This is what democracy looks like
1,294,529 views |
Anthony D. Romero |
TED2017
• April 2017
In a quest to make sense of the political environment in the United States in 2017, lawyer and ACLU executive director Anthony D. Romero turned to a surprising place -- a 14th-century fresco by Italian Renaissance master Ambrogio Lorenzetti. What could a 700-year-old painting possibly teach us about life today? Turns out, a lot. Romero explains all in a talk that's as striking as the painting itself.
In a quest to make sense of the political environment in the United States in 2017, lawyer and ACLU executive director Anthony D. Romero turned to a surprising place -- a 14th-century fresco by Italian Renaissance master Ambrogio Lorenzetti. What could a 700-year-old painting possibly teach us about life today? Turns out, a lot. Romero explains all in a talk that's as striking as the painting itself.
This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.
About the speaker
Anthony D. Romero is the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
| Explore
Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s frescoes in Siena’s Palazzo Pubblico are delicious to look at and are filled with meaning about our past, present and even future. You can spend years studying these frescoes – some scholars have. And while I am certainly not an art historian, I did find a lot of the scholarly literature to be incredibly helpful as I pulled together my TED talk. Lorenzetti’s frescoes are a visual echo of the chant at many of today’s protests, “This is what democracy looks like.” Below are some of the key works by scholars that helped educate me about Lorenzetti, his work and his world. These works and scholars fired up my imagination; many dazzled my eyes with reproductions of the Lorenzetti frescoes, while others made me consider the significance of the frescoes’ meaning to our current democracy. I haven’t met any of these scholars in person but I wish to publicly thank and acknowledge them – for enriching my understanding, opening my eyes, and making me think critically. Read more about Lorenzetti. Enjoy his gift to us from the ages. But also think critically about the present – not just the past. And then take action. Democracy must not be a spectator sport.
George Rowley | Princeton University Press, 1958 | Book
This two-volume book is simply amazing. I spent several days reading this book in the art history reference room of the New York Public Library, and it was worth every minute. Rowley’s analysis is crystal clear, and I had many "aha" moments. The little numbers in margins of the text direct you to the plates in the second volume, so you can see the images even as you read his words and digest his analysis. You probably need to go to your local library to find this book, but it will be worth every minute. In any event, it is good to support your local libraries. They have stuff Amazon never will, and they are a free resource for all of us. Let’s give them our support.
Maria Luisa Meoni | Edizioni IFI (Florence), 2005. | Book
A marvelous little book that has wonderful reproductions and is accessible to everyone. Meoni is an anthropologist, and the book is perfect if you want a quick tour through the frescoes and a quick history lesson about the context surrounding Lorenzetti. If you have a young person in your life who might be interested in art history, this would be a perfect introduction to Lorenzetti.
Aldo Cairola and Enzo Carli | Monte dei Paschi di Siena (first printing), 1964, Editalia. | Book
This is one of my "trophy" books. Older than me (and that’s saying a lot), this book has a great analysis of the architecture of the Palazzo Pubblico (written by Aldo Cairola), including the history surrounding the palace’s creation, as well as some amazing photographs of the architectural designs in the palace. If you are going to Siena, or love architecture, this book will really help you appreciate the stones and spaces around you. Fantastic black and white, and color (old now) photographs. The second section by Enzo Carli talks about the paintings in the palace. The details of the Lorenzetti frescoes are brilliant – in black and white or color. He also covers some of the other amazing art in the building, including Simone Martini, whose Maest`a is breathtaking. Lorenzetti is a genius, but he is in good company with other painters in the palace and Carli provides a great analysis of their works while also showing you their beauty for your very own eyes. (Perfect for your coffee table if you get hooked on Siena’s Palazzo Pubblico.)
