Abstract
In antiquity, artistic creativity was often considered the result of madness, a fury of inspiration, or the intervention of muses. Today, some predict that artificial intelligence and 3-D printers will one day lead to masterworks like Michelangelo’s. In the meantime, how does creativity and innovation work? Some insight may be gained from the work of the Italian 13th-century painter, Giunta Pisano. In 1236, Giunta painted a monumental crucifix for the new Basilica of San Francesco at Assisi; probably the very first of the many masterpieces the basilica was to house. Had it survived it might be recognized today as a major turning point for Italian painting. Instead, made an object of scorn and derision by no less than Giorgio Vasari, victimized by the vagaries of passing fashion, and (ultimately) genuinely shameful neglect, it disappeared without a trace. Although lost to us, Giunta’s crucifix had a wide influence. Because two other Giunta crucifixes likely similar to the 1236 example have come down to us (one being a near-contemporary) some sense of its innovative and paradigm-changing appearance can be surmised. More interesting, however, is the question of how Giunta came to his innovative result, and why (despite Vasari’s later criticism) that result resonated so strongly. Reconstructing the formal and art historical aspects of Giunta’s decidedly innovative crucifixes – innovations rooted in much earlier sources transmitted through surprising venues – against the backdrop of the time’s emerging spirituality, the author presents a rare glimpse into the fascinating complexity of the creative enterprise.
Presenters
James CallaghanSenior International Officer, Assistant Vice-President for International Education, Academic Affairs, Georgia College & State University (Georgia College), Georgia, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Art History; Painting; Renaissance; Byzantine; Hellenistic; Creativity; Innovation; Influence; Assisi; Giunta Pisano
