Renaissance Art and Architecture Review midterm

ART AND ARCHITECTURE TERMS

Apse

• Semicircular recess in a building, typically at the east end of a church.

Basilica

• A rectangular structure, usually with a wooden roof and multiple aisles (typically three or five).

• Historical use as a public building in Roman times for civic proceedings, with entrances on one long side;

• In Christian architecture, entrance is on one end with an apse on the opposite end.

Cartoon

• A full-size preliminary drawing used as a guide for creating a painting.

Central Plan

• Structure parts of equal dimensions organized around a central point.

Capitals

• The top part of a column, serves as a transition between the column and the lintel.

• Varies in style depending on the classical order (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian).

Chiaroscuro

• Technique in art focusing on the use of light and shadow to create depth and volume.

Cinquecento

• Refers to the 1500s (16th century) in Italy, marking the High Renaissance period.

Column

• A vertical structural element that carries weight, typically circular in cross-section with a base, shaft, and capital.

Colonnades

• Rows of columns supporting a structure, typically spanned with lintels.

Corinthian Capitals

• Ornate capital form characterized by acanthus leaves and flowers, often replaced the standard Ionic capital in use.

Cruciform

• Describes a cross-shaped layout in architecture.

Dome

• A hemispherical architectural element formed by rotating an arch on its vertical axis.

• Represents grandeur; significant examples include the Pantheon in Rome and the Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore.

Doric Capitals

• Characterized by funnel-shaped echinuses and columns typically without bases; part of the Doric order of Greek architecture.

Engaged Column

• A half-rounded column that is built into a wall.

Foreshortening

• Artistic technique that creates the illusion of an object receding into space through perspective.

Heroic Nudity

• Artistic convention from ancient cultures symbolizing divine favor in representations.

Ionic Capitals

• Distinct feature of the Ionic order with spiral scrolls at its top.

Perspective

• Technique for creating an illusion of depth on a flat surface.

• Linear perspective uses vanishing points, while aerial perspective uses color intensity for distance representation.

Longitudinal Plan

• A building layout organized along a central axis.

Pediment

• Triangular space above the colonnade at the end of a building, often ornamental.

Pilasters

• Flat, rectangular columns projecting from walls, having a base and capital, often fluted.

Renaissance

• French term for "rebirth," referring to the revival of classical art and culture from the 14th to the 16th centuries in Western Europe.

Quattrocento

• Refers to the 1400s (15th century) in Italy, the Early Renaissance period.

Sfumato

• Technique emphasizing gradual tonal transitions, creating a smoky effect; associated with Leonardo da Vinci.

Trompe l’oeil

Illusionistic painting technique that deceives the viewer into perceiving a painted object as a real one; associated with Mantegna.

people, places, and cultural terms

• **Alberti**: Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472) was an Italian architect, poet, and philosopher, known for his works on art theory and architecture, including the concept of perspective in painting.

• **Botticelli**: Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance, known for his mythological themes, especially "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera."

• **Brunelleschi**: Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) was an Italian architect and engineer, recognized for developing linear perspective and designing the dome of the Florence Cathedral.

• **Castagno**: Andrea del Castagno (about 1421-1457) was an Italian painter known for his frescoes and narrative style, often depicting religious themes and figures in a dramatic manner.

• **Donatello**: Donatello (1386-1466) was a renowned Italian sculptor of the early Renaissance, notable for his realistic and expressive sculptures, including "David" and "Gattamelata."

• **Flora**: In Roman mythology, Flora is the goddess of flowers and the season of spring, often depicted in art as a symbol of renewal and the beauty of nature.

• **Florence**: Florence is a city in Italy, known as the cradle of the Renaissance, rich in art, architecture, and historical significance, notably home to figures like the Medici.

• **Ghirlandaio**: Domenico Ghirlandaio (1449-1494) was an Italian painter known for his detailed frescoes and portraits, playing a significant role in the development of Florentine painting.

• **Humanism**: A cultural and intellectual movement during the Renaissance that emphasized the value of human beings, individualism, and a return to the study of classical antiquity.

• **King David**: A biblical figure, King David is often depicted in art as a symbol of kingship, faith, and the ideal ruler, notably represented in works by artists like Michelangelo and Donatello.

• **Leonardo**: Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was an Italian polymath, artist, and scientist, famous for masterpieces such as "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper."

• **Mantegna**: Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506) was an Italian painter known for his use of perspective and foreshortening, with works like the "Camera degli Sposi" in Mantua.

• **Mantua**: A city in Italy known for its Renaissance architecture and as the home of the Gonzaga family, who were influential patrons of the arts.

• **Medici**: The Medici were a powerful banking family in Florence during the Renaissance, known for their patronage of the arts and influence on politics.

• **Michelangelo**: Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) was a prominent Italian sculptor, painter, and architect, noted for works such as the sculptures of "David" and the Sistine Chapel's ceiling.

• **Neo-Platonism**: A philosophical system that emerged in the Renaissance, combining Platonic thought with religious ideas, influencing art by emphasizing beauty and divine inspiration.

• **Palladio**: Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) was an Italian architect known for his classical style and works, including the Villa Capra "La Rotonda," influencing architecture worldwide.

• **Pope Julius II**: The pope from 1503 to 1513, known as the "Warrior Pope," he was a great patron of the arts, commissioning the rebuilding of St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel.

• **Raphael**: Raffaello Sanzio (1483-1520) was an Italian painter and architect, celebrated for his masterpieces like "The School of Athens" and his Madonnas.

• **Rome**: The capital city of Italy, rich in history and art, central to the Renaissance as the seat of the papacy and influenced by the works of numerous artists.

• **Sistine Chapel**: A chapel in Vatican City famous for its Renaissance art, particularly Michelangelo's frescoes on the ceiling and "The Last Judgment" on the altar wall.

• **Vatican City**: An independent city-state enclaved within Rome, known as the spiritual and administrative center of the Catholic Church and home to the Pope.

• **Venus**: The Roman goddess of love and beauty, often depicted in art as a symbol of femininity and allure, with representations like Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus."

• **Zephyrus**: In Greek mythology, Zephyrus is the god of the west wind, often associated with spring and frequently depicted alongside Flora in art, symbolizing the arrival of spring.