The ''Vocation of the Apostles'' is a fresco by the

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...

painter Domenico Ghirlandaio, executed in 1481–1482 and located in the

Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel (; la, Sacellum Sixtinum; it, Cappella Sistina ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), the chapel takes its nam ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. It depicts the

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

narrative of

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

calling

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

and

Andrew Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in List of countries where English is an official language, English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is freq ...

to become his disciples.

History

In 1481 a group of Florentine painters left for Rome, where they had been called as part of the reconciliation project between

Lorenzo de' Medici Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici (; 1 January 1449 – 8 April 1492) was an Italian statesman, banker, ''de facto'' ruler of the Florentine Republic and the most powerful and enthusiastic patron of Renaissance culture in Italy. Also known as Lorenzo ...

, the ''de facto'' ruler of

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

, and Pope Sixtus IV. The Florentines started to work in the

as early as mid-1481, along with

Pietro Perugino Pietro Perugino (, ; – 1523), born Pietro Vannucci, was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, who developed some of the qualities that found classic expression in the High Renaissance. Raphael was his most famous pupil. Ea ...

, who was already there. The theme of the decoration was a parallel between the Stories of Moses and those of

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

, as a sign of continuity between the Old and the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

. A continuity also between the divine law of the Tables and the message of Jesus, who, in turn, chose

(the first alleged

bishop of Rome A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...

) as his successor: this would finally result in a legitimation of the latter's successors, the popes of Rome. Two frescoes are certainly by Ghirlandaio, the ''Vocation of the Apostles'' and the ''Resurrection'', which was repainted in the late 16th century due to extensive damage. A third, '' The Crossing of the Red Sea'', in the "Stories of Moses" wall, has been assigned to one among Ghirlandaio,

Biagio d'Antonio Biagio d’Antonio Tucci (1446 – 1 June 1516) was an Italian Renaissance painter active in Florence, Faenza and Rome. Biography Biagio was born in Florence. It is not known with whom he trained, but his early style reflects the influence of ...

Cosimo Rosselli Cosimo Rosselli (; 1439–1507) was an Italian painter of the Quattrocento, active mainly in his birthplace of Florence, but also in Pisa earlier in his career and in 1481–82 in the Sistine Chapel in Rome, where he painted some of the large ...

Description

Calling of the Apostles (detail) GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico 1481

In the background left, the fishermen

and

are called by Jesus. The two can also be seen in the background right, behind Jesus, who calls

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguati ...

and

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

, who are restoring the nets on their father

Zebedee Zebedee ( ; grc, Ζεβεδαῖος, Zebedaîos; he, , Zəḇaḏyâ), according to all four Canonical Gospels, was the father of James and John, two disciples of Jesus. The gospels also suggest that he was the husband of Salome: whereas Mar ...

's boat. In the foreground are Peter and Andrew, dressed in cloaks with their traditional colors (yellow-orange for Peter and green for Andrew). They are kneeling beside Christ, who blesses them. A unique element of the fresco is the inclusion of a multitude portrayed in contemporary clothes. Their faces were those of the Florentine community in Rome, who resided near the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. At the left is a white bearded man, perhaps a literate from

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

who was also used as a model for '' St. Jerome in His Study'' in the church of Ognissanti in

. At the center, just behind Jesus, is the portrait of

Diotisalvi Neroni Diotisalvi Neroni (1401 – 4 August 1482) was an Italian politician. He wrote ''Florentina Syndicatus''. Born in Florence, he was appointed to numerous important positions in that city. He was ambassador in Milan and a protagonist of the Peace o ...

, who had taken refuge in Rome after plotting against Piero di Cosimo de' Medici. Another exile from Constantinople is

John Argyropoulos John Argyropoulos (/ˈd͡ʒɑn ˌɑɹd͡ʒɪˈɹɑ.pə.ləs/ el, Ἰωάννης Ἀργυρόπουλος ''Ioannis Argyropoulos''; it, Giovanni Argiropulo; surname also spelt ''Argyropulus'', or ''Argyropulos'', or ''Argyropulo''; c. 1415 – 2 ...

, who appears on the right. Other characters on the right are members of the Tornabuoni family.

History

Description

See also

References

Further reading