Tags & Description
Renaissance Art
What was the Renaissance?
Began around 1350 in Italy
French word that means "rebirth."
A revival of classical forms originally developed by ancient Greeks and Romans; concerned with secular life—interest in humanism and assertion of the importance of the individual (Humanists).
The top four Breakthroughs in art skills during the Renaissance:
Oil on Canvas
Perspective
Chiaroscuro
Pyramid Configuration
New Techniques
Realism & Expression
Perspective
Classicism
Emphasis on Individualism
Geometrical Arrangement of Figures
Light & Shadowing/Softening Edges
Realism & Expression
i) Showing scenes as they actually appear ii) Expression is different depending on the individual and the scene
Left: 'Christ Pantocrator', Byzantine Mosaic (6th century) Right: 'Christ Blessing' by Antonello da Messina (1465)
Perspective
i) A graphic system that creates the illusion of depth and volume on two-dimensional surfaces
Example: 'The Trinity' by Masaccio (1427)
Classicism
i) Greek and Roman influence where perfect proportion is the ideal ii) Secularism: Without religious influence Humanism: Emphasizes reason and human fulfillment
Example: Venus de' Medici/The Classical Pose
Emphasis on Individualism
i) Highlighting specific characteristics to show how one subject is unique from another
Painting: 'The Duke & Duchess of Urbino' by Piero della Francesca (1465-1466)
Geometrical Arrangement of Figures
i) The arrangement of figures to form geometric shapes
Painting: 'The Dreyfus Madonna with the Pomegranate' by Leonardo da Vinci (1469)
Light & Shadowing/Softening Edges
i) Chiaroscuro: The use of extreme contrast between light and dark to create a dramatic effect ii) Sfumato: The blurring or softening of sharp outlines by gradually blending one tone into another
Painting: 'Ginevra de' Benci' by Leonardo da Vinci (1474-1478)
Early Renaissance Artists
Masaccio (1401-1428)
Donatello (1386-1466)
Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510)
Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519)
Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520)
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
Masaccio (1401-1428)
His frescoes are the earliest monuments of Humanism
One of the first to use perspective
All of his works are religious in nature—altarpieces or church frescoes
Painting: Trinity (1425-1428)
Donatello (1386-1466)
Recaptured the central discovery of Classical sculpture
Contrapossto
Inspired by ancient visual examples
Paintings: Mary Magdalene, c.1453- 1455, Wood
Emphasizes her physical and mental anguish and also her strength and determination
Recognized for the astonishing realism
David, circa 1435-1440, Bronze
David is shown standing and resting his foot resting on the severed head of Goliath.
Victorious attitude
Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510)
Decorative linear style
Influence of Byzantine Art
Biblical Subject Matter
Paintings: The Birth of Venus c. 1485
Symbol of the coming spring
Her depiction as a nude is noteworthy in itself, given because during Renaissance period rarely were nudes ever painted mostly themes of Christianity
Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519)
A scientist, inventor, and an artist
Considered one of the greatest painters of the Italian Renaissance
Paintings: Mona Lisa, 1506
The Last Supper, 1498, Fresco
Disciples are all displaying very human, identifiable emotions
Every single element of the painting directs one's attention straight to the midpoint of the composition, Christ's head.
Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520)
Expressed all qualities of High Renaissance art and the use of light and shadow
Paintings: The School of Athens, 1511
Subject matter is classical
Painting depicts philosophers from the ancient world, such as Plato, Aristotle and Socrates assembled in the center
Figures have idealized bodies, graceful gestures and a beautiful spacious environment
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
Architect, sculptor, painter, poet and engineer
Carved his sculptures from one block
Pieta means pity
Pyramid configuration
Examples: David, marble, 1501-1504
"Triumphant David" in that he shows him after he has already killed Goliath and his foot rests upon the giant's severed head.
Contrapposto pose
Renaissance Portraits with a Modern Twist
Alan Macdonald (b. 1962)
His portraits are in the Renaissance style however, emphasize a sense of consumerism (the void in our lives we are trying to fill on a superficial level)