Art Styles: From Ancient to Renaissance

Italian Renaissance

A period of art characterized by a revival of classical learning and wisdom, prominent in the 14th to 17th centuries.

Mona Lisa

A famous portrait painted by Leonardo Da Vinci, known for its subject's enigmatic expression.

Subject

The 'WHAT' of the artwork, which can be representational, abstract, or nonobjective.

Media

Refers to the 'HOW' of art, including 2D, 3D, and 4D art materials.

Form

The 'HOW' of art that encompasses the elements and principles of design.

Style

The 'HOW' of art that continues to evolve today.

Content

The 'WHY' of art, including writings, symbols, iconography, and context.

Ancient Near Eastern Art

A style of art that includes figures in composite view and hierarchical scale.

Ancient Egyptian Art

A style of art that includes figures in composite view and hierarchical scale.

Ancient Roman Art

Known for using verism in portraits.

Ancient Greek Art

Cultural style of art that includes notable works like the Augustus of Primaporta.

Augustus of Primaporta

A marble statue from the early 1st century CE, possibly a copy of a bronze statue from c. 20 BCE.

Standing Bodhisattva Maitreya

A statue from the 3-4th century located in the Met Museum.

Paleolithic Art

The earliest known art period, characterized by cave paintings and primitive sculptures.

Neolithic Art

Art from the later Stone Age, known for pottery and megalithic structures.

Baroque Art

A style characterized by dramatic use of light and color, often depicting movement.

Cubism

An art movement that abandoned perspective and depicted subjects from multiple angles.

Byzantine Art

A style focused on Christian ideology and iconography, characterized by abstracted figures.

Colossus of Constantine

A monumental statue from c. 312-315 C.E. made of white marble, brick, wood, and gilded bronze.

Deesis

A representation of Christ Pantocrator, often depicted with the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist.

Christ Enthroned

A depiction of Christ flanked by angels, found in the Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, c. 547.

Flattened Figures

Figures in Byzantine art that appear as if they are paper dolls placed one over the next, lacking depth.

Humanism

The philosophical belief in the value of humans, their endeavors, and individualism, prevalent during the Renaissance.

Linear Perspective

A mathematical system used in art to create the illusion of depth on a flat surface.

Botticelli

An artist known for merging Greco-Roman classical style with Christian iconography.

Primavera

A work by Botticelli created around 1482, depicting figures from Classical mythology.

Venus

The goddess of love and beauty, represented in Botticelli's Primavera with two natures: divine love and earthly love.

Three Graces

Figures depicted in Botticelli's Primavera, symbolizing beauty, charm, and joy.

Sculptures from the East Pediment of the Parthenon

Classical sculptures created around 447-432 BCE, representing idealized human forms.

Monumentality in Sculpture

A renewed interest during the Renaissance in creating large-scale sculptures based on Classical ideals.

Free-standing Male Nude

A type of sculpture that reemerged during the Renaissance, based on Classical Greek ideals.

Contrapposto

A pose in sculpture where the weight is shifted onto one leg, creating a sense of dynamism.

David and Goliath

A biblical story often depicted in Renaissance sculptures, showcasing different moments from the same narrative.

Michelangelo's David

A renowned Renaissance sculpture representing the biblical hero David.

Bernini's David

A dynamic sculpture created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1623, depicting David in action.

Verrocchio's David

A sculpture created by Andrea del Verrocchio, representing the biblical figure David.

Mosaic

A form of art using small pieces of colored glass or stone to create images, prevalent in Byzantine art.

Idolatry

The worship of idols or images, which was considered a sin in Byzantine art.

Classical Ideals

Artistic principles derived from ancient Greek and Roman culture, emphasizing harmony and proportion.

Renaissance Art

Art produced during the Renaissance that often combined classical themes with contemporary subjects.

Tempera on Panel

A painting technique using pigments mixed with a water-soluble binder, commonly used in Renaissance works.

Michelangelo's David

A marble sculpture created between 1501-1504, standing 17' tall.

Moment of greatest psychological tension

The moment before the battle is portrayed in Michelangelo's David.

Classical heroic nudity

A style used in the Renaissance to depict Biblical heroes.

Bernini's David

A marble sculpture created in 1623, standing 5'7" tall.

Moment of greatest physical action

The moment in battle where David pulls back the sling, depicted in Bernini's David.

Hellenistic period

A period characterized by strong emotion and theatricality, as seen in Bernini's David.

Fillippo Brunelleschi

An architect, designer, sculptor, and engineer, known as the 'Founding Father' of architecture.

First patent in the Western world

A recognition received by Fillippo Brunelleschi.

Masaccio

A painter known for employing Brunelleschi's linear perspective.

Holy Trinity

A fresco by Masaccio, showcasing his use of linear perspective.

