Transcript The Renaissance - History by Mills

The
Renaissance
Renaissance defined:
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Used to describe a movement that
sought to imitate and understand the
culture of antiquity (the time period
before the Middle Ages)
“rebirth” of Greek and Roman classics
Applies to art, politics, and science
Praises individual achievement
Background/ Possible causes
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Emerged in central Italy in the 14th century
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No exact beginning or ending date
Florence
The Medici Family
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Wealthy and influential Florentine family
Patronage allowed for the advancement of
artwork
Possible causes (continued)
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The Great Man argument
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Leans on the belief that the Ren grew out of the
intelligence great men
Debatable argument
Possible causes (cont.)
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The Black Death theory
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The breakdown of trust in the Church led people
to think more about life rather than the afterlife
Invention of the printing press
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Gutenberg (1450s)
Characteristics
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Classicalism
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Admiration and imitation of the Classical Age
(Greece and Rome)
Shown in architecture, literature, art
Humanism
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Faith in human intelligence and rationality
Reverence for inherent human beauty
Shown by the idealization of the human body
Characteristics (cont.)
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Individualism
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Appreciation of the individual worth of each
human being
Shown in the detail given to each individual in
artwork
Secularism
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Celebration in the everyday life
Shown in art placing importance on fine clothing,
money or anything acquired through wealth
Characteristics (cont.)
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Realism
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Attention to detail made through observance of
the real world
Shown through the use of new art techniques
and the attention to detail
Rationalism
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Development and use of the human mind
Shown through references to learning
Italian Renaissance vs. Northern
Renaissance
Italian Renaissance
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attempted to merge the pagan Classical Age with
the Christian Middle Ages
Emphasizes Greece and Rome
Emphasizes wealthy upper class
Religious and mythological
Portraits are formal and reserved
Base art on theory
Italian Renaissance vs. Northern
Renaissance
Northern Renaissance
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Art is more infused with religion and religious
piety (devotion)
Focuses on early Christianity in Rome and
Greece
Emphasized the life of commoners and the rising
middle class
Appreciation of nature
Oil paint used more = brighter colors
Early Renaissance in Italy
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Began in Florence
soon after 1400
Main artists: Filippo
Brunelleschi,
Donatello, and
Masaccio
Main task: to merge
Classical form with
Christian content in
creating a new style
Sculpture: Donatello’s
David
• 1425-1430
• Bronze
• First free standing nude statue
since before the Middle Ages
• Notice Goliath’s helmet:
connection to Roman gods
• Lowered gaze = modesty and
virtue (Classical
characteristics)
Architecture
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Influenced greatly by
Filippo Brunellechi
Studied Roman architect:
domes instead of Gothic
spires
Utilized a new style called
linear, or scientific
perspective
 Vanishing point
 Allowed for three
dimensional space
Painting: Masaccio
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Utilizes linear/scientific
perspective
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The Holy Trinity
Painting: Masaccio (cont.)
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The Expulsion from
Paradise
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Religious theme
Displays human body
in motion, as well as
human emotion
Central and Northern Italy
1450-1500
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Built upon the practices of early Ren artists
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Intermingles classical themes with religion
Botticelli, Primavera. c. 1482
High Renaissance
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Culmination of the Early Renaissance
Early Ren. = imitated nature
High Ren. = interpreted nature
Key artists:
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Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael
1500-1527
Centered in Rome
Leonardo da Vinci
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1452-1519
Trained in Florence
Contributed to the idea
that an artist is an
original thinker and a
scientist in one
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A true “Renaissance
Man”
Leonardo da Vinci: Mona Lisa.
c. 1503-1505
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Who is she?
Why is she smiling?
What do you notice
about the landscape?
Wife of a Florentine
merchant
Raphael (1483-1520)
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School of Athens,
1510-1511
Famous Greek
philosophers gather
around Plato and
Aristotle
Careful attention to
symmetry, motion,
precision
Comparison: Gothic Art (1140-1550)
vs. Renaissance Art
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Giotto. Madonna Enthroned. 1310
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Raphael. Sistine Madonna. c. 1500s
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
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Sistine Chapel. 15081512 & 1534-1541
Scenes depict the
early history and the
coming of Jesus
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Creation, destruction,
and the salvation of
humanity
The Ceiling
The Creation of Adam
The Last Judgment
Diagram of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling
More Renaissance Artwork
Pieter Brueghel: Battle Between Carnival
and Lent, 1559
Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper. c. 1495-1498
Raphael. Sistine Madonna.
Dresden, Germany