Transcript Art of the Renaissance

Art of the Renaissance
1400 -- 1599
Birth and spread of
Renaissance Art
• Renaissance art began
in Florence Italy,
spread to Rome and
Venice and then to the
rest of Europe (known
as the Northern
Renaissance.)
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Renaissance Traits Illustrated
in Art
• Renaissance interests such
as humanism, scientific
research and exploration
found expression in
Renaissance art. While
religious themes were still
explored, Renaissance
artists were equally
interested in delving into life
on earth. Portraits became
detailed and realistic, with
emotions being clearly
visable on subjects’ faces.
Four Renaissance Innovations
• Oil Paint & Stretched
Canvases: oil paint allowed
a greater range of richer
colors and smooth
gradations of tone
• Perspective: the illusion of
depth on a flat surface; lines
appear to converge at a
single point known as the
vanishing point. The size of
objects was reduced, colors
muted and detail blurred the
further away the objects
grew.
Four Renaissance Innovations
Cont.
• Use of Light and Shadow:
Chiaroscuro (light/dark)
made lighter forms seem to
emerge from darker areas,
thereby producing the
illusion of rounded relief on a
flat surface.
• Pyramid Configuration:
portraits and groupings were
presented in a three
dimensional pyramid
configuration.
Early Renaissance
Tommaso Masaccio (14011428)
• Founder of early
Renaissance painting,
Masaccio was known
for his use of
perspective and
chiaroscuro. Vasari
said “Masaccio made
his figures stand on
their feet.”
Donatello (1386-1466)
• “Father” of Renaissance
Sculpture. His
sculpture used
contrapposto; weight
concentrated on one leg
with the rest of the body
relaxed. His figures
gave a sense of the
underlying skeletal
structure.
Sandro Botticelli (1444-1510)
• Paintings used vivid
color and often
portrayed classical
scenes. “Primavera”
is an allegorical work
representing the
coming of spring.
Botticelli also painted
religious images.
High Renaissance
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
• A true “Renaissance man,” Leonardo was a painter,
scientist, and inventor, who could also climb
mountains and sing. Leonardo was instrumental
enhancing the social status of artists. Due to his
curious nature, many of Leonardo’s works are
unfinished.
Two of Leonardo’s most famous paintings are “The Last Supper”
and “La Gioconda”, also known as “Mona Lisa.” In “The Last
Supper’ Leonardo captures the emotions and character of each
disciple. Excellent use of perspective, with the diagonal lines
converging on Christ’s head, places Christ at the apexof the
pyramidal composition. “Mona Lisa” shows the subject in a relaxed,
natural pose with a slight smile on her face, quite unlike the
traditional stiff, full profile poses.
Michelangelo Buonarotti
(1475-1564)
• A sculptor, painter,
architect, engineer and
poet Michelangelo is
arguably the greatest
artist of all time.
Michelangelo believed
that all creativity was
“divinely inspired.”
Michelangelo, like
Leonardo, studied
anatomy. He wanted to
make his subjects
appear as forms in
motion.
• Michelangelo felt that
he was primarily a
sculptor. He said that
he could see the figure
in a block on stone
waiting to be released.
Michelangelo’s work
demonstrates his study
of anatomy. The folds
of Mary’s dress and
Christ’s shroud show a
realistic quality, while
Mary’s hand portrays
motion. Moses seems
to be ready to stand
and explain the Ten
Commandments.
Raphael Santi (1483-1520)
• Well-known for his
humanized Madonnas,
Raphael utilized
pyramidal composition
and chiaroscuro. His
work expresses his
strong interest in
classical antiquity and
in Christianity. Raphael
was universally popular
during his lifetime.
Giovanni Bellini (c. 14301516)
• A prominent Venetian
artist. Venetian artists
frequently painted on
canvas since the city’s
damp climate damaged
frescos. The oil paints
used by Bellini and
others are known for
their vivid, rich color.
Titian (1477-1576)
• Titian was a prolific Venetian painter renowned for his
use of warm, vivid color, especially red and purple.
He painted many religious themes and portraits of
famous people including Philip II of Spain and Holy
Roman Emperor Charles V.
Italian vs. Northern
Renaissance
• Idealized beauty
• Simplified forms,
Style
measured proportions
• Religious & mythological
Subjects
scenes
Figures • Heroic male nudes
Portraits • Formal, reserved
• Fresco, tempera & oil
Technique
paintings
Emphasis • Underlying anatomical
structure
Speciality
• Intense realism
• Lifelike features,
unflattering honesty
• Religious & domestic
themes
• Prosperous citizens, peasants
• Reveal individual
personality
• Oil paintings on wood
panels
• Visible appearance
Jan van Eyck (c. 1390-1441)
• Along with his brother
Hubert, Jan developed oil
painting. Other masters,
including Leonardo,
learned this technique
from them. The van
Eycks’ work shows great
attention to minute detail
and a mastery of
perspective.
Hieronymous Bosch
(c. 1450-1516)
• A Flemish painter,
known for moralistic
paintings and fantasy
images. His “Garden
of Earthly Delights”
can be seen as an
allegory, warning
against eroticism.
Pieter Bruegel, c. 1525-1569
• A Flemish painter Bruegel (BROY gull) used peasant life as their
subject. One of Bruegel’s most famous paintings “Hunters in the
Snow” demonstrates his interest in peasant life. Atmospheric
perspective is evidentin the sharp foreground giving way to hazy
background. Bruegel’s paintings often show a satiric edge, as
can be seen in “The Peasant Wedding.”
Hans Holbein (1497-1543)
• A German artist who worked extensively in England,
Holbein painted realistic portraits of prominent
people. Holbein included items which told much
about the subject. The faces of Holbein’s subjects
show a neutral expression, often characteristic of
Italian art.
Albrecht Durer (1471-1528)
• Known as the “Leonardo
of the North,” Durer
created woodcut
engravings of great
beauty. He used a variety
of lines and shading to
show differences in
texture and tone. Durer
painted his own image
many times. Additionally,
he wrote numerous works
about perspective and
proportion .
El Greco (1541-1614)
• Influenced by Tintoretto,
Titian, Michelangelo,
Raphael and the
Mannerists, El Greco
created emotional and
intense paintings. El
Greco painted many
religious images while he
lived in Spain during the
Inquisition and the
Counter Reformation. His
paintings show an inner
light and an almost
mystical style.
Bibliography
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www.art of colour.com
www.knua.ac.kr
www.loyno.edu
metalab.unc.edu/ wm/paint/auth/greco/
Strickland, Carol. The Annotated Mona Lisa. Kansas
City: Andrews and McMeel, 1992.
• www.uidaho.edu
• www.uie.edu