Symbolism in Renaissance Art
Symbolism has played a major role in the significance and purpose of art during the Renaissance, especially in Italy. It added an additional layer of meaningful context to the already complex and expressive art of the time period. Artists and sculptors used various colours, animals, plants, foods, allegories and even human elements as symbols, to create symbolic depth in their artwork.
In this blog post, I try and decode some Renaissance art pieces to explore the creative use of symbolism during the Italian Renaissance by artists, patrons, the nobility and the Church through analysis of suggestive political, religious and social imagery.
An important trait of any art movement is the use of symbols. In simple terms, a symbol can be defined as a character that represents an idea, an object or a relationship that may or may not be directly linked to it. Whether personal, political, abstract or religious, symbols became a unique tool for efficient and memorable storytelling through art. This also held true in the line of paintings, architecture, sculptures and literature that developed during the early 14th to late 16th centuries in Europe, inspired by humanism and the classical study of man and his surroundings, that brought around a new wave in the art world.
Originating in Italy, the Renaissance marked the rebirth of ancient Greek and Roman artistic learning and sought to capture the natural beauty of the world. Through this period, symbolism was used in everything from birth trays to tombs, to altarpieces and household decorations, to communicate either heavenly teachings, political ambitions or social triumphs to the viewer.
Chapter 1: Political Symbolism
In the midst of the Italian Renaissance, art became an essential pawn in the political game of the wealthy and the influential. Often, while gazing at a painting one could find the patron’s coat of arms hidden away in the background, their family crests beaming from their tombs and their personalities reflecting through the sculptures they commissioned. Subtle hints like the deliberate use of specific animals, flowers and biblical references or bold self-portraits of the patrons and the painters in favourable positions were carried and perceived through these historic pieces of art to win political favour.
Adoration of the Magi, Gentile Da Fabriano, 1423 (www.uffizi.it)
In 1423, Palla Strozzi, a banker almost at power with the Medici (the rockstars of the Renaissance) in wealth, commissioned Adoration of the Magi to Gentile Da Fabriano for his family burial chapel in Florence. Surrounded by a rich, golden, gothic frame-bearing the Strozzi family’s crest, this painting marks the moment when Christ first met the Gentiles. The men closest to Christ are dressed the most gilded detail and adorned with expensive fabrics and jewels. The first three in line being the three kings, followed by a portrait of Palla Strozzi himself, accompanied by equally extravagantly decorated animals and a servant; who is sporting a fine sash embroidered with Islamic scriptures, therefore potraying himself as a man of great economic and political importance.
Procession of the Youngest King, 1459
Procession of the Middle King, 1459
Procession of the Old King, 1459-60
Procession of the Magi, Benozzo Gozzoli, 1459 (http://www.travelingintuscany.com/)
A couple of years later, in 1459 Piero de’ Medici commissioned Benozzo Gozzoli, a student of Fra Angelico, to paint his version of the same theme for the Medici Chapel in the Palazzo Medici Ricardi, in Florence. With the change of patron, came a change in the way the story was told. Starting with the backdrop itself, inspired by Florence, and properties owned by the Medici, all the way to the actual procession, in which the Medici family makes an appearance, distinctly recognisable by their characteristic red hats.
Lorenzo il Magnifico on a white horse, followed by Piero, and Cosimo on his donkey (Procession of the Youngest King), along with all their influential friends and acquaintances, including the members of the art guilds, the lords of Rimini and Milan, the Pulci brothers and Marsilio Ficino and Benozzo himself take up most of the foreground of this piece. They further tried to solidify their political position keeping the bearded emperor, John VIII Palaiologus in close proximity with Piero’s daughters, Bianca, Nannina and Maria de’ Medici.
The Medici cleverly used the elements of their coat of arms to bejewel the young king’s crown and his harness, and added the glamorous details of pearls, silk and satin dresses and plenty of beautiful gems, emulating contemporary tapestries, to outdo Strozzi’s attempt at taking them on in the art world, while simultaneously marking his political downfall as he became the prime target of Cosimo de’ Medici’s new exile policy for his political rivals.
A clear parallel can be drawn in both versions of the same story, used by opposite parties to establish their political stronghold over each other, with common elements like the Tuscan landscapes, rich colors, fruits, flowers and animals scattered around in the middle. For instance, the presence of a dove, in both the paintings represents the holy spirit, while the portrayal of the hound is different in the different contexts.
A hound can represent numerous things, in the Strozzi narrative, the tame creature symbolises loyalty and faithfulness, while in the Medici narrative, it’s hunting a deer, therefore depicting protection, vigilance and guidance.
This makes a good example of a passive aggressive political war between two rival families immortalised through art. Through a comparison of the elements of both paintings, all the little details come together and make the political ambitions of both the parties crystal clear.
