Renaissance Art Midterm

Saint Francis with Scenes From his Life - Bonaventura Berlinghieri

altarpiece! big saint in the middle, scenes in background show events from his life. very medieval art, very stiff. flat figures, hierarchal (most important people are bigger). symbolic figures, not realistic anatomy. gold background symbolizes heaven and the spiritual realm.

Enthroned Madonna - Giotto

Historians say Giotto started the Renaissance. Less contrast than Saint Francis, everything looks softer here. Figures have weight and look 3 dimensional. The throne creates real space. Angels look in admiration of Mary and Jesus, who sit in a throne (jesus in mary’s lap).

Enthroned Madonna and Child with Angels and Prophets

This is showing the same thing as Giotto’s altarpiece, but this looks very medieval. It is starting to improve, Mary looks a bit more human and there is. some shading. However, still gold background and stiff, there is no real space.

Arena Chapel, Padua - Giotto

Entire chapel covered in paintings (frescoes). Fresco = paint applied to wet plaster walls. Had Giotto make this so he and his family would go to heaven because his father committed usury (money-lending). Giotto uses frescoes to tell the story of Jesus and Mary across the walls, and this feels like a visual storybook.

Lamentation, Arena Chapel - Giotto

People mourning the dead body of Christ after he was taken down from the cross. No facial expression encourages viewers to have our own reaction. However, the bodies feel heavy and real, and the figures hug and cry. Diagonal rock leads viewers’ eyes to Christ. Giotto makes people look real and sad.

Sacrifice of Isaac - Ghiberti

winner of the door competition! artists had to show abraham about to sacrifice his son isaac. ghiberti’s is more balanced composition and more elegant, this classical style is inspired by greek/roman sculpture. also, ghiberti writes commentaries which is unusual for artists.

Sacrifice of Isaac - Brunelleschi

very strong, dramatic movement. abraham is grabbing Isaac aggressively. more dramatic and emotional composition than ghiberti. however, brunelleschi went on to become an amazing architect.

St. John the Baptist - Ghiberti

bronze statue for wool workers guild. contrapposto! leaning stance, gives sense of movement. weight on one leg, body shifts naturally, figure looks live and not stiff.

St Mark - Donatello

sculpture for linen and drapery guild. huge innovation! natural body, drapery follows body. strong realistic face. donatello makes the saints look like real citizens of florence.

St George - Donatello

flattened relief (rilievo schiacciato). linear perspective! parallel lines meet at a vanishing point. creates depth and deep space in a very shallow space. st george is killing the dragon. figures in forground are carved more deeply while architectural lines recede into background.

Dome of Duomo - Brunelleschi

double shell dome and herringbone brick pattern. no one knew how to build a dome this big before brunelleschi. huge engineering breakthrough, first modern architecture innovation. no wooden scaffolding used.

Ospedale delgi Innocenti - Brunelleschi

orphanage in Florence. columns, round arches, symmetry, classic roman style. renaissance artists love ancient rome. clear mathematical proportions between arches and columns.

San Lorenzo - Brunelleschi

chruch that brunelleschi redesigned. ideas from ancient roman architecture (balance, order, geometry). mathematical harmony, everything is round and not pointy (gothic). simple, balanced church.

Old Sacristy - Brunelleschi

small room attached to san lorenzo. perfect cube shape. large dome on top of square space. mathematical proportions and geometric order.

Adoration of the Magi - Gentile da Fabriano

represents international gothic style which was popular right before the renaissance when realism took over. fancy, golden, crowded altarpiecve. very decorative clothing. overall, fancy gothic luxury.

Trinity - Masaccio

Fresco painting of the holy trinity (god the father, jesus on the cross, and the holy spirit). perfect linear perspective! viewers feel like they can walk into the painting. two donors (the people who paid for the painting) stand in prayer. columns, arches, and a barrel-vaulted ceiling (ancient roman architecture).

Scenes From the Brancacci Chapel: Tribute Money and Expulsion of Adam & Eve

intense emotion. chiaroscuro (strong contrast of light and shadow). shame, grief, bodies look real and vulnerable. perspective, light, and storytelling.

Battle of San Romano - Paolo Uccello

Uccello was obsessed with perspective. this painting is like a geometry experiment. broken spears and weapons are arranged to create lines leading into space.