support

herself and her children

Composed 15 books from 1399 to 1415



She entered a literary debate: response to Romance of the Rose

– Attacked Jean de Meung’s misogyny (he had added

a an addition to the poem that was violently critical

of women) in A Letter to the God of Love

– The Book of the City of Ladies – 1404, final word on

the debate

The Treasure of the City of Ladies– 1405, book of etiquette and advice to help women survive in society

– Written for all classes of women



The Book of Peace

– Written while Christine was living in a convent

where her daughter was a nun

– Book is a handbook of instruction for the Dauphin

who was to become Charles VII and a short hymn in

honor of the great Joan of Arc

Art in Italy:

The Italo-Byzantine Background

Art in Italy showed little of the richness and inventiveness of center or northern Eurpoe

Northern artists inspired by classical art – realistic portrayal of body and drapery

– France, England, Germany

– Construction of Gothic cathedrals provided

opportunities for artists to refine and develop their

techniques

The Death of the Virgin (fig. 11.1), Strasburg Cathedral

Stylistically more advanced than contemporary Italian

works

Art in Italy:


Italian artists rooted in Byzantine style

– Conservative, traditional

– Italian churches were generally decorated with

solemn and stylized frescoes and mosaics

Some Italian sculptors broke from tradition

Nicola Pisano: emphasis on classical models

– Marble pulpit influenced by Roman sarcophagi

– Recaptured vitality and realism of late Roman art

while retaining the expressive qualities of Gothic

sculpture

Art in Italy:


Giovanni Pisano (son of Nicola): N. European influence

– Both father and son are considered creators of

modern sculpture

– Foreshadowed major characteristics in the art of the

Renaissance

– Pulpit for cathedral in Pisa shows an intensity of

feeling typical of northern late Gothic art (Fig. 11.2,

11.3)

– Figures are more elegant and less crowded than his

father’s works

The Death of the Virgin

Annunciation and Nativity – detail of pulpit

Art in Italy:


Painting in Italy remained in Byzantine tradition

Cimabue (1240?-1302?) – teacher of Giotto

– Crucifix painted for Church of San Domenico in

Arezzo (Fig. 11.4)

– Realism, anatomical understanding

– Emotional appeal: corporeal weight and strain

Understanding of anatomy of the figure to emphasize strain

and weight

– Sense of space

Madonna (Fig. 11.5)

Art in Italy:


Duccio di Buoninsegna (1255?-1319?)

– Cimabue’s contemporary

– Maestà, painted for high altar of Siena Cathedral

Majestic Madonna faced the congregation (Fig. 11.6)

Episodes from lives of Christ and Virgin cover

compartments on the altarpiece

– Emotional states of subjects through their physical

appearances are revealed

– Greater sense of space (Fig. 11.7)

Art in Italy:

Giotto’s Break with the Past

Giotto da Bondone (1266?-1337)

– Revolutionary figure (Vasari)

Realism – preeminent characteristic in works

– Figures were painted with depth, volume represented

through use of light and dark

– The figures took on strength and presence as works of

sculpture

– Three-dimensional modeling & use of space

Spectators say the living, breathing figures before them

Madonna Enthroned (Fig. 11.8)

Art in Italy:

Giotto’s Break with the Past – Giotto created realistic images – “imitate nature”

– Used images for dramatic effect

Chief work was cycle of frescoes that fill the walls of the Arena Chapel in Padua

– Illustrate lives of the Virgin and of Christ

– Used naturalistic style to express emotions and

situtations

The Meeting of Joachim and Anna (Fig. 11.9)

The Lamentation over the Dead Christ (Fig. 11.10)

Painted scenes from St. Francis of Assisi’s life (Fig. 11.11)

Art in Italy:

Painting in Siena International Style – developed after Giotto

– Simone Martini (c. 1285-1344) – Duccio’s pupil

– Shows first signs of the last great development of

Gothic art – International style

– Annunciation (Fig. 11.12)

– Grace, sophistication, splendor, elegance vs. Giotto’s

solid realism

Sacrifice of naturalism for surface brilliance

Art in Italy:

Painting in Siena Application of Giotto’s Realism

– Pietro and Ambrogio Lorenzetti, brothers (d. 1348)

– Ambrogio is best known for frescoe that decorates

an entire wall in Siena’s city hall: Palazzo Pubblico

fresco

Illustrates the effects of good government on the city of

Siena and the surrounding countryside (Fig. 11.13)

Peaceful City

Peaceful Country

Art in Northern Europe

Unity in artistic language: International Style

– Reciprocity of style (Italy, Northern Europe)

