The Italian Renaissance 15.1 – The Emergence of the Italian Renaissance The School of Athens. Raphael. 1509-11. Vatican Palace. Rome, Italy.

The Italian Renaissance What comes to mind when you think of the Renaissance? What do you know about the great artists Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael? By the beginning of the 15th century, there was a revival of interest in the classical art and literature of ancient Greece and Rome. This began in Italy, and scholars and artists began to turn to non-religious subject matter for inspiration. The period of time in which these events took place is called the Renaissance. The word means “rebirth” and refers to the renewed interest in the classical creations that inspired it.

The Emergence of the Italian Renaissance The 15th century was a time of great growth and discovery, Commerce spread, wealth increased, knowledge multiplied, and the arts flourished. In Italy, a number of cities grew to become important trading and industrial centers. Among these was Florence, which rose to become the capital of the cloth trade and boasted of having the richest banking house in Europe. The Medici Family, who controlled this banking empire, became generous patrons of the fine arts.

Influences that Shaped the Renaissance During this period, artists and scholars developed an interest in the art and literature of ancient Greece and Rome. This interest in the classics was called humanism. Humanists – the scholars who promoted humanism – embraced the Greco- Roman belief that each individual has dignity and worth. Artists greatly admired the lifelike appearance of classical works and longed to capture the same quality in their own works. They turned to studying nature and the surviving classical sculptures in an effort to make their artworks look more realistic. The Discuss Thrower. Classical Roman Sculpture.

The Invention of the Printing Press In the middle of the 15th century, a German printer named Johannes Gutenberg perfected the printing press, an invention that ranks as one of the most important contributions of the Renaissance. Within years, thousands of presses were in operation in Europe, and hundreds of books were printed from these presses. This mass-production capability made available to great numbers of readers the works of ancient Greek and Roman writers, religious books, and volumes of poetry and prose. Example of a Renaissance Printing Press

Masaccio (1401-1428) In Florence, the wealthy and better educated citizens grew in number and began to show a lively interest in the arts. They began to make Florence the artistic capital of Italy. It was in Florence that a carefree young painter known as Masaccio (ma-saht-chee-oh) brought about a revolution in art equal to that brought by Giotto. Regarded as the first important artist of the Italian Renaissance. He took the innovations of Giotto and developed them further to produce a style that became the trademark of the Renaissance. It was a style that owed a great deal to the fresco technique that continued to be popular throughout Italy.

The Holy Trinity Masaccio c. 1428 Fresco. Florence Italy . One of Masaccio’s greatest works is a fresco located in the church of Santa Maria Novella, entitled The Holy Trinity. Like Giotto before him, he ignored unnecessary detail and focused his attention on mass and depth. He wanted his figures to look solid and real, so he modeled them in light and shadow. To show that some of these figures were different distances from the viewer he overlapped them. Within the small chapel space that he creates he places the Holy Trinity, St. John the Baptist, and the Virgin Mary. On either side of the chapel he added two members of the family that commissioned him to make the painting. These figures are larger than those behind them which creates the illusion of real space when actually it is painted on a flat wall.

Discovery of Linear Perspective Shortly before Masaccio painted The Holy Trinity, and architect named Flippo Brunelleschi made a discovery known as, linear perspective, a graphic system that showed artists how to create the illusion of depth and volume on a flat surface. Based on geometric principles, this system enabled artists to paint figures and objects so that they seem to move deeper into a work rather than across it. Slanting the horizontal lines of the buildings and other objects in the picture makes them appear to recede into space. If these lines are lengthened they will eventually meet at a point along the horizon line representing the eye level. This point at which these lines meet is called the vanishing point.

The Tribute Money Masaccio c. 1427 Fresco. Florence, Italy. Not too long after finishing The Holy Trinity, Masaccio began working on a number of large frescoes in another church in Florence. In it he grouped 3 scenes to tell a story from the life of St. Peter. In the center Christ tells St.Peter that he will fine a coin in the mouth of a fish with which to pay a tax collector. The tax collector is shown at Christ’s left with his back to you. At the left side of the picture you see St. Peter again, kneeling to remove the coin from the mouth of the fish. Finally, at the right, St. Peter firmly places the coin in the tax collector’s hand.

