Rebuilding The Renaissance

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Episode 171 - Rome: Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling Part VI Apr 27, 2022

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The prophets and sibyls that flank the main scenes of the Sistine Chapel ceiling are some of Michelangelo's most impressive figures. Their dramatic poses, expressive, vibrant colors and powerful forms are both inspirational and frightening. Below and between them, Michelangelo filled the spandrels and lunettes with human caricatures, almost as if he were entertaining himself with the often comic and strange figures. This podcast examines these lesser discussed parts of the Sistine Chapel ceiling paintings, as well as the decade-long-controversial restoration of the ceiling.

Episode 170 - Rome: Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling Part V Apr 20, 2022

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The last three Genesis scenes of the Sistine Chapel ceiling demonstrate Michelangelo's extraordinary ability to represent complex subjects in incredibly effective ways. But they also reveal the divine artist's haste to complete the ceiling project. This episode closely examines the iconography, style and execution of these final frescoes and their role in the realization of the epic commission.

Episode 169 - Rome: Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel - Part IV Apr 13, 2022

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By the time Michelangelo reached the frescoes in the middle of the ceiling, he introduced a major stylistic change, due, most likely, to being able to see the frescoes from the ground. This episode examines the Adam and Eve scenes and how they reflect this stylistic change as well as revealing the major artistic influences on Michelangelo's paintings. Particular emphasis will be given to one of history's most famous paintings - The Creation of Man.

Episode 168 - Rome: Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel - Part III Apr 06, 2022

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Painting an 8,000 sq. ft. fresco cycle onto the ceiling of a chapel must have been a daunting task even for an artist of the caliber of Michelangelo. This episode examines the process and order by which Michelangelo executed his frescoes, focusing specifically on the first three painted scenes that depict the stories of Noah and the corresponding prophet and sibyl figures.

Episode 167 - Rome - Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling - Part II Mar 30, 2022

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Although the Sistine Chapel is the Catholic world's most important chapel since it hosts papal conclaves, the subject matter of the ceiling paintings is largely Old Testament mixed with pagan imagery. This episode unpacks the rich and complex iconography of the many paintings executed by Michelangelo on the Sistine Chapel ceiling in Vatican City.

Episode 166 - Rome: Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling - Part I Mar 23, 2022

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When Michelangelo signed the contract with Pope Julius II in 1508 to paint the Sistine Chapel Ceiling, little did he know the turmoil that awaited him. This first of several podcasts dedicated to the world's most famous ceiling will examine the circumstances behind the contract between artist and pope, and the initial steps taken by Michelangelo for the project.

Episode 165 - Rome: The Basilica of St. Peter Mar 16, 2022

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After 120 years of construction, the reign of 18 different popes, and the direction of 12 different architects, St. Peter's Basilica was finally consecrated in 1626. Measuring more than two football fields in length, it was by far the largest church in Christendom, and a fitting monument to the burial place of the first pope. This episode explores the dramatic construction history of the great church and the architectural contributions of its various architects.

Episode 164 - Michelangelo and the Tomb of Julius II Mar 09, 2022

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When Michelangelo was called to Rome in 1506 by the Pope Julius II, it was to design and carve the mother of all tombs. Intended to stand four stories in height and directly over the tomb of St. Peter, and to accommodate 40 over-life-sized statues, it was a direct reflection of both the pope's megalomaniacal tendencies and the artist's overreaching ambition. The Sistine ceiling was the first of a series of interruptions to a project whose contract would be reworked three more times over nearly four decades of legal battles between the rock-star artist and the exasperated heirs of Pope Julius II. This podcast explores the history of this epic contractual contest that resulted in what Michelangelo's earliest biographer described as "the tragedy of the tomb."

Episode 163 - Venice - Titian's "Assumption" and "Pesaro Altarpiece" in the church of the Frari Mar 02, 2022

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Titian's two great altarpieces in the great Franciscan basilica of Venice known as the "Frari" marked a turning point in the artist's career. These were his first two public commissions and allowed all of Venice to appreciate the extraordinary talent of a young artist who was still only in his twenties. This episode explores the history, style, and patronage of the two great paintings and how they clearly demonstrate Titan's unique approach to painting.

Episode 162 - Titian's "Allegory of Sacred and Profane Love" Feb 23, 2022

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This episode examines one of the milestone masterpieces of Renaissance painting. Baffling art historians for centuries as regards its iconography, the early work by Titian is one of the treasures of the Borghese Gallery.

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