University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well
University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well
Undergraduate Research Symposium 2014
Undergraduate Research Symposium
4-2014
Economic Underpinning of Renaissance Italian Art
Katherine Jacobson
University of Minnesota - Morris
Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/urs_2014
Part of the Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Art and Architecture Commons, and the
Economic History Commons
Recommended Citation
Jacobson, Katherine, "Economic Underpinning of Renaissance Italian Art" (2014). Undergraduate Research Symposium 2014. Book 3.
http://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/urs_2014/3
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Katie Jacobson
Undergraduate Research Symposium
April 12, 2014
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Aby Warburg, 1902
Quoted in: Reiss, 2013.
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 Main Question
 Historical Context
 Demand and Competition
 Patronage
 Main players
 Principal-Agent Relationship
 Status signaling
 Summation
Da Vinci, 1512
Self Portrait
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http://img3.rnkr-static.com/list_img/1721/301721/full/famous-italian-renaissance-artists-u2.jpg
How was the relationship between wealth
and artistic talent developed through
Renaissance Italian patronage, and how is
this evident today?
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Study emphasizing kinship bonds, self-fashioning, the
communication of social status, …network[ing], and
the promotion of individual, family, and collective
agendas
Reiss, 2013
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 Renaissance:
 14th-17th century
Uffizi Museum
Florence, Italy
 Measurements of wealth
 Bank value vs. Public
display
 Magnificenza
 “Gift culture”
 Symbolic value of luxury
display
 Dowries
Cited in: Golthwaite, 1993
http://www.walksofitaly.com/tour_bookings/tour_all_listing/2/104
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 Largest
concentration
of urban
populations
in Europe
 Politically
fragmented
 Urban, regional
economies
Cited in: Goldthwaite,
1993; Kent, 1987
http://www.ilibrarian.net/history/italian_city_states_1494_lg.jpg
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 The Church
 Foreign policy: symbols
 Community - advertising
 Material requirements
 “…people transformed
individual needs into
corporate demand.”
Vatican City
http://foundwalls.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Vatican-City-Rome-Italy-Europe.jpg
Cited in: Goldthwaite, 1993
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Governments, Professional groups, Individuals, Families
 Political ambition
 Power
 Responsibility
 Social position
 Prestige
Cited in: Goldthwaite, 152
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(Artists)
(Patrons)
(Patrons)
https://www.google.com/search?q=increase+demand+graph&espv=210&es_sm=91&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=30HrUvuZNMmwyQGq4ICwAQ&ved=0CCYQsAQ&biw=1215&bih=551#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=YLjtaGmVi35uOM%2
53A%3B4IcjEMgOoxapjM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.raybromley.com%252Fnotes%252Fnoteimages%252Fequilibrium%252Fincrdemandeq.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.raybromley.com%252Fnotes%252Fequilchange.html%3B415%
3B318
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http://www.paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Italian%20Images/images/Firenze/Firenze_Skylines/900/Florence-Duomo-Nov07-RAW4827AR900.jpg
 Collective groups
 Governmental:
“[t0 provide] focal
points for public
spaces & proclaim
the communes’
beneficence
towards their
citizens”
Quoted in: Reiss, 2013
Rialto Bridge,
Venice, Italy, 1588
Summer, 2013
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 Confraternities
 Buildings to meet and worship
 Décor
 Families & Individuals
 Wealthy bankers, merchants
 Celebrated, of noble houses
 Secular rulers of various Italian courts
 Renaissance popes, cardinals
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 Cosimo de Medici:
“…responsible for making it
trendy to invest in the arts.”
 Commissioned:
 Donatello
 Michelangelo
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Cosimo_di_Medici_(Bronzino).jpg
Quoted in: Widden, 2010
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http://www.paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Italian%20Images/images/Firenze/Firenze_Skylines/900/Florence-Duomo-Nov07-RAW4827AR900.jpg
1) Contemporary
2) Future
 “Conspicuous consumption that lasts through many
generations”
3) Heavenly
 “…patrons wanted God and the saints to see their
devotion, and hoped that their commissions would help
them reduce their time in Purgatory…”
Quoted in: Nelson, Zeckhauser, 2008
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“The frequent and
prominent displays of
personal emblems
indicate that patrons
had a second audience
in mind, namely
viewers here on
earth…”
Lorenzo Lotto, Florence, 1525-1530
Madonna and Child with Two Donors
http://www.wikipaintings.org/pt/lorenzo-lotto/virgin-and-child-with-two-donors
Quoted in: Nelson, Zeckhauser, 2008
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“All the [commissioned works] have given and give me the
greatest satisfaction and pleasure, because in part they
serve the honor of God, as well as the honor of the city
and the commemoration of myself.”
Giovanni Rucellai, Memoir, 1473
Quoted in: Bohn, Saslow, 2014
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Basilica di Santa Maria Novella,
Florence, Italy, 1456
http://www.museumsinflorence.com/foto/santa%20maria%20novella/image/facciata.jpg
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http://www.paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Italian%20Images/images/Firenze/Santa%20Maria%20Novella/800/Top-Facade-Jul05-D1147sAR80.jpg
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Patron = Principal = CEO
Artist = Agent = Advertising Agency
 CEO Controls:
 Together Discuss:
 Medium
 Target audience
 Budget
 General message
 Timing of ad campaign
 Qualities to be signaled
 Payroll
Cited: Nelson, Zeckhauser, 2008
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 Principal-Agent
Problem
 Separating ownership
and control of a firm
allows one party to act
in own interest rather
than interest of firm.
Cited: Mishkin, 2013
http://girlfriendinacoma.eu/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Journey-cartoon-.jpg
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 Employment
 Court artist
regular salaries
 Grow and maintain honor, status
networking
“…[R]eputation plays a major role in guaranteeing
quality output from hard-to-monitor agents”
Incentive-based system
“…discouraged artists from skimping on effort, and from
turning out work of low or unacceptable quality.”
Cited: Nelson, Zeckhauser, 2008; Reiss, 2013
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(Artists)
(Artists)
(Patrons)
(Patrons)
http://www.raybromley.com/notes/noteimages/equilibrium/incrdemsup3.jpg
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Bart Finzel
Stacey Aronson
LeAnn Dean
Dr. Stephen Wharton, Richmond University, London
Family & Friends
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