The Renaissance

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 Humanism 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 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 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 Italy 1450-1500 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