Humanities H - Art

Gothic Neo-Byzantine Period

• Timeframe: 12th-15th centuries

• Characteristics:

  • Religious art focused on Christian figures and themes

  • Iconography that is didactic, divine, and transpersonal

• Worldview: Primarily devotional and religious

The Renaissance Period

• Timeframe: 14th-17th century

• Expanded Subject Matter:

  • Inclusion of pagan mythology, living rulers, aristocrats, and human scenes

  • Christian themes remained but were more humanized and less idealized

• Worldview: Focus on human figures and human achievement

  • Concepts include humanistic, didactic, temporal, and personal

Artistic Techniques of the Gothic/Neo-Byzantine Period

• Alter Pieces: Predominantly religious in content

• Stylistic Elements:

  • Highly stylized forms

  • Lacked true perspective; figures stacked on top of each other

  • Important figures often depicted as larger; unrealistically exaggerated scale

• Color and Line:

  • Vivid line and color emphasized in artworks

  • Use of gold-leaf highlights and elaborate detailing

  • Elongated facial features and almond-shaped eyes symbolize piety

• Iconography:

  • Works serve as a window to the transcendent

  • Nimbus used to spotlight saints

Innovation and Humanism in the Renaissance

• The Printing Press (1454):

  • Invented by Johannes Gutenberg; democratized access to philosophical and artistic works

• Humanism:

  • Philosophy asserting that God made Earth for humans to cultivate and develop

  • Early Renaissance characterized by a revival of classical forms and mythology

• Focus: Concern with secular life and humanism

Developments in Artistic Techniques

• Early Renaissance:

  • Explored atmospheric perspective

  • De-emphasized line and color

  • Focus on natural, representational subjects

  • Connection between the divine and humanism emphasized

Key Conceptions of Perspective

• Linear Perspective:

  • Mathematical system for creating the illusion of space and distance

• Horizon Line:

  • Runs across the canvas at eye level; where sky meets ground

• Vanishing Point:

  • Center of the horizon line; all parallel lines converge here

• Aerial/Atmospheric Perspective:

  • Creates the sense of depth by making distant objects appear bluish and less distinct

Techniques for Depth and Emotion

• Tondo:

  • Preferred round shape of pictures hung in private homes

• Sfumato:

  • Technique for softening edges and blurring shadows, giving a dreamlike effect

• In Scurto:

  • Extreme foreshortening that creates intimacy in depiction

• Chiaroscuro:

  • Use of light and shade to create depth and dimension in figures

Highlights of Renaissance Artists and Achievements

• Famous Works:

  • The Annunciation by Fra Angelico: Emotional depth and spatial perspective shown

  • Madonna and Child with two Angels by Fra Filippo Lippi: Use of light and whimsical elements

  • Lamentation Over Dead Christ by Mantegna: Represents intimacy and mourning

  • David by Michelangelo: Embodies themes of humanism and potential

  • Alba Madonna by Raphael: Representation of familial bonds and future

Achievements Across Art Movements

• Byzantine Achievements:

  • Focus on didactic and religious themes with iconic figures

• Southern Renaissance Achievements:

  • Emphasis on humanism, depth, and dimension in representation

• Baroque Achievements:

  • Psychological penetration and elaborate detail in storytelling

• Northern Renaissance Achievements:

  • Everyday life representation with a focus on individual consciousness

Artistic Characteristics and Innovations

• Mannerism Characteristics:

  • Embraces bizarre themes; unstable and asymmetrical forces

• Dynamic Movement:

  • Displayed through tension and energy in compositions

• Representational Figures:

  • Realistic expressions and emotional depth in Southern and Northern Renaissance

Final Reflections on Art Movements

• Humanism's Role:

  • Everyday scenes were brought to the forefront, art became accessible to the newly emerging merchant class

  • Focus on naturalism and precise anatomy reflects divine creation

• Background of Printmaking's Popularity:

  • Allowed for the mass production of images, contributing to the Gothic sensibility that remained in Northern Europe