Art of the Renaissance
Changes in Art & Learning The rise of Humanism can be seen in paintings created by Renaissance artists. During the Medieval period, art and learning were centered on the church and religion. The Renaissance changed this. Part of this change was influenced by the study of ancient Greek and Roman writings on scientific matters, government, philosophy, and art. The people of the Renaissance became interested in other areas of science, the natural world, biology and astronomy.
Innovations in Art " Use of linear perspective. Figures in foreground appear larger, while background figures appear smaller. " Greater use of secular subjects. Religious themes and Bible stories are still important, but not only subjects. " More interest in the classical ideals of the human figure. Sculptures became more common and more realistic, in contrast to the stylized relief decorations on cathedrals. " More interest in depicting nature and natural light. " Greek and Roman mythology inspired figures in Renaissance paintings. " Oil paints replaced egg tempera.
Linear Perspective
Raphael, Dream of Scipio ca. 1504 Size: approximately 5 by 5 inches Secular Subjects
Human Figure Center: Donatello Below: Michelangelo s David Classical Roman Sculpture Roman Emperor Trajan
Botticelli, Venus and Mars Greek Mythology
Natural Light Piero della Francesca, The Flagellation. Named the greatest small painting in the world (58.4 81.5 cm).
Greek Mythology & Nature Pieter Bruegal the Elder s The Fall of Icarus.
Oil-based Paints " First experiments with oil-based paints, mixing pigments with linseed oil. " Van Eyck is considered to be one of the great painters of the Renaissance. " Van Eyck and other painters of the Netherlands made oil the standard medium of painting. Until then, tempera (pigment mixed with egg) was most commonly used. Jan van Eyck, Madonna with the Child reading
Jan van Eyck (1385-1441) " Jan van Eyck perfected the technique of oil painting. " He is thought to have been born in the village of Maaseyck in Belgium. " Van Eyck was considered the leading painter of his day. " He painted mostly portraits and religious subjects. Madonna of Chancellor Rolin " He captured subjects in minute detail (notice the detail of the floor tiles and the chancellor s robe).
What Renaissance innovations do you see in this painting? Arnolfini Portrait 1434
Botticelli (1444-1510) " Sandro Botticelli was an Italian artist from Florence. " Botticelli s most famous works are Primavera and the Birth of Venus, although he also painted many Christian religious subjects. " Primavera depicts the arrival of spring. It is thought to have been painted for Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de Medici, a cousin of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Sandro Botticelli
What Renaissance innovations do you see in this painting? Primavera (1477-1482)
Perugino Christ Giving The Key to St. Peter,Sistine Chapel (1481-1482)
Leonardo da Vinci (*) " Leonardo da Vinci painted two of most famous paintings in the world, the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. " Leonardo was the perfect example of a Renaissance man, that is, someone who excels in a variety of fields. " He was a painter, scientist, inventor, engineer, mathematician, sculptor, architect, botanist, and writer. Leonardo da Vinci " Only fifteen of Leonardo da Vinci s paintings still exist.
What Renaissance innovations do you see in this painting? Leonardo da Vinci Self-portrait The Last Supper 1498 Last Supper (1495-1498)
Raphael (1483-1520) " Raphael was an Italian painter and architect of the Renaissance. " He received his training from his father. " Raphael died at the age of 37. " Many of his works are in the Vatican. " Raphael s paintings are serene and harmonious. Raphael " Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci are called the three great artists of the High Renaissance.
What Renaissance innovations do you see in this painting? School of Athens
Whose who in School of Athens?
Michelangelo (1475-1564) " Michelangelo was a painter, sculptor, poet, and engineer. " His most famous sculptures, Pieta and David, were done before he was thirty. " Due to political upheavals in Italy, Michelangelo traveled and worked in many cities, including Venice, Florence, Bologna, and Rome. " In 1505 Pope Julius II invited Michelangelo to Rome to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo
Michelangelo s ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Rome (1508-1512).
Details of Michelangelo s ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Rome. God dividing the waters, showing the illusionary architecture, and the positions of the Ignudi and shields