Transcript Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance

The Renaissance and
Leonardo da Vinci
The word Renaissance
means rebirth. This
rebirth included interest in
Greek and Roman art and
literature. People were also
interested in discovering
new areas in science, the
arts, and exploring new
parts of the world.
Greek Art
Renaissance Art
What are the differences between art of
the Middle Ages and the Renaissance?
Middle Ages
Subject Matter Bible Subjects
Renaissance
Greek & Roman mythology (in
addition to Bible stories
What are the differences between art of
the Middle Ages and the Renaissance?
Media
Middle Ages
Renaissance
Stained glass, stone
sculpture, egg tempera
paint
Bronze sculpture, oil paint
What are the differences between art of
the Middle Ages and the Renaissance?
Style, technique
Middle Ages
Renaissance
Flat, intricate designs.
Symbolic representations of
people.
Dimensional through linear
and atmospheric
perspective, shading.
Knowledge of anatomy and
proportion.
Training of an
artist in the
Renaissance.
1. Apprentice,
helps with simple
tasks in the studio
(cleaning, paint
preparation)
2. Assistant,
assumes more
responsibilities in
the studio. Paints
backgrounds, etc.
3. Master, in
charge of the
studio.
David
Andrea Verrochio
Leonardo is believed to
have been
the model.
Silverpoint drawing by Verrochio’s
assistant Leonardo da Vinci.
Leonardo, an assistant to Verrochio, is
believed to have painted this angel and
much of the detail in the background
above it. This area is painted using the
new media of oil paint, which began to
replace the traditional egg tempera paint,
used in the Middle Ages.
Baptism of Christ
Andrea Verrocchio
1474
The Last Supper
1498
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Subject Matter: Christ and apostles on night before the crucifiction (“one
of you will betray me…”)
Use of geometry and numbers (apostles grouped into 3’s, Christ is a
triangle, and vanishing point)
Media: painted using a combination of fresco (water based) and oil paint
(the paint began to flake off the wall shortly after it was finished)
It was traditional to paint the subject of
the Last Supper in the dining room.
Many monasteries have this subject
and many well known Renaissance
artists have painted them.
Leonardo’s painting has suffered many setbacks in its history.
Original painting media problems, other artists tried the fix the flaking paint, a
doorway was cut in the bottom of the wall, the building was bombed during World
War II. A recent restoration shows the little paint left from the original .
Mona Lisa has
inspired artists for
years
Marcel Duchamp
Fernando Botero
Leonardo’s
sketchbooks:
-about 7000 pages
-mirror writing
Used to
prepare/design
works of art
Anatomy: by drawing from
cadavers, Leonardo
understood what happens
beneath the surface of the
body.
Anatomy studies
Preparation for final works of art
Aviation inventions: Leonardo
was fascinated by flight and
made many designs in his
sketchbooks for flight machines.
The top picture shows a model
of one of these machines made
from his designs.
Weaponry/Warfare Inventions: Leonardo was often employed to design
new weapons and defense systems for military leaders.
Weaponry-Warfare inventions
Cartography (mapmaking)
Leonardo drew this map of the city of Imola by walking around the streets.
Paper was valuable
and was often used
many times by people
of the Renaissance.
The Facial Proportions of a
Man in Profile, Study of
Soldiers and Horses (recto)
Pen and brown ink, over
traces of stylus, black chalk
or charcoal; selectively pinpricked holes for the
construction of the grid of
the figure in profile, red
chalk, (28 x 22.4 cm)
Collection: Gallerie
dell'Accademia, Venice