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Italian renaissance, 1350-1600
The beginning of the Renaissance period
The beginning of the Renaissance period
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The Renaissance was a time of rebirth, as its name entails. In Italy, more people were becoming literate and more books were being printed. More scientific discoveries were being made and therefore more theories were being published. In this time of intellectual prosperity, art also made a great leap. Perspective was the main change during this time period, and throughout the years, starting around 1400, it became more involved and more intricate. Eventually artists were so adept at using it, that it became the primary way to insert intimacy and feelings of emotion into a painting. This evolution of technique paved the way for later artists to play with new approaches to allow the viewer to experience an image in different ways. The Lamentation, or Pietà, is a common Christian narrative that depicts Jesus Christ’s family mourning over his body after he has been crucified. Many artists choose to interpret it and paint it in their own way, which is why I decided to use it for this paper. The Pietà, I found, is more of a detailed version of the Lamentation that is mainly only Mary mourning over her son. In general, the Lamentation includes Mary and other religious figures—“full” Lamentations include The Three Marys, John the Apostle, Joseph, and various other people such as angels and donor portraits. As time went on, some scenes became continuous narratives, showing other subjects adjacent to the Lamentation in the Passion of Christ. Meanwhile, others expanded in terms of their scenery and other specific details. One of the very first well-known portrayals of this narrative was by Giotto di Bondone. From around 1304, it is an Early Renaissance painting. Jesus is lying down, cradled by the Virgin Mary, and Mary Magdalene is cares... ... middle of paper ... ...so much that his feet needed to be shrunken in order for the viewer to fully see the body. All of the other details are also severely accentuated, from the drapery that shows an anatomically correct figure to the strikingly realistic stigmata. The emotional quality of this painting is uncontested, and the details that set it apart from other Lamentations are only side notes to the amazing perspective that Mantegna was able to produce. While paintings in the Renaissance and beyond still had a ways to go in terms of technique and perspective, the progress made in Italy during this time period was astounding. Painters were able to convey emotions and feelings like never before, showing the world that they could transport them to scenes they had only seen in flat, Byzantine images. In a time of straining to make art look real, the use of perspective was the key.
The European Renaissance occurring from 1450 to 1650, marked a change that led to many developments in art, religion, literature and the economy. The impact of the Renaissance changed the thinking and life. The society saw a rise in creativity, in ambition and in politics. During the Renaissance (the rebirth) achievement in art especially rose, though depending on where the Renaissance was, it was a different experience all around. Renaissance art in Italy and southern Europe had more of a grecian theme, while northern Renaissance focused more on life and mythology.
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
At the top of the artwork the upper part of the cross extends beyond the altarpiece. The edge of John the Evangelist’s red robe on the left of the altarpiece and the edge of Mary Magdalene’s pale blue skirt on the right are cut off when the panel ends, giving the viewer the feeling that, rather than looking in on the scene, the viewer is actually taking part in the scene. This, added to the empathy invoked through the delicate, heart-wrenching rendering of the figures in the artwork, let the observer directly interact with the painting and places him/her within the narrative.
By most accounts, the year 1500 was in the midst of the height of the Italian Renaissance. In that year, Flemmish artist Jean Hey, known as the “Master of Moulins,” painted “The Annunciation” to adorn a section of an alter piece for his royal French patrons. The painting tells the story of the angel Gabriel’s visit to the Virgin Mary to deliver the news that she will give birth to the son of God. As the story goes, Mary, an unwed woman, was initially terrified about the prospects of pregnancy, but eventually accepts her fate as God’s servant. “The Annunciation” is an oil painting on a modest canvas, three feet tall and half as wide. The setting of the painting is a study, Mary sitting at a desk in the bottom right hand corner reading, and the angel Gabriel behind her holding a golden scepter, perhaps floating and slightly off the canvas’s center to the left. Both figures are making distinct hand gestures, and a single white dove, in a glowing sphere of gold, floats directly above Mary’s head. The rest of the study is artistic but uncluttered: a tiled floor, a bed with red sheets, and Italian-style architecture. “The Annunciation” was painted at a momentous time, at what is now considered the end of the Early Renaissance (the majority of the 15th Century) and the beginning of the High Renaissance (roughly, 1495 – 1520). Because of its appropriate placement in the Renaissance’s timeline and its distinctly High Renaissance characteristics, Jean Hey’s “Annunciation” represents the culmination of the transition from the trial-and-error process of the Early Renaissance, to the technical perfection that embodied the High Renaissance. Specifically, “Annunciation” demonstrates technical advancements in the portrayal of the huma...