The Tribute Money

A fresco by Masaccio created around 1426-27, located in the Brancacci Chapel, Florence.

Leonardo's The Last Supper

A mural painted between 1495-1498, depicting the last meal of Jesus with his disciples.

Titian's Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints

A painting by Titian, showcasing the themes of the Italian Renaissance.

Donatello's David

A sculpture created around 1440, standing 5'2" tall.

Psychological tension in art

A theme explored in Michelangelo's David, emphasizing emotional depth.

Theatricality in sculpture

A characteristic of Bernini's David, highlighting dynamic movement.

Renaissance

A cultural movement marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity, emphasizing art, science, and humanism.

Artistic license

The freedom artists have to deviate from reality for artistic effect.

Sculptural techniques

Methods used in creating three-dimensional art, exemplified by Michelangelo and Bernini.

Wikimedia Commons

A database of freely usable media files, often cited as a source for art images.

CC BY-NC-SA license

A Creative Commons license allowing others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially.

Mesopotamian Art

A subset of Ancient Near Eastern art that includes features like composite views and hierarchical scale.

Akkadian Art

Art from the Akkadian Empire, exemplified by the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin, c. 2250 BC.

Palette of King Narmer

An artifact from c. 3000-2920 B.C.E. representing early Egyptian art.

Menkaure and Queen

A sculpture from c. 2490-2472 BCE made of graywacke (sandstone).

Common Conventions in Ancient Art

Features such as composite figures, hierarchical scale, naturalism, idealism, and abstraction found in both Ancient Near Eastern and Ancient Egyptian art.

Metropolitan Kouros

A Greek sculpture from c. 590-580 BCE, representing the Archaic style.

Kritios Boy

A sculpture from c. 480 BCE made of Parian marble, representing the transition to naturalism in Greek art.

Dying Gallic Trumpeter

A sculpture from c. 220 BCE that exemplifies Hellenistic art.

Polykleitos, Spear Bearer

A Roman copy of a Greek original from c. 450-440 BCE, illustrating idealism in sculpture.

Laocoön and his Sons

A sculpture from the 1st century BCE or a Roman copy, showcasing dramatic expression in Hellenistic art.

Humanism in Art

An artistic approach that emphasizes human experience and emotion, prevalent in Greek art.

Greek: Classical

A period in Greek art characterized by idealism and naturalism.

Greek: Archaic

The early period of Greek art, marked by stylized forms and the beginnings of naturalism.

Greek: High Classical

A period in Greek art known for its refined idealism and naturalism.

Greek: Hellenistic

The period in Greek art that followed the Classical period, characterized by emotional expression and realism.

Sargon II and Dignitary

A relief from c. 716-713 B.C.E. found on the left wall of the palace of Sargon II at Dur Sharrukin, Assyria.

The Book of the Dead of Hunefer

An ancient Egyptian funerary text illustrated with detailed imagery, dated c. 1275 BC.

verism

A style of art characterized by strict naturalism.

individuality

The quality of being an individual; uniqueness.

power and glory

The state of having great power and achieving fame or honor.

Melting pot

A term describing the adaptation of artistic influences from various cultures such as Greek, Etruscan, and Egyptian.

First King (Romulus)

Established in 753 B.C.E., he is considered the legendary founder of Rome.

Roman Republic

The period from 509 B.C.E. to 27 B.C.E. when Rome was governed by the Senate.

Senate

An advisory body of leading citizens that governed the Roman Republic.

Portrait Bust of a Man

A marble sculpture from the 1st Century B.C.E. representing a man from the Roman Republic.

ideal beauty

A standard of beauty that emphasizes youth and athleticism, which was not the ideal in the Roman Republic.

wise and aged face

The ideal in the Roman Republic, representing wisdom and experience.

lifelike images

Sculptors of the Roman Republic aimed to create realistic representations of their subjects.

Head of a Roman Patrician

A sculpture representing a Roman patrician, emphasizing age and wisdom.

The Roman Empire

The period from 27 B.C.E. to 476 C.E. characterized by a new style of art blending idealism and verism.

Roman form of idealism

A style of art in the Roman Empire that revived Classical Greek ideals.

Augustus of Prima Porta

A sculpture representing Augustus, the first Roman emperor, showcasing a blend of idealism and verism.

naturalistic portraits

Portraits that depict subjects in a realistic manner, as desired by Augustus.

strong, young, and powerful

The image Augustus wanted to project through his portraits.

Canon of Polykleitos

A set of ideal proportions for the human body established by the Greek sculptor Polykleitos.

Polychrome Augustus of Primaporta

A version of Augustus of Primaporta that would have originally been painted.

mythological and historical imagery

Elements added by sculptors to celebrate Augustus' family and conquests.

Cupid

The son of the goddess Venus, depicted in the sculpture of Augustus of Primaporta.