Medieval and Renaissance Art: An Exhaustive Comparison and Technical Guide
Fundamental Comparisons Between Medieval and Renaissance Art
Facial Expressions and Human Poses - Medieval Art: - There are no expressions on the faces of subjects. - Poses are characterized as stiff and unrealistic. - Renaissance Art: - Faces are filled with emotion and expression. - Human poses are lifelike and realistic.
Ownership, Themes, and Authorship - Medieval Art: - Art was considered the property of the Church. - Themes were often religious in nature. - Individual artists were not considered important, resulting in paintings that were not signed. - Renaissance Art: - Artists take credit for their work and become famous as individuals. - The period saw the rise of portraits done of people.
Mediums and Painting Techniques - Medieval Art: - Tempura paints (also known as tempera) were used. - These paints dried too quickly to allow artists to correct mistakes. - Renaissance Art: - Oil paints were introduced and used. - This medium let artists work slowly, create new colors, and obtain more lifelike effects.
Anatomy, Perspective, and Dimensionality - Medieval Art: - The Church forbade the display of the naked human body. - There is no balance, proportion, or perspective. - Pictures appear "flat" and two-dimensional because the scale of figures was based on spiritual importance; the most important spiritual figures were painted larger than less important ones. - Renaissance Art: - Artists studied anatomy, similar to the Greeks and Romans, to portray humans realistically. - Artists created proportion and the illusion of depth and distance on a flat surface through linear perspective. - New shading devices known as sfumato and chiarascuro were utilized. - Geometry was used as a tool to achieve balance.
Atmosphere and Backgrounds - Medieval Art: - Halos and gold backgrounds were used to symbolize the residents of heaven and the holy atmosphere of heaven. - Renaissance Art: - Portrayed naturalistic landscapes of this world. - Saints were depicted as living in the same world as ordinary people.
The Beginning of Modern Painting: Five Major Changes
Oil on Stretched Canvas - This technique allowed painters to show textures and three-dimensional forms with greater accuracy.
Perspective and the Vanishing Point - Linear perspective utilized a vanishing point where all lines appear to converge at one single point. - This technique provides a painting with depth. - One specific trick used to accomplish this depth was blurring details as an object appeared further away.
The Use of Light and Shadow - Chiaroscuro: An Italian term meaning "light/dark." It was used to show more rounded shapes in painting. - Sfumato: A technique where areas blend into one another without harsh outlines.
Pyramid Configuration - The focus of the painting is oriented at a chosen point. - This point serves as the location where the painting reaches its climax.
Realism and Naturalism - Artists studied human anatomy and the ideal human form. - Figures in paintings looked solid and displayed real emotions.
Notable Figures, Artists, and Historical Records
Prominent Renaissance Artists - Leonardo - Raphael - Michelangelo - Donatello
List of Historical Figures and Thinkers - democritus - pythagoras - Socrates - plato aristotle - pyrrho - hypatia - diogenes - heraclitus - parmenides - epicurus - Zoroaster - Taphael - euclid - ptolemy
Miscellaneous Data and Identifiers - Page 12 Reference: - Numerical Identifiers (Page 13): and - Page 18 Codes: - A - - FASAY