Transcript Art Power point

Italian Renaissance
Humanism
In the Renaissance a new philosophy,
HUMANISM, emphasized:
INDIVIDUALISM
CLASSICISM
SECULARISM
Why the change in philosophy?
•Fatalism reflected realities of
medieval Europe
•Manors were isolated & life
was hard
•Manorial life was traditional,
pre-determined & inflexible
•Change is only possible if God
willed it
•God created the world so it
was logical to assume
whatever you were doing was
decided for you
Since most people were serfs
and impoverished…
…it’s not difficult to understand
obsession with the afterlife
By the Renaissance (c. 1350-1660)
life changed…at least in the
towns and cities
•Wealth increased
•A new middle class developed
•Trade increased & new products appeared
•New skills could be learned
•New occupations were created
•Prosperity spread
An individual could now:
•Leave the manor
•Learn an occupation different
from his parents
•Improve his status and
economic standing
•Acquire nice things and enjoy
some of life’s pleasures
By no means did this mean
rejecting Christianity or
questioning the basic
teachings of the Roman
Catholic Church.
But it did mean possibility
for individual achievement
and pleasure in the secular
world on the way to the
afterlife.
Humanism in Art
ITALIA
Birthplace of the Renaissance
Medieval Art Refresher
• Religious Subject
Matter & Symbolism
• Focus on Afterlife
• No Individualization/
Emotion
• Anatomical
Inaccuracies
• Lack of Single Scene
• Two-Dimensional
• Untrained Artists
Renaissance art clearly
depicts the philosophy of
humanism in its emphasis on:
INDIVIDUALISM
CLASSICISM
SECULARISM
Renaissance art also includes
new or reborn artistic
techniques…
Symmetry
Alessandro Botticelli, Venus and Mars c. 1483
Piero della Francesca, Ideal City, c. 1470
The triangular organization suggests stability and
order, values held by the ancient Greeks & Romans
It also suggests the Trinity,
a basic Christian belief
God the Father
God the Son
God the Holy Spirit
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro
(shading)
Creates a
sense of
realism of
individual
Leonardo da Vinci: The Madonna of the Carnation, c. 1478-1480
How does this painting reflect Humanism?
INDIVIDUALISM
Mary is a real
person, not a
medieval
“zombie”
Why does
she look
“real?”
SECULARISM
“3-D”
landscape
Concern with
details
Emphasizes
the “real
world” setting
But this is still a religious painting
Renaissance
Europe is still
a very
religious
society
The Church is
still a major
patron of the
arts
But the art is now done in a realistic style by
professionally trained artists, not untrained monks
How does this painting reflect Humanism?
Leonardo da Vinci : Lady with an Ermine c. 1485
Portraits: What could be a better expression of…
INDIVIDUALISM
CLASSICISM
No portraits in the Middle Ages…but lots
during Roman times!
Roman Architecture Reborn
Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore
Florence, Italy
VS.
The Renaissance cathedral is more down
to earth & more human in scale
Appropriate for the focus on man &
life in the secular world
Italian Renaissance art clearly reflects
Humanism in its emphasis on:
1. INDIVIDUALISM: glorifying potential,
talents and accomplishments of
individual human beings.
2. CLASSICISM: Re-discovery and
appreciation of ancient Greek &
Roman culture
3. SECULARISM: emphasis on this
world (the “here & now”) and its
material pleasures rather than the
afterlife (“hereafter”) or spiritual world.