The painting illustrates the martyrdom of St Mathew the evangelist. According to belief, the saint was murdered on the commands of King of Ethiopia while celebrating mass at the altar. X-rays disclose two attempts at the masterpiece before the one we see today, with a progress towards simplification by decrease in figures, and decrease of the architectural aspect. The first translation exposed is in the mannerist approach of an admired artist in Rome. At this point Caravaggio focused more on the calling, a companion piece. This painting signifies the time when mannerism paves way to the baroque. The younger artists were loved the work, and Caravaggio became very famous in Rome. The Taking of Christ is the work of Michalengelo Merisi Da
Scientists started to study the earth and it’s positioning in the universe. This was a time when the people started taking more of an interest in astronomy and mathematical equations. During the time of the Catholic Reformation, artists began to challenge all the rules that society has set for artistic design. Artists starting with Parmigianino, Tintoretto, and El Greco began to add a wide variety of colors into their paintings, challenging the way things have been done in the past. These artists also added abnormal figures or altered the proportions in paintings.
Known as the Renaissance, the period immediately following the Middle Ages in Europe saw a great revival of interest in the classical learning and values of ancient Greece and Rome. Against a backdrop of political stability and growing prosperity, the development of new technologies including the printing press, a new system of astronomy and the discovery and exploration of new continents was accompanied by a flowering of philosophy, literature and especially art. The style of painting, sculpture and decorative arts identified with the Renaissance emerged in Italy in the late 14th century; it reached its zenith in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, in the work of Italian masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. In addition
The Renaissance art had well defined landscapes, natural folds in drapery and three dimensional objects or people. The middle ages art was focused on religion and symbolic representations (Doc.A). At the same time the new artistic styles almost kind of mocked the the movements and interest of the new age. That is how the renaissance changed has man’s view of man on art.(doc.A)
The Renaissance art that I've included contains a piece by Robert Campin entitled “Annunciation Triptych,” and another work by Fra Filippo Lippi, called “Madonna and Child Enthroned with Two Angels.” In both of these paintings we see some of the typical themes of Renaissance art. For example, Lippi included in his scene a background which wouldn't have necessarily been needed. Really he could have chosen just about anything, like the woods or the sea, that might have been easier to paint. He chose though what appears to be the inside of a building, likely a church. Not only that but he went to great lengths to ensure everything was in perspective, and the lines and angles are straight and sharp. Similarly Campin has also chosen an interior scenes with strong perspective and exacting details. In both of these the artists seem to be capturing an event, much like with a photography in modern times. While both images portray fictional scenes, the artists wanted to capture the moment to tell a precise historical story. They both go to some lengths to include background details which also capture architectural details. To me it seems that they both approached their work meticulously and with reason and mathem...
In the two different depictions of the scene Betrayal of Christ, Duccio and Giotto show their different styles on how they compose their paintings. The first decision into the composure of the painting would be the comparison of the size of surface they chose to paint on. Duccio in comparison to Giotto chooses to work on a wooden panel no wider than a foot, and Giotto went with a plaster surface with a width of ten feet. This detail alone lets the viewer know that Giotto’s artwork is embedded in detail and visual consumption. The size difference is the factor between who see’s it and what they see; the fine details and symbolism of the narrative will be better understood if the viewer can see every detail.