Annunciation, Paolo Veronese, 1580 (www.artsy.net)
Annunciation, Sandro Botticelli, 1490 (www.sandro-botticelli.org/)
Chapter 2: Religious Symbolism
Frescoes, paintings and sculptures driven by religious themes and beliefs accounted for a major section of the art that was produced during the Renaissance.
Iconography of biblical stories through elements of nature was used for the representation of the ideologies of the Church through the several works that they commissioned.
This patronage became widespread to help people who could not read scriptures to engage with religion and desire salvation. Symbolism became an important tool to appeal to their audiences using allegories for day to day life.
The Annunciation scene from the gospels, was a popularly explored theme during the high Renaissance, that was commonly riddled with symbols of Jesus and Mary. Some of the common ones were the Lillies, often brought by Gabriel or found somewhere in the background, a symbol of purity and chastity, a reference to the Virgin Mary.
The Annunciation almost always takes place indoors, with a garden in the background, also a sign of Mary’s virginity. The inconspicuous Fig tree in the back, that is believed to grow fruit without getting pollinated, represents the virgin birth. Mary’s red and blue dress, her throne (an elaborately ornate chair that she is seated on as she gets the news), and her halo, proving her divine. These are all common elements in the typical depiction of this story. However, every artist managed to make it their own.
In Sandro Botticelli’s Annunciation (1490), the archangel Gabriel bows with respect as he announces that Mary will carry the child of god. Whereas, in Paolo Veronese’s version (1580) the dove symbolising the holy spirit descends on Mary, while Putti (baby angels) watch from the heavens. The book she is holding implies that she was praying before Gabriel paid her a visit, and thus represents her piety. The garden in the back is a metaphor for her enclosed womb and virginity and her always humble expression ties together the character that the symbols are trying to develop.
Chapter 3: Social Symbolism
During the Renaissance, various animals, birds, flowers, foods and abstract elements were often used as symbols of love, lust, fertility, wealth and wellbeing. Colours played an important role in making social distinctions through clothing, jewellery and background settings. A variety of mythological, biblical and literary allegories were used to portray virtues and create layers of meaning in a single piece of art.
At this time, the concept of the Desco Da Parto (Birth Salver) became a popular social tradition to mark the arrival of a child in the family. A tradition wherein, wealthy families commissioned artists to paint religious, mythological or literary themes on wooden trays, symbolic of what they wanted from the childbirth.
This Desco was used to serve the woman with nourishing food and drinks during her pregnancy, sometimes even after giving birth. One such example is the The Triumph of Fame, painted by Giovanni Di Ser Giovanni in 1449, commissioned by Piero de’ Medici to celebrate his son-Lorenzo’s birth. The imagery for this piece was an allegory that was inspired by the Triumphs of Petrarch’s poetry. Fame is represented as a woman, dressed classically, standing on a globe with a sword in one hand and cupid in the other. The crowd of nobles and warriors cheers and announces the allegorical figure with enthusiasm to the sound of trumpets. Therefore, foreseeing Lorenzo il Magnifico’s future as the Florentine leader of art and culture.
What she holds in her hand symbolises that fame can be accomplished through arms and love, and the dogs in the background represent perhaps the loyalty of the people of Florence towards their leader. The back of the tray is decorated with the Medici and Tournabuoni Coat of Arms, symbolising their alliance, accompanied with Piero’s personal symbol of the ring with three feathers, signifying Faith (White), Hope (Green) and Charity (Red).
The Triumph of Fame, Giovanni Di Ser Giovanni, 1449 (www.metmuseum.org)
Another social tradition that was prevalent during the Renaissance was the Spalliera panels, a wooden panel that was painted and mounted over a piece of furniture in the nuptial bedroom of a newly married couple. Venus and Mars is such an example, painted by Sandro Botticelli in 1483, it depicts a fully clothed Venus and almost naked Mars surrounded by symbols of love, marriage and fertility.
The Myrtle trees in the background are sacred to Venus, a Roman symbol of love, and in Hebrew a symbol for marriage. The wasps buzzing around Mars represent the Vespucci family, who were the patrons of this piece, as well as the stings of love. The cheeky Fauns/Satyrs (half man with a goat’s legs ad horns) that appear to be playing with Mars’s weaponry are the symbols of wildness and are generally associated with male sexuality. The hints of red colour heighten the feeling of love and excitement and the pearl studded brooch on Venus’s chest represents chastity. The conch shell is an ancient war trumpet, and the fact the Mars is sleeping through all of this noise and activity around him, implies exhaustion from strenuous sexual activity. Which in contrast with the relaxed Venus, represents the power of love over war. The whole painting comes across as a symbol of the societal expectations from a married couple, the duties of the wife and the role of the husband. Very problematic, I know.
There is a lot of cool stuff going on in well known paintings from various art movements, that comes from contexts that we know nothing about and therefore don’t recognize or delve into. Like they say, what we know is only a drop and what we don’t is an ocean.
Venus and Mars,Sandro Botticelli, 1483 (www.italian-renaissance-art.com)
