Compare The Transition From The Middle Ages To The Renaissance

The Transition in Art from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance

The Middle Ages was a time of dramatic changes for Europe, because of the rise of buildings such as churches and cathedrals. Art was influenced heavily from the Romans, ranging from the Romanesque churches that were dark and had no windows to the Gothic style of architecture that had stained-glass windows and thinner walls. When the Renaissance came along, it had a different perspective with an emphasis on realism, the idea of real people doing real tasks. They adopted Greek and Roman works that were used in the Middle Ages, but improved the ideas with their advancements in many areas of art. The transition from art in the Middle Ages to art in the Renaissance is reflected through the use of idealism and realism shown in the figures, Greek and Roman influences, and the religious aspects of life shown in paintings.

One of the ways that the Middle Ages time period differed from the Renaissance is the way that the people are portrayed. In the Middle Ages, idealism was defined as how a person should be, not how they are. Similar to the Middle Ages, the figures in the Renaissance look like they have no

imperfections in some paintings.. For example, in Michelangelo’s David, the statue of David is depicted as having perfect body proportions and perfect height. Another example of idealism is Leonardo da Vinci’s painting Mona Lisa, which is a portrait of Lisa Gherardini. Because he was payed money to paint this portrait, he painted her in an idealistic way where her face looked almost blended. As the Renaissance continued on, realism became more prevalent in paintings, where real people were shown performing real tasks. For example, in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of The Last Supper, Jesus’s disciples are portrayed reflecting the time period through their clothing, emotions, and the food they are eating. In addition, the painting tells the story of when Jesus told them that he was being crucified. Another example is Filippo Brunelleschi’s linear perspective tool, which describes the term perspective, an artistic technique used to give paintings and drawings a three-dimensional effect. As a result of realism, many new techniques were developed allowing artists to incorporate mathematics, science, and other subjects to display the most accurate proportions possible.
Both the Middle Ages and Renaissance art were influenced by Greek and Roman artists. In the Middle Ages, towns were building solid stone churches that reflected Roman influences, along with the Romanesque churches. Renaissance art reflected humanist concerns, portraying the figures against Roman and Greek backgrounds. Artists also painted scenes of mythology and showed historical events. They also studied works, reviving many classical forms. For example, in Sinners enter the Jaws of Hell on the Last Judgement Portal in the Amiens Cathedral, there are columns, which were used in Greece and Rome. Renaissance means “rebirth,” where old ideas including those from the Greeks and Romans, were brought back to the surface. Humanism was a belief the Greeks and Romans practiced, which showed humans in a superficial light. It was used in Michelangelo’s David because of the exact proportions.
The last thing that was part of the transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance was the religious aspects incorporated into art.

During the Middle Ages, as churches rose, sculptures were decorated in them including portraits and scenes from the lives of saints, while illustrating stories from the Bible. In Gothic churches, stained-glass windows showed dramatic scenes from the Bible and important Christian beliefs. Renaissance artists portrayed religious figures, such as Mary and Jesus. For example, the documents describing The Last Supper, reflect on the scene where Jesus tells his disciples about his crucifixion. The art of the Middle Ages served a function of lifting the mind to God, by depicting a spiritual universe. The Renaissance changed attention to the natural world and human

being.
The Renaissance is characterized in writing and art as there was a transition between the Middle Ages and Renaissance period fro 1300-1600 CE. Although the Middle Ages and Renaissance have some similarities shown in their art, as time continued, new advancements were made in many areas such as economics and money, allowing artists to have higher quality materials. The Renaissance witnessed many political, social, economic, and educational changes where thinkers began to learn more about the aspect of realism, how to add Greek and Roman ideas to their work, and showcasing religious figures. As the Middle Ages ended and the Renaissance began, time period changes were reflected in the improvements in art and architecture of Europe.