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What is humanism in renaissance art
Humanism in the Renaissance
What is humanism in renaissance art
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The mysterious smile of the painting Mona Lisa and her tenderness directly carry my imagination to the Renaissance era. Before the Renaissance liberated the thought of the public, most artworks focused to eulogize the holiness of God. The Renaissance successfully freed people from the shackles of theology and affirmed the value of human beings. Mona Lisa represented the highest art level of the Renaissance and became an important legacy for later generations to feel the spirit of the Renaissance. In this paper, I argue that Mona Lisa was a representative artwork of the humanism spirit of the Renaissance. The artist Da Vinci who created Mona Lisa managed to express the charm of human beings with delicate brushwork, exquisite expressions and …show more content…
Her expressions were revised many times to refine her smile and expressions that conveyed a sense of serenity and elegant. The outfit of Mona Lisa was also simple but elegant. Her posture was dignified as well. Compared to earlier artworks in the Middle Age, most characters including God are portrayed with a serious expression. The enjoyment of life was considered a violation of the preachment of God. With the development of capitalism in the city Da Vinci, living standards improved greatly and the needs of human beings were for the first time in history …show more content…
During 14th and 15th century artists still worked under the guild system: to study art, younger students would become apprentices to accomplished artists and like any other occupation from blacksmithing and cooking, paining is nothing too respected by the society. Paintings didn’t give much space for artists to apply their imaginations and express their feelings. Instead, artists should painted artworks according to the special requirements of their patrons. However, during the Da Vinci’s age, the status of artists began to change as the Renaissance expanded its influence. The revival of artist encouraged people, especially artists to shed the restraint of theocracy and pursue humanism. What’s more, the city Florence Da Vinci lived in was the main platform for Renaissance. The increasingly free politics and democratic social context also fused energy into the creation of artworks. As it can be seen, the portrait of Mona Lisa glorifies the image of human beings and no longer like the serious picture of God, the main character of the painting is a worldly
In the Florence and the early renaissance, we have the greatest master of art like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli and others. In this period of time the painters almost never show their emotions or feelings, they were more focused on indulging the churches and the wealthy people. In The renaissance period the art provides the work of art with ideal, intangible qualities, giving it a beauty and significance greater and more permanent than that actually found in the modern art. Florence and the early renaissance, the art become very valued where every artist was trying to create art forms consistent with the appearance of the beauty or elegance in a natural perspective. However, Renaissance art seems to focus more on the human as an individual, while Wayne White art takes a broader picture with no humans whatsoever; Wayne, modern three dimensional arts often utilizes a style of painting more abstract than Renaissance art. At this point in the semester these two aspects of abstract painting and the early renaissance artwork have significant roles in the paintings. Wayne White brings unrealistic concepts that provoke a new theme of art, but nevertheless the artistic creations of the piece of art during early renaissance still represent the highest of attainment in the history of
During the Renaissance, people were dedicated to studying human works. They would observe from real life to gain inspiration, new ideas, and to try to recreate the world as they saw it in their art. New techniques such as scientific and atmospheric perspective were created, changing art forever. Artists would use their skills to create works for patrons, from the Church, various guilds, and other religious orders. During the High Renaissance, Julius II commissioned Raphael to decorate the Vatican Palace. The first of the rooms he decorated was The “Room of the Signature”, where he painted The School of Athens. Originally, this room housed Julius II’s personal library, but later on it would be the room where papal documents were signed. In 1508, Raphael began painting four frescoes that represented theology, philosophy, law, and the arts. As stated in Janson’s History of Art Volume II, This fresco “represents a summation of High Renaissance humanism, for it attempts to represent the unity of knowledge in one grand scheme.” Raphael’s The School of Athens is a prime example of humanistic art, as evidenced by the subject of the art itself, the classical elements in the piece, and it’s scientific and illusionistic rendering.
The role of women has been portrayed through art since prehistoric times. Women have been a sign of hope, downfall, and power. This image of women was most powerful during the Renaissance. A cultural revival or "rebirth" occurred during the 15th and 16th century in Europe. The economic growth of the 14th century created a prosperous middle class. This allowed more of the mass to invest their income. Patronage of the arts soon became very fashionable as did religious faith1. As a result, women were portrayed as the Madonna, Eve or a saint. This was much more than an the art genre but an actual notion of women's role in society. This inaccurate portrayal of women created a variety of strong reactions from the true women of the renaissance.
