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Vincent Anthony Falkiewicz |
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The readings today displayed the intricate workings of the Renaissance buying and selling of art, specifically commissioned art. This market showed a number of different patrons, all with somewhat similar incentives for buying these pieces of art. Additionally, both the consumer and producer had different costs and benefits for this commissioned art. These costs and benefits proved to include social, financial, political, and religious factors. For one, there were a plethora of patrons in the Renaissance commissioning game. They included both private and corporate patrons. The former included specific patrons such as merchants, humanists, aristocrats, rulers, and in some cases, other artists. The latter included much broader patrons such as city governments and religious orders or brotherhoods. Examples of these were provided throughout the reading, and included the Duchy of Milan, Kingdom of Naples, Papal States, Republics of Venice and Florence. Sometimes, private and corporate patrons would even overlap. For example, the Pope was a patron, as well his entire religious cabinet. Whichever group the patron came from, they still had similar incentives for buying this art. As shown throughout the readings, consumers had a few main incentives for purchasing this art; the main incentive being to convey their wealth or social status. They were interested in "demonstrating magnificence." Magnificence, however, was not always displayed in the fashion of expensive art. As the first reading points out, patrons not only wanted to prove their wealth, but also "set themselves apart from others." Aside from displaying wealth, some patrons and artists wanted to show their devoutness and religious affiliation. Churches and religious paintings were created and commissioned in the market to prove individual or group devoutness to their religion. These incentives and purchases created a few costs and benefits to consumers and producers. For one, there are always the financial costs of creating anything, and these costs were mildly taken into account when creating a piece of art. Mostly considered by both sides was the longevity of their name and reputation through art. Artists wanted to create rare art, which was extremely difficult to recreate, in order to make their art and name long lasting. Buyers, on the other hand, were interested in creating a long lasting reputation for their name and society. The benefit of developing an "image of themselves that defined the norms of behavior and appearance in their society" was highly regarded when playing the commission game. Finally, artists and patrons played the "signaling game," a Nobel Prize winning theory developed in 2001, to show their skills and wealth to the world. This theory shows how people can not physically display things such as wealth, so they must signal them through other means; in this case that means is art. The same works for artists, as they can only display their worth through their work, and cannot physically show each individual how good they are at their form of art. This game is an extremely important part of the commissioning game. To conclude, the art market of the Italian Renaissance had both corporate and private patrons each with his or her (in rare cases) own incentives. These incentives created a balance of costs and benefits to both sides, mainly the longevity of reputation. The long lasting reputation seemed to be the main interest of individuals at this time, which created an interesting sort of signaling and signing during this time period. Overall, through these readings we see how the commissioning game differs from a natural economic market. |
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Erica Gilbert-Levin
Three important avenues for expenditures and conspicuous consumption included architecture, painting, and sculpture (9). While country clothing, banquets, spectacles, and funerals represented other popular forms of conspicuous consumption in Renaissance Italy, architecture and art proved more durable in nature and thus more likely to satisfy wealthy and high-status patrons' "concern for future viewers" and appease their preoccupation with their legacy (31).
The strategy of "stretching" featured the "exaggeration or misrepresentation of important characteristics to convey an image intended to bathe the patron in a favorable light" (8). For example, in one commissioned work of art, Francesco Gonzaga depicted "a major battle against the French as a significant victory," when in fact such a victory was questionable (8). Finally, "signposting" consisted of highlighting particular attributes "while simultaneously omitting other significant information." One example of signposting in commissioned art work was "the strategy of not indicating the source of one's wealth" (8). Patrons targeted three major audiences: contemporary, future, and heavenly. They sought to "communicate" with other contemporary "elites especially those in their own city or region, who could identify the banners, placques, and symbols that accompanied so many commissions" (29) and told a story about what the commissioning patron wished to claim about himself or his family. They also aimed to communicate to "future viewers," a benefit furnished by the durable nature of works of art and architecture as opposed to "other forms of conspicuous consumption" (31). Finally, patrons who commissioned religious works targeted as their audience Heaven itself: They "wanted God and the saints to see their devotion, and hoped that their commissions were help them reduce their time in Purgatory" (29).
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Kimberly Ann Phoenix In the reading for today it showed how little things have changed from the Renaissance time. The Patrons who commission pubic works are still the people with political, financial, or religious power. These patrons build relationship with artists who were willing do as they are asked. If an artist worked well with a patron they could be hired in the future. Artists did not have the freedom to create what the wanted by rather would have to produce what the Patron wanted. Today public works of art are still commissioned by prominent people who have their own vision of what they want and hire artists to fulfill their desirers. A modern day example could be the J.Paul Getty museum in California; a beautiful building, designed by a famous architect and build on a hill where other could see it and recognized how powerful and wealthy a person must have been to have that built. In the readings the patrons of the art were regarded in their society as people to be looked up to. There was great pressure to make sure the art being commissioned would be done in a manner that other would appreciate, a reputation could be ruined if the work was view by people as ridiculous. Great care was taken in making sure that commissioned work would portray the family in a way that would bring honor to future generations while honoring the current status of the family. Because space way limited only the very wealthy or most powerful could commission art. Artist could be bribe because of this, being commissioned to do a piece for a more prominent place would mean better pay. Giovanni Boni, was willing to risk his wealth to build a home that would have to be sold off because of bankruptcy, this was an example of architecture as an art form. Many houses and palazzo were built to show how wealthy and important someone was. If a house was build without store in the bottom this was a sign of the wealth of the family that lived there. Another form of art was the decoration of churched and chapels with painting and sculptures. These could be done by prominent individuals as in Cardinal Carafa with his chapel in Rome. He commissioned many works to glorify himself, always with reason, in hope of becoming Pope. Alas his money did not buy him the Papacy but it did leave some wonderful works of art for future generations to enjoy. The paintings that adore the Sistine Chapel, done by Michelangelo are still viewed and beloved today making them a commission that proved to be very worth the cost. If an artist worked well with a patron both would gain in the court of public opinion. Artist would continue to get work and patrons would gain influence within their community or religion. If painting were commissioned for a private home the audience would be of a smaller and affluent nature. Only those who were invited to the home would be able to view them. The works that were commissioned for public spaces carried a higher risk of public ridicule if the work did not meet the standards. How fortune that many of the painting, statues, and architecture that survive to today can be view in museums and by visiting the cities were these work are on display to the public. |
Consider & comment:
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