FREE ESSAY ON BACCIO DELLA PORTA

BACCIO DELLA PORTA

Even the average person with little or no background in art may have heard the names
Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo, or Raphael. Not only because they are the most famous
and noteworthy painters, sculptors, draughtsmen, designers, and inventors of the high
renaissance, but also because of the countless stories and movies, fact and fiction which
included these men and at least mentioned their importance, relevance, and influences on
today'7s world. Many children have grown up already knowing these names, and perhaps that
they were artists however simplistic that may be, after the explosion of the Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles in the late eighties.
Perhaps there is one high renaissance artist who does not always recieve due credit, but
who was influencial just the same.
One such artist was Baccio della Porta, a Florentine renaissance painter. Baccio della
Porta was born in Florence, Italy in 1472. As historians know, most artists went into
apprenticeship at about the age of eleven or twelve at this time in Florence. Taking this
into account, it is assumed that Baccio did become an apprentice of Cosimo Rosselli at
that age since he was well known in his workshop by 1485. 1
Baccio della Porta's master or teacher, Cosimo Rosselli, had probably just returned from
his work in Rome in the Sistine Chapel. It is also known that the average length of time
for an artist's apprenticeship was about six to eight years, putting Baccio on his own
around 1490. 2 
According to many modern art historians, Vasari is the most reliable source of
information on the life and works of Fra Bartolommeo after he entered the Dominican Order
and became a brother.3 Baccio della Porta and a pier of his, as well as a fellow student
of the arts, Mariotto Albertinelli became intimate friends during their apprenticeships.
Following their apprenticeship the two decided to work proffesionally together at the
home of Baccio della Porta. They made this decision to work together in 1491, but their
partnership and friendship apparently ended when they went their own ways in styles and
choices of schools to follow and associate with4.
Baccio della Porta joined the followers of Savonarolas, Mariotto associated with the
Medici followers, specifically working for the patron Alfonsina Orsini who was the wife
of Piero de ' Medici. After Savonarolas was burned during the violent riots of the
arrabiati.
Chris Fischer writes that there must have been countless works executed between Mariotti
Albertinelli and Baccio della Porta during this period of upheaval when Savonarolas was
murdered because he was thought to be a heretic.5 However, because of this violent
period, few of these works can be acredited to one painter or another. The obvious and
evident recognizable influences by master artists were reflected in many works, which
helped to narrow some works down to the style of the Cosimo Rosselli school. 
As Baccio della Porta began to develop his own style which was naturally to give
purpose,
meaning, and religious order, he then made a permanent and important step in his life.6
Baccio della Porta was deeply moved after witnessing the preaching of Savonarola and
decided to join the Dominican Brotherhood around 1500.7 Once Baccio della Porta had
withdrawn into the convent he retired from painting for some time. This difficult
decision must have built character, something which is a definite plus in the life of an
aspiring artist. After joining the convent Baccio's name changed to Fra Bartolommeo as he
is known today. His style showed a truth and need to preach of religion and
righteousness. Although Fra Bartolommeo's purpose reflected in his works was noble and
honest, he was not exactly a revolutionary with much to say. His figure-style,
composition, symbolism, rhythm, mastering of chiaroscuro, his beautiful handling of
flowing draperies, and his simplicity all reflect his goal of ridding the world
of vanity.8 
Before discussing Bartolommeo's works and style in depth, one must first give a general
sense of his styles and why he adopted them and evolved the way he did. For the most part
this general introduction to Bartolommeo's style has been provided in the previous
pages.
Fra Bartolommeo always had a sense for the grandiose and largescale figures and
settings.
To the untrained eye or even at first glance of a work by Bartolommeo, one might be
inclined to see virtuosic curvilinearities and dark theatricality, almost foreshadowing
the Baroque and Giovanni Bernini. However dark and shadowy and emotional, Bartolommeo's
works were quite restrained and simplistic, ignoring vain detail which was an important
aspect of the lavish and ornate Baroque style, reassuring Fra 
Bartolommeo's role as a High Renaissance painter. Heinrich Wolfflin describes
Bartolommeo's figures as unshakably firm and grasp...with an iron grip on page 141 of
Classic Art. Bartolommeo hardly cared for detail, and noticably in the majority of his
large chalk drawings, which studied the human figure he barely paid attention to the
individualism of the face. Instead he concentrated on creating a sincerity that would
shine through to the viewer, abolishing all attention to frivolous detail. His chalk
drawings are perfect examples of this because of their single largescale figure, with a
composition concentrating solely on the emotion being evoked and expressed. 
Perhaps a more noteworthy or recognizable painting to illustrate this evoking of emotion
would be Fra Bartolommeo's The Last Judgement from 1499, as pictured in Figure 1. This
shared work by Fra Bartolommeo was completed for the Santa Maria Nuova, but later was
moved to the Uffizi where it remains still today. Critques of this fresco point out a
lack of cohesion which causes possible boredom or disinterest for the reader.9 An
old-fashioned style of portraying a crowd of people at the bottom of the painting also
contributes to this overall unsuccessful attempt by Bartolommeo. The painting is still
howevere regarded as an inspirational work, both for the viewer as well as Raphael.