Many individuals had helped advance the Renaissance the belief in humanism. These people were great thinkers and their ideas are still considered achievements today. One of these great thinkers was a woman, to be specific she was the first woman artist, Sofonisba Anguissola. Being the first woman artist, during a time of mainly male artist’s is an achievement in of itself, but her work on self-portraits helped in shaping the renaissance and in advancing the ideal of humanism. Painting since her father sent to her to train under the great painter Bernardino Campi the age of 14. Sofonisba quickly mastered painting techniques, developing such life-like paintings that “they seem to confront nature itself” (Sofonisba Anguissola).
Since the dawn of civilization, there has been a constant struggle to find who or what is the focus of the universe. After Italy’s dark age, it became clear to most people at the time that when the Renaissance era began, the classics were revived and soon after, the appreciation of man began to develop. This was known as Humanism. Humanism can be described as the main intellectual component of the Renaissance. During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the Classics allowed artists to begin to incorporate the Greek and Roman, or Latin, characteristics into their art. While Humanism began spreading across Italy, the people of this time began to see that the ultimate value should not be measured in humility, but in talent and accomplishment.
In the article “Conditions of Trade,” Michael Baxandall explains the interaction serving of both fifteenth- century Italian painting and text on how the interpretation of social history from the style of pictures in a historical period, pre-eminently examine the early Renaissance painting. Baxandall looks not only on the explanation of how the style of painting is reflected in a society, but also engages in the visual skills and habits that develop out of daily life. The author examines the central focus on markets, material visual practices, and the concept of the Renaissance period overlooking art as an institution. He observes a Renaissance painting, which relate the experience of activities such as preaching, dancing, and assessing. The author considers discussions of a wide variety of artistic painters, for instance, Filippo Lippi, Fra Angelico, Stefano di Giovanni, Sandro Botticelli, Luca Signorelli, and numerous others. He defines and exemplifies concepts used in contemporary critic of the painting, and in the assembled basic equipment needed to discover the fifteenth- century art. Therefore this introductory to the fifteenth- century Italian painting and arise behind the social history, argues that the two are interconnected and that the conditions of the time helped shape the distinctive elements in the artists painting style. Through the institutional authorization Baxandall looks at integration in social, cultural and visual evaluation in a way that shows not only the visual art in social construction, but how it plays a major role in social orders in many ways, from interaction to larger social structural orders.
Although the Renaissance was home to the some of the most religiously influential artworks, the idea of preserving one’s image in the form of a portrait became one of the most prominent genres. As the movement in portraiture was first started to show the piety and virtue of oneself it then lead to the idea of flaunting wealth and status. These men wanted to record themselves in the hopes of keeping their legacy in the family for generations to come. As Leon Battista Alberti said, “Painting contains a divine force which not only makes absent men present, but moreover makes the dead seem almost alive.” (“Portraiture”) The use of portraiture during the Renaissance also helped revolutionize the way women
Therefore, this lead to a new life for the people’s marriage and family life, patronage of the arts, the society’s secular outlook on things, and even their individualism. It is believed that the development of the Renaissance was caused because of the women not being able to remarry after the passing of their first husband, but they receive all of their husband’s inheritance. Therefore, this caused a larger number of singles which is believed to be why the Renaissance reputation was sodomy, prostitution, and love triangles. However, women had the advantage because if they were married they had wealth and after their husband’s death they had their freedom. Art served as a political function because of its power that it served like that of civic pride for patriotism. Art became so important that it caused it to people to begin to buy it as an investment. Secularism and Individualism were outlooks on the Renaissance. Secularism grew because of the ability for people to fulfill their lives with anything that their money could buy which helped the art and literature during the Renaissance.
History plays a very important role in the development of art and architecture. Over time people, events, and religion, have contributed to the evolution of art. Christianity has become a very common and well established religion, however, in the past it was hidden and a few people would worship this religion secretly. Gradually, Christianity became a growing religion and it attracted many converts from different social statuses. Christian art was highly influenced by the Greco-Romans, but it was immensely impacted by the establishment of the Edict of Milan in the year 313 AD. The Edict of Milan was so significant that scholars divide Christian art into two time periods, time before and after the Edict of Milan of 313.