– Artists like Martini carried the latest developments

in Sienese art to France, were influenced by styles

there, and then brought those styles back to Italy

Death of the Virgin (Fig. 11.15) – Bohemian master

painter who combines the rich colors and careful

architecture of Sienese painting with emotional impact of

northern Gothic art

Wilton Diptych (Fig. 11.16) two panels; English; probably

commemorate Richard II’s coronation

Neither Italian or French in technique - International


Court of the Duke of Burgundy, Dijon – 1st great center of International style

– Claus Sluter – sculptor

Was commissioned to provide sculpture for a monastery,

Chartreuse de Champmol

Well of Moses (Fig. 11.17) – designed for monastery’s

cloister (not really a well at all)

Reminiscent of Gothic statues, but has carefully depicted

details

– Limbourg brothers

– Trés Riches Heures (Figs. 11.18, 1.19) – illustrated

prayer book commissioned by Philip the Bold’s

brother


– Limbourg brothers

– Trés Riches Heures (Figs. 11.18, 1.19) – illustrated

prayer book commissioned by Philip the Bold’s

brother

– 12 illuminated pages are included in the books that

illustrate the twelve months of the year

Range of details

Depict changing seasons of the year

February page (Fig. 11.18) – family huddles together

inside; snow outside; peasants

May page (11.19) – procession of lords and ladies

(aristocracy) in springtime

Late Gothic Architecture

Gothic architecture never really reached Italy

– Florence Cathedral and Duomo in Milan visually

illustrate the difference in Italian and northern

architecture

Florence Cathedral

– Magnificent dome, solid wall surface w/o typical

Gothic windows (Fig. 11.20)

Duomo in Milan

– Blend of Gothic and Classical elements

– Elaborate façade, spires, and crowded piers (11.21)

Late Gothic Architecture Secular public buildings

– Palazzo Vecchio (Florence town hall)

– Palazzo Pubblico (Siena town hall)

Both convey sense of strong government and civic pride

(Fig. 1.22)

Towers served as lookout over the city & expressed

resistance to attacks

– Doge’s Palace in Venice

Heavy upper story that seems to float on two arcades (Fig.

11.23)

Late Gothic Architecture

England’s Perpendicular style

– Choir of Gloucester Cathedral (Fig. 11.24)

– Vertical line is emphasized through complex

web of ribs that decorate the vault, leads eyes

upward

Purely decorative

Music: Ars Nova

Independent, secular musicians

– Musicians began to break away from traditional

roles as servants of the church

– Changing style of music, creativity

– Texts for songs: Ballads, love songs, and

descriptions of current events

Most was written for singers or instrumentalists to

perform at home for their own pleasure of the

entertainment of aristocratic audiences

– Musical expression grew with number of people

listening and performing

Music: Ars Nova Ars Nova – term generally used to describe the

sophisticated musical style of the fourteenth century

– Title Ars Nova was derived from title of treatise

written by Frenchman Philippe de Vitry (1291-1361)

Ars Nova Musicae (The New Art of Music)

– Chief characteristic: Richness and complexity of

sound

Richer harmonies, use of 6ths and 3rds

– Elaborate rhythmic devices were also introduced

Isorhythm – allotting to one of the voices in a polyphonic

composition a repeated single melody & rhythmic pattern

Music: Guillaume de Machaut (1304?-1377)

Guillaume de Machaut (1304? – 1377)

– Most famous French composer of this period

Messe de Notre Dame – four part setting of the Ordinary of the Mass

– Refers to those parts of the Roman Catholic liturgy

that do not change from day to day

5 sections that make up the work:

– Kyrie Eleison – repeated Greek phrases that mean

“Lord (or Christ) have mercy on us!”

– Gloria – hymn of praise sung at all masses except

funerals and masses during Lent and Advent

Music: Guillaume de Machaut (1304?-1377)

– Credo – Profession of Faith sung after the Gospel

– Sanctus and Benedictus – short hymn based on the

angelic praise found in Isaiah 6, sung at the beginning

of the eucharistic prayer

– Agnus Dei – prayer that begins “Lamb of God,” sung

before Communion

Also wrote secular music

– Composers began rewriting Ballades, troubadour

songs

Ballades were written for 2 or 3 voices

Deal with amorous (love) topics

Music:

Francesco Landini (1325-1397)

Blind virtuoso performer

– Played the organ, lute, and flute

Madrigals – form of word setting involving 2 or 3 verses set to the same music and separated by a refrain set to different music

Ballate – ballads

– No specification of the instruments intended for use

Musica ficta, notational problems

– Performers would sharpen or flat the notes making

sounds other than those on the page

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