Editing Grotesque (section)

===Etymology in Renaissance===
[[File:Biblioteca Duomo Siena-2 Apr 2008.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Ceiling of the [[Piccolomini Library]], [[Siena Cathedral]], [[Siena]], Italy, by [[Pinturicchio]] and his assistants, 1502–1503]]
The first appearance of the word ''grottesche'' appears in a contract of 1502 for the [[Piccolomini Library]] attached to the [[duomo]] of [[Siena]]. They were introduced by [[Raphael Sanzio]] and his team of decorative painters, who developed ''grottesche'' into a complete system of ornament in the [[Loggias]] that are part of the series of [[Raphael's Rooms]] in the [[Vatican Palace]], Rome. "The decorations astonished and charmed a generation of artists that was familiar with the grammar of the [[classical orders]] but had not guessed till then that in their private houses the Romans had often disregarded those rules and had adopted instead a more fanciful and informal style that was all lightness, elegance and grace."<ref>Peter Ward-Jackson, "The Grotesque" in "Some main streams and tributaries in European ornament from 1500 to 1750: part 1" ''The Victoria and Albert Museum Bulletin'' (June 1967, pp 58–70) p 75.</ref> In these grotesque decorations a tablet or candelabrum might provide a focus; frames were extended into scrolls that formed part of the surrounding designs as a kind of scaffold, as Peter Ward-Jackson noted. Light scrolling grotesques could be ordered by confining them within the framing of a pilaster to give them more structure. [[Giovanni da Udine]] took up the theme of grotesques in decorating the [[Villa Madama]], the most influential of the new Roman villas.

In the 16th century, such artistic license and irrationality was controversial matter. [[Francisco de Holanda]] puts a defense in the mouth of [[Michelangelo]] in his third dialogue of ''Da Pintura Antiga'', 1548:
<blockquote>"this insatiable desire of man sometimes prefers to an ordinary building, with its pillars and doors, one falsely constructed in grotesque style, with pillars formed of children growing out of stalks of flowers, with [[architrave]]s and [[Cornice (architecture)|cornice]]s of branches of myrtle and doorways of reeds and other things, all seeming impossible and contrary to reason, yet it may be really great work if it is performed by a skillful artist."<ref>Quoted in David Summers, "Michelangelo on Architecture", ''The Art Bulletin'' '''54'''.2 (June 1972:146–157) p. 151.</ref></blockquote>

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BLW Pilgrim Bottle, about 1560-1570.jpg|Pilgrim bottle, by the [[Fontana workshop]] from [[Urbino]], Italy, {{circa}} 1560–1570, tin glazed earthenware ([[majolica]]), [[Victoria and Albert Museum]], London
Ceiling of Uffizi Gallery.jpg|Ceiling decorated with arabesques in the [[Uffizi]] Gallery, [[Florence]], Italy, by various architects, including [[Giorgio Vasari]], {{circa}} 1560–1581<ref>{{cite book |last=Greenhalgh |first=Paul |title=Ceramic - Art and Civilization |date=2019 |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]] |page=189 |isbn=978-1-4742-3970-7 |oclc=1154118123 }}</ref>
The Sistine Hall of the Vatican Library (2994335291).jpg|Ceilings decorated with grotesques in the [[Vatican Library]], [[Vatican City]], by [[Domenico Fontana]], 1587–1588<ref>{{cite book|last1=Listri|first1=Massimo|title=The World's Most Beautiful Libraries|date=2020|publisher=Taschen|isbn=978-3-8365-3524-3|page=52|url=|language=}}</ref>
File:Fresco room Nobility in Villa d'Este (Tivoli).jpg|[[Mother Nature]] is surrounded by ''grottesche'' in this fresco detail from [[Villa d'Este]].
File:Renaissance Grotesques Composition.jpg|Renaissance grotesque motifs in assorted formats
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