The Endless Desire of Commissioning Art
In the fifteenth century, people commissioned art and it brought them a great pleasure. The contentment derives from the glory of God, the honor of the city, and the commemoration of oneself. During this period, most of the people were very religious and had a great desire to possess artworks. The honor of the city boosted up the commissioners’ reputation. The remembrance of oneself would leave a special, memorable artwork by assigning details to the particular painter.
The first reason why people commissioned artworks is that they believed in God and they practiced their religion daily basis. The commissioners were mainly the model of a good, civilized men in the states. Especially, wealthy men like Rucellai felt happiness through donating these paintings or frescos to put in the church (Baxandall 2). They also had to pay fewer taxes or church dues, which seemed cheaper and more convenient for them. Paintings that are hung in churches are considerably enormous, and this makes it very noticeable that there is a glorious artwork in the church. Even though the decorations are more expensive than the normal dues, it was worth earning the fame in the city.
The honor of the city would be the most reasonable and agreeable motives for people who commission the art. People care about themselves the most and they try to gain support or great reputation by their closest people such as the town, school, or city. Commissioners would be very proud of what they have done and would be encouraged to do more activities. For instance, Rucellai does not know in depth about the elements of the painting, which also suggests that he is visually insensitive. Nonetheless, he still sh...
