Gothic Art in Italy

Abstract

This article covers a period in Italy, c. 1250 to c. 1400, often characterized as the beginnings of the Renaissance in Italy. While many scholars in the past—from Giorgio Vasari in the 16th century to 19th- and 20th-century founders of the discipline—sought the “primi lumi,” or first lights, of the Renaissance in the 13th- and 14th-century art of Italy, more recent scholarship in the field is concerned with the contexts in which art in this period was commissioned, created, and received. Some of the larger contextual concerns that have driven scholarship since the late 20th century are the proliferation of the mendicant orders and their roles as patrons; the burgeoning mercantile economy that fueled artistic and architectural commissions; the political power of the communes and the ways that art and architecture reflected and created civic identity; the reception of works of art by a variety of audiences; and the importance of materials and techniques in the creative lives of artists. Additionally, due in large part to Vasari’s love of Florence and Florentine art, a great deal of scholarship in the field attends to Florentine art and to central Italian art more generally. This article reflects that bias and contains scholarship mainly on central Italian art. The title of this entry implies that it is concerned only with Italian art that is related in some way—visually, socially, theologically—to the art of northern Europe, where what art historians call the Gothic style originated in the 12th century. While some of the scholarship in this article centers on artistic exchange between northern Europe and Italy or examines Italian art that is Gothic in style, it is not limited to these issues. This article is intended to serve advanced undergraduates, beginning graduate students, and scholars seeking to do research in a new field, and it includes almost all books, many of them published within the past twenty years, with the intent that the bibliographies of the books will lead students and researchers to the older sources and periodical literature relevant to their scholarly interests.