A gold florin from Florence, 1252-1303. The Florin was a gold coin that was used as a stable currency all over Europe.
Art and money in Renaissance Florence —
A gold florin from Florence, 1252-1303. The Florin was a gold coin that was used as a stable currency all over Europe.
"The Money-changer and his Wife." This 1540 painting by Marinus van Reymerswaele took the increasingly common practice of money-changing as its subject.
Art and money in Renaissance Florence —
"The Money-changer and his Wife." This 1540 painting by Marinus van Reymerswaele took the increasingly common practice of money-changing as its subject.
"Madonna and Child with the Young St John," c.1500, by Sandro Botticelli. Though he had long created works for the Medici family, art historians say Botticelli's later works suggest emotional anguish -- perhaps relating to the preaching of Savonarola.
Art and money in Renaissance Florence —
"Madonna and Child with the Young St John," c.1500, by Sandro Botticelli. Though he had long created works for the Medici family, art historians say Botticelli's later works suggest emotional anguish -- perhaps relating to the preaching of Savonarola.
"St Nicholas with the Emperor's Envoy and The Miraculous Rescue of a Sailing Vessel," painted between 1437 and 1449, by Fra Angelico. Given the extensive use of gold in the frame, this work is thought to have been commissioned by wealthy patrons. It depicts a merchant ship assailed by storms, finally coming safely to port.
Art and money in Renaissance Florence —
"St Nicholas with the Emperor's Envoy and The Miraculous Rescue of a Sailing Vessel," painted between 1437 and 1449, by Fra Angelico. Given the extensive use of gold in the frame, this work is thought to have been commissioned by wealthy patrons. It depicts a merchant ship assailed by storms, finally coming safely to port.
As society became increasingly mercantile, people worried about the effect of financial activity on the soul. Flemish painter Jan Provoost's "Death and the Miser," from 1505-10, highlights such worry.
Art and money in Renaissance Florence —
As society became increasingly mercantile, people worried about the effect of financial activity on the soul. Flemish painter Jan Provoost's "Death and the Miser," from 1505-10, highlights such worry.
Savonarola warned of the risks of wealth and ostentation. Ludwig von Langenmantel's 1881 painting "Savonarola Preaching Against Luxury and Preparing the Bonfire of the Vanities," imagines him as a lone, austere figure standing up to a decadent world.
Art and money in Renaissance Florence —
Savonarola warned of the risks of wealth and ostentation. Ludwig von Langenmantel's 1881 painting "Savonarola Preaching Against Luxury and Preparing the Bonfire of the Vanities," imagines him as a lone, austere figure standing up to a decadent world.