Text by Alvar Gonzalez-Palacios, Albert Skira (artistic director), 1969 Fratelli Fabbri Editori, Milan. | Book
The short text is in Italian, and it took me a couple of hours to work through it with my rudimentary grasp of that gorgeous language. This book is all about the pictures, however. If you can’t go see the frescoes, this book’s reproductions are the next best thing. The color and black-and-white plates are worthy of framing, if you can get your hands on this old, Italian book.
Quentin Skinner | Journal of the Warbug and Courtauld Institutes, Vol. 62 (1999). | Article
This is an amazing analysis by one of the great intellectual giants writing on Lorenzetti. Skinner is regarded as one of the founders of "Cambridge School" of political history. Political theory, philosophy and art history in this short article. If you want something short, analytic and super-smart on Lorenzetti, this is the one.
Nicolai Rubinstein | Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Vol. 21, No. 3/4 (July- December 1958) | Article
In less than 20 pages Rubinstein gives you the political history, an analysis of Lorenzetti and di Bartolo, as well as reproduces some images that bring his analysis home. Love his brevity and his mind.
Judith Hook | London: Hamish Hamilton, 1979 | Book
If you want to geek out on the history of Siena and understand the context that gave rise to its art, including Lorenzetti, this is your book. Hook has a mind that is encyclopedic. Her analysis of Lorenzetti on pages 82- 93 was phenomenal. No pics in this book. But she will paint a picture of the context with her words.
Jack M. Greenstein | Art History, Volume II, No. 4, December 1988 (0141-6790). | Article
I focused a lot more of my thinking on Lorenzetti’s "Allegory of Bad Government," but Greenstein really delves into the good government images and the depiction of peace. Some of his reproductions are unique and not found in other reference pieces, and his detailed analysis of the frescoes’ less-studied images is also great. Like a treasure hunt historian.
Joseph Polzer | Artibus et. Historae, Vol. 23, No. 45 (2002). | Article
Almost 40 pages of first-rate art history and historical analysis. Connects Lorenzetti to Giotto – yes necessary – as well as to the future (Vasari and Ghiberti). My TED talk was about "this is what democracy looks like." Polzer’s article is about “this is what art history looks like.” Admire his mind and his eye for the pieces he reproduced in the short article.
Ernest T. DeWald | Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1961. | Book
A monumental sweep of 400 years of Italian painting. If you are looking for a thorough chronology of the amazing Italian painters over 400 years, this is your book. Audacious and ambitious in its scope, this book takes you through a mind-blowing history. The sections on individual painters are necessarily short and sweet, but smart. Lorenzetti appears on page 155, and Dewald’s analysis is excellent.
Daniel Waley | 1991 (third edition). | Book
Waley helps place Lorenzetti and Siena in the broader context of the Italian city republics. This history filled in the backdrop for me, and he had some great insights on the Lorenzetti frescoes.
Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Vol. 35 (1972). | Article
Amazing analysis, Feldges-Henning is able to go from the big picture to the little details. Her analysis on the influences of Artistotle on Lorenzetti is fantastic. And if I wanted to be an art historian when I grew up, I would want to be like her.
Diana Norman | Renaissance Studies, Vol. 11, No. 4 (December 1997). | Article
Finally, I loved this article and loved Norman’s courage. Talk about disruption! She raises important questions that challenge the orthodoxy of the art history community; she questions whether Lorenzetti is actually depicting Siena itself, or an idealized city or is "an idealized expression of a particular ideology," or maybe Lorenzetti isn’t even depicting Siena but Pisa (in the "Bad Government" fresco). Wow. "What are we looking at? Are we sure?" she asks. To go against established scholarship takes brilliance and chutzpah. In my ten minutes on Lorenzetti, I really didn’t have the time (or need) to get into this debate and controversy. But Norman’s work shows that the debate on "old" paintings is constantly evolving and that established wisdom is being challenged by successive generations of scholars. The same way our democratic institutions are constantly being challenged and changed by each successive generation of Americans. "This is what art history looks like." "This is what democracy looks like." Constantly changing and constantly evolving.
This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.