Art of the Western World (Renaissance-Impressionism)

Giotto di Bondone

transitional artist between Medieval Period and Renaissance, used simple perspective, created dramatic and emotional art

Causes of the Renaissance

development of paper money, patronage of wealthy families, access to Greek and Roman art

Role of artists

changed from simply being artisans to being intellectual figures

Lorenzo Ghiberti

winner of door design contest, depicted the sacrifice of Isaac, also created the Gates of Paradise

Filippo Brunelleschi

created a double shelled dome for a cathedral to make a large vault, invented linear perspective

Masaccio

used both aerial and linear perspective, putting Brunelleschi’s ideas into practice

Donatello

founder of modern sculpture, influenced by classical antiquity, focused on naturalism and dramatic expression

Botticelli

created The Birth of Venus

Leonardo da Vinci

inventor, architect, engineer, painter, sculptor, scientist, musician; designed locks for canals, submarines, helicopters; painted The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa

sfumato

use of mellowed colors and blurred outlines to make forms subtly blend together, invented by da Vinci

Michelangelo

created David, was commissioned by Pope Julius II to design his tomb and paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel

Raphael Sanzio

commissioned to decorate the Pope’s chambers, most influential painter of the Madonna

Giorgione

created paintings unrelated to the Bible that focused more on the landscape than the figures

Titian Vecelli

greatest colorist, made good use of setting in the background of his portraits

Tintoretto

used dramatic angles, chiaroscuro, depicted spiritual subject matter

chiaroscuro

dramatic contrast between light and dark

Mannerism

art style that distorted scale and perspective, used acidic colors, and had twisted positioning

Reformation

criticism of Catholic Church’s corruption, move away from rich decorations in churches

Counter-Reformation

emphasized lavish decoration and dramatic/emotional art

El Greco

Mannerist, involved in Counter-Reformation, used elongated figures for dramatic effect, transitional artist between Renaissance and Baroque period

Spread of the Renaissance

Northern artists traveled to Italy, Italians traveled North, engravers distributed copies of artworks, trade connections

Matthias Grünewald

known for religious scenes, created Isenheim Altarpiece

Albrecht Dürer

most famous artist of Reformation Germany, combined Northern naturalism and Italian ideas, created woodcuts and copper engravings

Hans Holbein

great portraitist, court painter of Henry VIII, good with details and showing psychological character of subjects

Baroque art

greater movement and energy, appealed to emotions and faith, rich colors, ornamentation, dramatic imagery, chiaroscuro

Caravaggio

used extreme contrast between light and dark, naturalism, used lower-class people as models

Artemisia Gentileschi

skillfully used Caravaggio’s techniques, painted herself and Old Testament women

Gianlorenzo Bernini

sculptor, architect, painter, draftsman, designer in theater; made realistic sculptures like Ecstasy of Saint Teresa

Peter Paul Rubens

established a workshop, created art w/ lots of energy and color

Rembrandt van Rijn

painter, printmaker, draftsman; went against tradition when creating The Night Watch by giving some people more attention than others

Diego Velazquez

court painter of Philip IV, used patches of color to start paintings, influenced Impressionism

Salon

French system of choosing and supporting artists

Academy

institution that imposed aesthetic standards and principles of taste

Rococo

art style focused on gaiety, romance, court life; emphasized light-hearted decoration

Jean-Antoine Watteau

invented the fête galante genre, which depicted nobles enjoying leisure time in the countryside

Francois Boucher

Madame Pompadour’s favorite painter, depicted mythological characters and nubile nudes

Jean-Honoré Fragonard

studied with and was influenced by Boucher

Neoclassicism

revival of interest in ancient Greece/Rome, inspired by revolutionary ideals and Enlightenment philosophy

Jacques Louis David

master of ceremonies for new French govt, painter for Napoleon, created the Oath of Horatii

Jean Dominique Ingres

used sharp outlines, unemotional figures, geometric composition, and rational order

Romanticism

similar to Baroque, imaginative and emotional, used exotic/melodramatic elements

Eugene Delacroix

depicted foreign settings, violence involving animals, and historical topics

Realism

art style based on the idea that paintings must show all features of their subjects and that ordinary people were also worthy of being the subject of art

Gustave Courbet

caused outrage by displaying a painting of ordinary workmen at the Salon

Impressionism

response to the rigid rule of the Salons, defined by rapid brush strokes, depicting changing light accurately

Édouard Manet

influenced Impressionists by using bright, contrasting colors to show light

Luncheon on the Grass

painting by Manet, controversial because it depicted a nude woman and clothed men together, which broke unspoken rules about when it is appropriate to depict nude figures

Claude Monet

created the painting Impression, Sunrise that gave Impressionism its name, encouraged artists to work outside