Raphael utilized Fra Bartolommeo's Last Judgement as one reference to create his Disputa,
although comparing the two works shows Raphael's natural talent and skill for composing.
Fra Bartolommeo's handling of people seems to come together successfully in the Marriage
of St. Catherine shown in figure 2, which was painted in 1512. Fra Bartolommeo chooses
the neutral tones and heavy architecture to enclose the scene.10 Contrasting shapes of
light and dark figures and cramped juxtaposing open spaces creates a dynamic, yet almost
orderly composition. Bartolommeo's inclusion of a small flight of steps serves as a
forerunner to Raphael's School of Athens and altar pieces in the future which contain
many figures in a small space. Bartolommeo's subtle evoking of emotion is evident in the
gestures of the Madonna and baby Jesus as well as the contraposto of the figure in the
lower right hand corner.
Also in 1512 Fra Bartolommeo painted an impressive Madonna and Child(refer to figure 3)
which is in the Besancon Cathedral. Bartolommeo created a new kind of spiritualism and
idealism by straying away at least for the time being his usual dark backgrounds and
opening a door behind the beautifully floating Madonna, creating depth and perspective.
Another important aspect within this work is the lighting technique utilized, which
lights brightly the portions of the figures' bodies which need to be seen the most,
contrasting against a relatively dark surrounding. Perhaps the most impressive handling
of a single figure in this painting is the St. Sebastian on the right which flows
gracefully in his body language, somewhat resembling St. Bernard in a previous work in
the vision of St. Bernard from 1506.
While visiting Rome in 1517, it is believed that Bartolommeo must have seen Raphael's
Sistine Madonna , illustrated in figure 4, and was inspired in part by it to paint one of
his most highly regarded works entitled The Risen Christ with the four Evangelists.11 
The simplistic restraint of the Christ figure is complimented by the flowing drapery and
its smooth chiaroscuro. Both Raphael's Sistine Madonna(figure 5) and Bartolommeo's
Ressurected Christ share the aspects of centralized figures floating on clouds and a
noble and naturalistic casting of clothing upon the forms of the important figures.
Figure 6, Fra Bartolommeo's Pieta which rests in Pitti Florence, Italy. Idealism is a
prevailing factor in this work because of the existing fact that Christ does not resemble
a truly dead corpse, for his head lies almost as if sleeping and no serious wounds can be
seen. Emotion is expressed through the passionate embrace by Mary Magdalen at Christ''s
feet and the gentle motherly touch by the Mary.12 yet another example of idealism in this
work is the fact that Jesus is supposed to be about 33 years old, while his mother
appears to be no older than 25. 
In Lucca Academy in Florence, Bartolommeo's Madonna of Mercy can be seen, a painting from
1515. This is yet another example of the Fra's perfected technique of including a mass of
figures in one scene without crowding the composition, partially by utilizing a path for
the figures. The eye of the viewer is allowed to move about the work via the small
stairs, first leading up towards the Madonna. The subtle hierarchic scale of the Madonna
and the floating angels and Christ figures only amplify the glory, nobility, and
importance of the scene.
During 1509 Fra Bartolommeo completed (figure 8) God the Father and two Saints, a work
inspired by the same emotion as in the St. Bernard and thus the two are often compared.
The drapery is perhaps more flowing and spiritually symbolic in this work than in the St.
Bernard. The composition retains Bartolommeo's strong order and compostion style, with
the holy and important figure centered and floating above the rest of the figures, adding
a theatrical appearance 
to the audience viewing this altar piece. God the Father and two Saints holds numerous
contrasts to Raphael's Sistine Madonna, although both contain kneeling and floating
figures. The landscapes are also treated differently in that Bartolommeo creates calm
depth and atmosphere with his flat distant landscape. 13 
This work is probably a fine example of Fra Bartolommeo's mature style of the figure,
composition, and his rhythmic, largescale compositions which were and are meant to
motivate the audience, normally of a Roman Catholic background, to abandon vanity and
meaningless detail and to focus on life as a whole. Maybe Bartolommeo wanted people to
live their lives this way, thus providing a simple yet noble moral explaining his view
that life should be lived not feared. That trivial incidents and circumstances do not
affect the outcome in the end. As Heinrich Wolfflin wrote in similar words, Fra
Bartolommeo may not have had much to say as a High Renaissance painter, but what he did
say he said with conviction.14 
Bibliography
Borgo, Ludovico, The Works of Mariotto Albertinelli, (1976), 585p.. 
Fischer, Chris, Fra Bartolommeo:master draughtsman of the high renaissance: a selection
from the Rotterdamn albums and landscape drawings from various collections, (1990), 410
p.. 
Studies in the history of art, v. 6, (1974), 214 p.. 
Wolffin, Heinrich, Classic Art: an introduction to the Italian Renaisance, (1994), 294
p..