The Renaissa

nce

Renaissance defined: 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 Emerged in central Italy in the 14th century

No exact beginning or ending date Florence

The Medici Family Wealthy and influential Florentine family Patronage allowed for the advancement of

artwork

Possible causes (continued) The Great Man argument

Leans on the belief that the Ren grew out of the intelligence great men

Debatable argument

Possible causes (cont.) The Black Death theory

The breakdown of trust in the Church led people to think more about life rather than the afterlife

Invention of the printing press Gutenberg (1450s)

Characteristics Classicalism

Admiration and imitation of the Classical Age (Greece and Rome)

Shown in architecture, literature, art Humanism

Faith in human intelligence and rationality Reverence for inherent human beauty Shown by the idealization of the human body

Characteristics (cont.) Individualism

Appreciation of the individual worth of each human being

Shown in the detail given to each individual in artwork

Secularism Celebration in the everyday life Shown in art placing importance on fine clothing,

money or anything acquired through wealth

Characteristics (cont.) Realism

Attention to detail made through observance of the real world

Shown through the use of new art techniques and the attention to detail

Rationalism Development and use of the human mind Shown through references to learning

Italian Renaissance vs. Northern Renaissance

Italian Renaissance 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 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 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 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 Utilizes linear/scientific

perspective The Holy Trinity

Painting: Masaccio (cont.) The Expulsion from

Paradise Religious theme

Displays human body in motion, as well as human emotion

Central and Northern Italy1450-1500

Built upon the practices of early Ren artists Intermingles classical themes with religion

Botticelli, Primavera. c. 1482

High Renaissance Culmination of the Early Renaissance Early Ren. = imitated nature High Ren. = interpreted nature Key artists:

Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael 1500-1527 Centered in Rome

Leonardo da Vinci 1452-1519 Trained in Florence Contributed to the idea

that an artist is an original thinker and a scientist in one A true “Renaissance

Man”

Leonardo da Vinci: Mona Lisa. c. 1503-1505

Who is she? Why is she smiling? What do you notice

about the landscape? Wife of a Florentine

merchant

Raphael (1483-1520) 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

Giotto. Madonna Enthroned. 1310 Raphael. Sistine Madonna. c. 1500s

Michelangelo (1475-1564) Sistine Chapel. 1508-

1512 & 1534-1541 Scenes depict the

early history and the coming of Jesus 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