creatively curating christine

    Moses Striking the Rock and the Gathering of the Manna, 1542-43

The Brazen Serpent, 1542   Maurice Brock claims that Bronzino’s paintings in the Chapel of Eleonora “mark an important step in the history of maniera and of princely decoration” (195).  In the chapel, Bronzino uses “abundant invention,” in which he fills each painting full of figures and decoration.  Interestingly enough, there is space left in […]

The Passage of the Red Sea and Moses Appointing Joshua, 1541-42    What is interesting about this fresco is the large amount of women present in it.  The paining is quite full of bodies and most of which are young women and mothers (196).  The clothing of these women is greatly varied and includes different antique style […]

While discussing Maniera painting, Freedberg states, “The existence of the whole, essentially abstracting as it may be, is asserted by the extreme truth of fragments of it: we are baited with the small verity to swallow the whole poetic lie” (286).  Maniera painting is highly stylized and quite artificial, which is why it is highly criticized, […]

I’m not surprised that such a powerful fresco caused a stir, but I was surprised to read that Pope Paul considered destroying it.  I am very glad that Michelangelo refused to paint over some of the nudes himself.             Apparently there were three problems with Last Judgment.  First, rather than merely painting as a historical […]

              Sexuality and femininity are ever changing with culture.  There are different takes on Titian’s Venus of Urbino.  Some critics see this painting as pornographic, some as misogynistic, but most could agree that is quite beautiful.             There are aspects of this painting that made it quite interesting and […]

I admire Eleonora for the influence she held in her court.  Carolyn Smyth wrote, “As a woman, and as duchess, she asserted her limited power by transforming her chapel from Medicean panegyric to an image of counter-Reformatory piety” (Smyth 96).              When she wed Cosimo, Eleonora was young, impressionable, and three years junior to the […]