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