The artists of the Baroque had a remarkably different style than artists of the Renaissance due to their different approach to form, space, and composition. This extreme differentiation in style resulted in a very different treatment of narrative. Perhaps this drastic stylistic difference between the Renaissance and Baroque in their treatment of form, space, and composition and how these characteristics effect the narrative of a painting cannot be seen more than in comparing Perugino’s Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St. Peter from the Early Renaissance to Caravaggio’s Conversion of St. Paul from the Baroque.Perugino was one of the greatest masters of the Early Renaissance whose style ischaracterized by the Renaissance ideals of purity, simplicity, and exceptional symmetry of composition. His approach to form in Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St.Peter was very linear. He outlined all the figures with a black line giving them a sense of stability, permanence, and power in their environment, but restricting the figures’ sense of movement. In fact, the figures seem to not move at all, but rather are merely locked at a specific moment in time by their rigid outline. Perugino’s approach to the figures’themselves is extremely humanistic and classical. He shines light on the figures in a clear, even way, keeping with the rational and uncluttered meaning of the work. His figures are all locked in a contrapposto pose engaging in intellectual conversation with their neighbor, giving a strong sense of classical rationality. The figures are repeated over and over such as this to convey a rational response and to show the viewer clarity. Perugino’s approach to space was also very rational and simple. He organizes space along three simple planes: foreground, middle ground, and background. Christ and Saint Peter occupy the center foreground and solemn choruses of saints and citizens occupy the rest of the foreground. The middle distance is filled with miscellaneous figures, which complement the front group, emphasizing its density and order, by their scattered arrangement. Buildings from the Renaissance and triumphal arches from Roman antiquity occupy the background, reinforcing the overall classical message to the
Michelangelo was an artist like no other. His detail to the human body was almost untouchable. His marble pieces showed details of the human body that were not commonly shown in art before this time. The Pieta was one of his most remarkable pieces. It shows mother Mary cradling the body of her son Jesus after he was crucified. “Art Through the Ages” textbook stated, “Also breathtaking is the tender sadness of the beautiful and youthful Mary as she mourns the death of her son” (Kleiner 634). The viewer can feel the pain and sorrow she is feeling. She is looking slightly down toward her son. Humanism plays a huge role in making the viewer feel the sorrow of Mary. It portrays her as a mother grieving the lost life of her only son. People can relate to that sorrow and grieve alongside her. It shows that daily life problems are not as bad as losing a child. There is a lot of controversy over this work of art though. Many believe that Mary looks too young to be a mother of Jesus as a man (Kleiner 634). Michelangelo explained that since she is the Virgin Mother she has ageless beauty. Pieta brings issues of life back into
The ability to create a picture of The Annunciation in one’s mind is a key factor in understanding the analysis of the work. Francisco de Zurbaran approaches the painting with a naturalistic style. The painting features a room in which a woman – like angel is seen at the left kneeling on the ground before the Virgin Mary. The figure of Mary is placed between a chair and a small wooden table draped with a green cloth. Mary disregards an open Bible on the table, as she appears solemn while staring at the floor. Floating above the two main figures in the upper left side of the painting are cherubs resting on a bed of clouds. They happily gaze down at Mary with eyes from Heaven.
The shift between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance was characterized by great socio-economic, political, and religious changes. Politically, the feudal system of the Middle Ages was exchanged for a more stable centralized republic/monarchy system that gave the people more freedom and input. Religiously, secularism became more important as stability gave people a chance to concern themselves with the “here and now” rather than simply the “hereafter.” Socially, there was a shift from dogma and unshakeable belief to humanism and the ability to interpret things for oneself. The Middle Ages began around 400 CE and lasted until 1400 CE while the Renaissance began around 1200 and continued until 1600. The 200 years that overlap between these two periods contain many pieces of “transition” art in which it is obvious that the change is beginning to take place. These collective changes that took place in this period dictated change in art as well. There were changes in iconography, style, purpose, and patronage that facilitated the overall transformation of art from a sense of illustrating what you are told to believe is true to optical realism and conveying how you yourself interpret that “truth”.
Medieval and Renaissance paintings of the 15th and 16th centuries are a great example of how art gradually changes over time. Although the paintings and artists will reiterate certain aspects in later art, they also change many aspects of the same styling. One can notice differences in the hues of color, tone, layout or arrangement of the design & subject matter, perspective, and even the concept and symbolism in the paintings will also change over time.