The roles of the Pope and the Patron of the Arts
The creation of many of the most signifying Renaissance artworks was either
sponsored for public use or with personal expenses for private use. Many
wealthy burghers were living in imposing palaces, designed and built by the
most prominent architects at the time, and decorated with ornated pieces of
furniture and artworks.
The greatest pieces of art, however, do not owe their making solely to personal
initiative. The opulent republics of Central Italy would finance proceedings
regarding temples, hospitals, administrative centers, monuments etc. It was
these artworks, commissioned to the brightest and most capable artists by
powerful guilds, that stimulated the feeling of dignity to the residents of
Florence.
Florencian Giovanni Rucelai made a brief summarization of the motives of a
typical Patron of the Arts in the Renaissance; the pleasure of possession and
the protection of the Arts gave the greatest personal satisfaction, because they
served the honour of God and of Florence, allotting personal fame and
immortality. The peaceful coexistence of virtues, such as piety, civic-
mindedness and the responsibility towards the society and pomposity, was a
major prerequisite in the humanitarian state of the Renaissance, a movement
aspiring to the cultural and educational
reformation of the dominating god-fearing
mentality.
In order for someone to comprehend the
amount of wealth disposed to public artworks
and charities, the letter of Lorenzo the
Magnificent (Lorenzo de Medici) to his sons
needs to be taken into consideration, where
he reports; “From 1434 to 1471, we spent a
great amount of money. Our ledger reveals
that we have disposed a great 663,775 florins
for the design and creation of buildings, for
charities and taxes, other expenses no t
3) Lorenzo the Magnificent -
included. I will not complain about this,
because, although many would aspire to have Lorenzo de Medici (1449-
1492)
access to such wealth, I believe they offered a
great honor to the society, hence serving a good
purpose, and for that I am very pleased”.
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