The movie Mona Lisa Smile is set in 1953; post-war and pre-feminism. Katherine Ann Watson, a progressive Art History teacher, is hired to teach at Wellesley. This selective all-women’s college is described in the opening scenes of the film as “the most conservative university in the country” (Newell, “Mona Lisa Smile”, 2003). Watson wants to teach at Wellesley in order to influence the next generation of women. Some of the brightest female students in the country attended Wellesley. Among these students are: Joan Brandwyn, a driven student with a 4.0 GPA, Betty Warren, the daughter of the Alumni Association president, Giselle Levy, a flirtatious and outgoing young woman who has had an affair with a Wellesley teacher (Bill Dunbar), and Connie Baker. These women are bright, and largely members of the upper class. Their social class not only affords them the Wellesley education but vacations abroad and elaborate parties and weddings.
During the Renaissance Era, humanism became a central motif for painters, sculptors, and artists of the like. In the artistic periods prior, such as the Medieval Era, the content of most works was religious-based. In the High Renaissance, we start to slowly move away from this. Religious scenes or characters were still being depicted, but in a different light. Perhaps the messages conveyed by art in the High Renaissance are aimed toward more human-based ideals rather than religious themes. The beauty in the human form and humanity itself were discovered and, for the most part, replaced the beauty of divinity and holiness. The Renaissance marks a developing curiosity and keen interest in
The concept of beauty during the Middle Ages consisted of the idea that beauty was directly correlated to spirituality. In other words, a person was judged as either good or bad based on their outer appearance, as well as their standing in society. Therefore, executions of beauty manifested in the arts was limited to only a certain class of individuals and was more determined by what a person’s status was in society. In addition, artwork of people was made to be mostly concentrated on the countenance, with artificially smooth skin, intentionally showing no sign of blemish or flaw unless by accident. A shift occurred during the Italian Renaissance, the human body in its entirety was celebrated among the masses and could be considered beautiful
A discussion over the expression of the portrait, and how Leonardo wanted it to be perceived, became a huge discussion. According to Bishop, “the sitter’s bemused calm contrast to the spectacular landscape, with its craggy peaks and misty rivers”, the way she was placed contributed to expression and the feel of the painting overall (Bishop 211). Since the Mona Lisa was a portrait, it was said that Leonardo did no addition to the painting over something he felt, because of the difficulty to express it on the face of Mona Lisa, who also did not show it herself (Kobbé 68). The concept of the expression presented in the painting has been shadowed, creating different opinions on how the Mona Lisa actually should have been seen. This painting is distinguished by the unique form of Leonardo da Vinci’s artistic style, he took a new form of expression and made it one of the focuses on this piece of work. In the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci created a new form of painting giving his painting a sense of soul and connection. According to Kobbé, it seemed as if Leonardo found this expression and smile in this woman so delightful, that “from now on the endowed it on all the free creations of his fantasy” (Kobé 68). Da Vinci found that certain smile very charming, that he eventually began judging the facial features of expression on a human character, and that certain smile could be seen in multiple paintings of
. As Charles de Tolnay 1951 wrote, "The Mona Lisa represents the individual as a supernatural person - at the same time the species: the profile of the character, transcends social boundaries and gains universal value." Leonardo worked on this as a researcher and thinker, and as a painter and poet, But the formal aspect and the new design, the nobility and dignity of the resulting model - took decisive action on painting in Florence the next two decades [...] Leonardo created the Mona Lisa painting with a new formula, more valuable and at the same time more lively, more specific , And also more poetic than his predecessors before In the mystery of the missing images and the artists that show that the shape of the exterior without the soul,
One apparent effect the new diversity had on the arts is the significant increase and demand in secular arts which was mostly influenced by the wealth of the city of Florence in the 15th century. In Florence, political power, and enormous wealth was in the control of the middle class and in order to exhibit such individualism in humanity and the pleasure that comes with wealth, a huge artistic market was established were various forms of artworks were sold. For the first time, the church was no longer the only patron of the arts, but everyone including the government, non-religious groups, and individuals were exposed to exotic artworks with which they could buy for the purpose of decorating the homes and other spaces (Harris & Zucker, 2016). Furthermore, artists who were hired by both aristocrats and middle-class families introduced the philosophy of humanism and the impeccable worth of the human mind to the arts; therefore, making arts not only emphasizing the spiritual but also embracing the natural nature of