Aerial Perspective As in his earlier painting The Holy Trinity, Masaccio wanted to create a picture that would look true to life. Depth is suggested by the overlapping of the figures surrounding Christ. With linear perspective he slanted the lines of the building to lead the viewer’s eye deep into the picture. He also made distant objects look bluer, lighter, and duller, heightening the illusion of deep space. This method is known as atmospheric or aerial perspective which uses hue, value, and intensity to show distance in a painting. In The Holy Trinity aerial perspective was not used because the space is limited to the interior of the chapel but in The Tribute Money, the outdoor setting allows him to create the impression of endless space.

Masaccio’s Quest for Reality (The Tribute Money) Masaccio again modeled his figures so that they seem to be as solid as a statue. To achieve this effect, he used a strong light that strikes and lights up some parts of his figures while leaving other parts in deep shadow. Then he placed these figures before a faint background. This makes them seem not only more solid, but also much closer to you. The figures are quite large in relation to the rest of the picture and are shown standing at the front of the scene rather than farther away. With the figures being so much larger, you can see that he was concerned with showing how the body is put together and how it moves. Also notice the attention to the detail of the facial expressions on the the apostles faces surrounding Christ. The gestures and expressions are what you might expect from real people.

Blending Renaissance and Gothic Ideas Not all Italian artists accepted the innovations made my Masaccio. Many chose to use some of his ideas and ignore others. Italian art at this time was a blend of progressive ideas of the Early Renaissance and the conservative ideas of the Gothic Period. Two artists who worked in this way were the painter Fra (or “brother”) Angelico and the sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti

Fra Angelico (c.1400-1455) Fra Angelico (frah ahn-jay-lee-koh) was described by the people who knew him as an excellent painter and a monk of the highest character. A simple, holy man, he never started a painting without first saying a prayer. He also made it a practice not to retouch a try to improve a painting once it was finished. He felt that to do so would be to tamper with the will of God.

The Annunciation Fra Angelico C. 1440-45 Fresco. Florence, Italy. A few years after Masaccio’s death, Fra Angelico painted a picture in which the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she is to be the mother of the Savior. This painting shows that he was familiar with Masaccio’s ideas and did not hesitate to use some of them. Fra’s earlier paintings are done in the Gothic style and filled with bright colors and figures. In this painting, there is simplicity that resembles the works of Masaccio.

The Annunciation Fra Angelico C. 1440-45 Fresco. Florence, Italy. Although he makes some use of perspective, it is clear that Fra Angelico was not deeply interested in creating a illusion of deep space in his picture. The figures of Mary and the angel do not overlap as do the figures in Masaccio’s paintings. Instead, they are separated and placed within a limited area marked off by archs. He chose not to use modeling techniques to makes his figures look round and solid. There is little to suggest that real people exist beneath the garments he paints. There are no surprises in Fra’s paintings. The gestures and facial expressions are easy to read. Like Gothic artists before him, he painted religious stories that would be easily understood. The story was more important than making his picture seem true to life.

Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378-1455) Like Fra Angelico, Lorenzo Ghiberti combined elements of the new Renaissance style with the earlier Gothic style. A sculptor, Ghiberti is best known for the works he made for the Baptistery of the Florence Cathedral. In 1401, the Florence City Council sponsored a contest to find an artist to decorate the north doors of the Baptistery, one of the most important buildings in the city. It was here that children were baptized and brought into the Church. The city offered a challenge to the leading artists of the day. Sculptors were asked to create a sample relief panel in bronze. The subject for the relief was to be the sacrifice of Isaac. This subject was chosen because it seemed like a good test for an artist. It was a religious scene of dramatic interest and it would have to include several figures in motion. Ghiberti's work was chosen and he spend the next 21 years of his life completing the 28 bronze panels used on the doors of the baptistery.

The Gates of Paradise Lorenzo Ghiberti Gilt Bronze. Florence, Italy. Ghiberti drew more heavily on new Renaissance ideas later in his career when he worked on a second set of doors for the Baptistery. Shows scenes from the old testament. Introduced a greater feeling of space by introducing the use of perspective. Finally he modeled his figures so that they stand out from the surface of the panel and seem almost fully rounded. When Michelangelo first saw the doors, he said they were worthy of being the gates to heaven.

Vocab and Quiz Review Renaissance Humanism Linear Perspective Horizon Line Aerial Perspective