renaissance - art history unit 5

renaissance historical back ground

protestant reformation

3 things that changed art history

woodcut, engraving, etching

what did printmaking - woodcut, engraving, etching allow artists to do?

allowed artists to make copies of their art -> left to bible production -> different interpretations → reformation 

new = oil paint

rich and vibrant colors 

predella

bottom part of altar piece - doesn't change

bruenelleschi

1420 Florence - invented linear perspective

Chiaroscuro

gradual transition and contrasts between light and dark

merode altarpiece main panel 

the annunciation - right before the angel gabriel speaks to mary b/c mary looks calm and distracted

merode altar piece - white

purity

merode altar piece - candle smoke

holy spirit

merode altar piece - Mary leaning on fireplace

blocking hell

merode altar piece - left panel

the family who wanted and bought the art (commissioned)

merode altar piece - right panel

st joseph working on carpentry

merode altar piece - mousetraps

capturing sin

Arnolfini Portrait artist

• artist = Jan van Eyck → “Jan Van Eyck was here 1434”

• he is in the art → reflection in the mirror 

Arnolfini Portrait - shoes off

holy ground

Arnolfini Portrait - oranges

wealthy family

Arnolfini Portrait - candle

candle - holy spirit

Arnolfini Portrait - dog

loyalty

the fall of man ( adam and eve )

• engraving

• artist = albrecht durer

allegory of law and grace - artist

• artist = lucas cranach the elder

allegory of law and grace

• depicts jesus’ life

• wood cut

allegory of law and grace - left side

represents Catholics

allegory of law and grace - right side

represents protestants/lutherans

pazzi chapel

corinthian

pallazo rucellai - location

@ Florence, Italy

pallazo rucellai

• very renaissance = square windows

• each floor is a space for something (4 floors)

• columns get fancier each story = doric → ionic → corinthian

pallazo rucellai - floors

1.) business area

2.) guest/party area

3.) living space

4.) hidden floor - servants' quarters

pallazo rucellai - mullien

things above windows

madonna and child with 2 angels

• tempera on wood 

• humanism 

tempera

paint + egg yolk

• cheaper but bad shelf life

birth of venus - artist

• artist = botticelli

birth of venus

• non christian → roman mythology

• tempera

• nudity 

• anti contraposto 

birth of venus - left figures 

• zephyrs = "wind"

birth of venus - right figure

flora - preparing to cover Venus with a blanket

Pope Julius 2nd

important person in getting work commissioned in sistine chapel

sfumato

• hazy effect in paintings

• by da Vinci 

glaze

used to brighten the color

the last supper

• hazy effect 

• still in SITU - Milan, bombed in ww2 

• oil and tempera

• 1 point linear perspective 

• in group of 3s

• scene is right after he says he's going to die and someone was going to betray him

the last supper - artist

leonardo da vinci

the last supper - Jesus

jesus = central figure @ vanish point

the last supper - symbolism

• 3 windows behind jesus = holy trinity

• symbolism of paradise in windows

• peter has a knife in his hand -> he later chops off the ear of a soldier that jesus heals back

the last supper - scene

• scene is right after he says he's going to die and someone was going to betray him

• jesus and judah reach for the same thing at the same time

• da vinci saying that this happens within groups = whispering, mini-groups

sistine chapel

• decorated under pope julius 2nd

• 300 characters! NO REPEATS

sistine chapel - sibyl

prophets

sistine chapel - 3 main themes 

• CREATION of man

• DOWNFALL / getting locked out garden of eden

• GREAT FLOOD / story of noah

sistine chapel - altar wall

• depicts last judgement

• fresco = plaster + paint

sistine chapel - altar wall - artist 

michelangelo 

school of athens - artist

Raphael

school of athens - location

@ the Vatican!

school of athens - central figures

plato and aristotle

school of athens - other figures

• left of Plato = Socrates

• right of Aristotle = Peripatetics 

• far left w baby = Zeno 

• resting on table = Heraclitus

• sitting on stairs = Diogenes

• guy with paper book = Pythagoras 

school of Athens - left side

philosophy

school of Athens - right side

physical (ex. math)

creation of adam

• god is full reaching out

• adam is nonchalant

• god has angels around - shaped like a brain = all knowing god

baroque art

action, dramatic, "a moment in time"

tenebroso

dramatic dark and light contrast in painting - very dark mostly

calling of st. matthew - artist

caravaggio

calling of st. matthew - figures 

• far right = jesus - pointing/calling st. matthew

• matthew is confused and pointing at himself "me?"

• context = matthew was a tax collector and no one liked tax collectors

conversion of saint paul - artist 

caravaggio 

conversion of saint paul

paul falling onto the trail after he had gone blind

conversion of saint paul - copy

@ cascia hall in the brecht center!

judith beheading holofernes

• judith kills her captor, holofernes

• from the book of judith - taken out of the bible

ecstacy of st. teresa - artist 

gian lorenzo bernini

ecstacy of st. teresa

• marble

• rendition of st. teresa’s dream = angel driving a spear into her

Henry IV (the 4th) Recieving the Portrait of Marie de Medici - artist

peter paul rubens

Henry IV (the 4th) Recieving the Portrait of Marie de Medici

• husband (king henry 4th) wants to impress his wife

• jupiter + juno = love and marriage

Rembrandt

artist who did 50 SELF portraits

• egoistic looking

Rembrandt’s wife

Saskia

girl with pearl earring - artist

vermeer

girl with pearl earring

• tenebroso 

• moment in time 

still life fruit and insects

• vanitas

• grapes = wine

• grain = bread

still life fruit and insects - vanitas 

theme in still-life painting that stresses brevity of life

palace of versailles

• begun in 1669

• for KING LOUI the 14th 

• huge - size of 12 football fields!

palace of versailles - architect

Loui Le Vau

palace of versailles - outside landscape

• garden and reflection pond

• looks like Washington DC and Philbrook garden

palace of versailles - landscape designer

Andre Le Notre

palace of versailles - Hall of Mirrors

• 357 mirrrors

palace of versailles - interior designer

Charles Le Brun

Donatello’s David

• hat

• bronze nude

• goliath's head at feet

• sword

• small boy

verrochio's david

• small boy

• clothed, sword

• goliath's head at feet

michelangelo's david

• big and manly

• nude

• nothing in hand

bernini's david

• action shot

• manly

• sling shot and stone sack

center of the early renaissance

italy

focus of High Renaissance

Rome, Florence, Venice