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italoamericano-digital-2-23-2017

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano ALFONSO GUERRIERO JR. I n most art history classes, names like Giotto, Tintoretto, Donatello, Botticelli, Fra' Angelico and of course Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci are synonymous with the Italian Renaissance. Yet, in most cases, the Italian masters were not known by their patronym, but by their nickname. Many of the great masters during this era were identified by a single name that sounded similar to a melodic hymn with two, three, four and sometimes five syllables accom- panied by a vowel in the begin- ning, middle and end. Even now when these names are mentioned, the sound rolls off the tongue and becomes good practice for begin- ners learning Italian for it allows students to hear which letters are stressed and properly pro- nounced. So much can be learned from analyzing an artist's moniker. The appellation offers a glimpse about the artist's life outside his most noted work of art. The history of Italian Renaissance Art is defined as a time when painters, commis- sioned by a European aristocracy and a fractured Papacy, created some of the most renowned mas- terpieces that the world has ever seen. The Risorgimento (or Renaissance), meaning a rebirth in the classics of Greco-Roman antiquity, was a response to Europe's stagnation in the fields of science, and the arts during the Dark Ages. Artists were largely inspired by humanism, which surfaced from rediscovering the Greco-Roman classics. The themes in many of the paintings depict Biblical icons that include: The Apostles, the Madonna and Christ as well as express pious figures with emotions of stoicism or despair, a style never wit- nessed before especially in Christ's birth, crucifixion and resurrection. Renaissance artists raised the standards to a new dimension of innovation and cre- ativity and used artistic tech- niques to illustrate depth and pro- portion with fresco painting. In some cases their subjects are in the nude, with symbolism of pro- creation. Their creative geniuses are aligned with terms like linear perspective and chiaroscuro that encompass some of the many practices that are still used today. This explosion of creative energy has been well document- ed and critiqued even though few studies have been conducted in analyzing the nicknames of Italian Renaissance artists. For example, everyone is conscious of the great works by Giotto. His artistic genius is forever connect- ed to the fresco paintings in the city of Florence and in the his- toric town of Assisi, where after seven hundred years an earth- quake in 1997 damaged his works only to be miraculously restored years later. Giotto di Bondone's (1266?-1337) legacy lives on through his fresco paint- ings; nonetheless, not many art students or those on the periphery of the Italian Renaissance, are aware that his forename is actual- ly a nickname. Akin to other eras in European history, the Renaissance was a time when children by proxy were given the name of their father. His father's name was Bondone, therefore, his name literarily meant Giotto the son of Bondone. The examination, however, of Giotto's name does not end here. In Luciano Bellosi's biography Giotto the author explains, the artist "had been called Angiolo, after his grandfather, and went by the nickname of Angiolotto, or Giotto…." For linguists and lan- guage enthusiasts, Giotto's name is a hypocoristic term taken from Angiolotto, meaning that the actual forename is shortened and the suffix evolves into a nick- name. This is also evident with the perennial master, Donatello. His family according to Giorgio Vasari in Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, Architects, indicates that Donatello was given a nickname by his family because his first name was Donato. Other artists were bestowed nicknames by their father's profession like Andrea Domenico d'Agnolo di Francesco (1486-1531) known as Andrea del Sarto. Andrea's father was a tailor hence this artist moniker meant, Andrew the son of the tailor. Or in Jacopo Robusti (1518-1594) who is bet- ter known as Tintoretto because his father was a Venetian dyer. Let's remember that even in the Italian Renaissance like many civilizations, everyone had simi- lar forenames and their surnames were too long (if they had a sur- name) or were a mouthful to pro- nounce or remember, so a nick- name was often given. Another example of a popular Renaissance artist whose name was influenced by his father and later it became his nom de guerre in the art world was Domenico di Tommaso di Currado di Doffo Bigordi (1449-1494) known as Ghirlandaio. His father, Tommaso Bigordi was a gold- smith, and he made garland-like headdresses for aristocratic women from Florence, resulting in Ghirlandaio's moniker that means garland-maker. Let's not forget the late fifteenth century artists, the Pollaiuolo brothers, Antonio di Jacopo d'Antonio Benci and Piero di Jacopo d'Antonio Benci. The two broth- ers were known by their first name and nickname Pollaiuolo since their father had an exten- sive chicken coop farm. As young and talented artists were apprenticed to become more skillful painters/sculptures, many traveled throughout Europe, and were known by their nicknames, not their birth name. The practice of nicknaming in the art world is no different than most societies that bestow a nick- name. Whether it is a profes- sional athlete, politician or gang member, the practice of nick- naming is similar to artists living during this era. These nicknames are sometimes assigned because of a father's profession or in other cases it is related to some type of physical characteristic. Giorgio Barbarelli (1447?-1510) was known as Il Giorgione or Zorzo in some texts, which means big George, Andrea Solari's (1460-1524) moniker was Gobbo or hunchback, alike to Geronimo Amelunghi's sobri- quet, Gobbo di Pisa, the hunch- back from Pisa. Furthermore in some cases to distinguish between old or young Jacopo Palma was Il Vecchio and his great-nephew was Jacopo Palma Il Giovane. Then there is Botticelli (means little keg); some sources indicate he was awarded this nickname because it was his brother's moniker that eventually was passed on to him. Sandro Botticelli's complete name was Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, now you know why he, like so many others, needed a nickname. Then there is Rafael known as The Prince of Painters even though his complete name was Raffaello Sanzio, and he is usual- ly referred to by his first name just like Michelangelo. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, is one of the select few who are simply known by just his forename. How many of us can attest to the fact that we are recognized by a single name like singers Cher, Usher, Bono or Madonna? On the other hand, Leonardo da Vinci, literarily means Leonardo from the town of Vinci, and he is forever con- nected to his birth town, which was certainly a common practice during the Italian Renaissance. We marvel about their canvas paintings and sculptures without realizing that these great masters are known by their nicknames. Andrea del Sarto (1486–1530) Self-portrait. First half of 16th century LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Artistic Nicknames, Treasures of the Italian Renaissance

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