Exploring Renaissance Art: From Medieval to Classical Influence

1. THE RENAISSANCE

2. Introduction to Art Medieval Period Renaissance 1400-1650 Rediscovery of works of Greeks and Romans Purposes of Art To show the importance of people and nature, not just religion Forms of Art Sculptures, murals, drawings, paintings • 500-1500 AD • Feudalism • Catholic Church • Purposes of Art: • To teach religion to illiterate people • Forms of Art: • Stained glass windows, sculptures, manuscripts, paintings, tapestries

3. Characteristics of Art Medieval: Renaissance: Both religious and non-religious scenes Figures look perfect, idealized Bodies may be nude or clothed Real people doing real tasks Expressive faces, emotion Lots of interest in nature, detail Use of perspective in backgrounds and symmetry (balance) • Religious • Figures look flat and stiff • Fully clothed • Solemn faces, no emotion • Vibrant colors • 2 dimensional • Backgrounds often a single color--gold

4. Classical, Medieval and Renaissance Art • http://www.slideshare.net/MrsHeller/classical-medieval-and-renaissance-art

5. Get out your notebook • P. 17 Middle East Conflict 9/3 • P. 18 World Religions Chart • P. 19 World Religions Map • P. 20 Dark Ages Video Summary 9/5,6 • P. 21 1000 years of history 9/9 • P. 22 Timeline 9/10 • P. 23 Renaissance WebQuest 9/11 • P. 24 Renaissance notes • P. 25 Artists of the Renaissance

6. Themes of the Renaissance • Individualism: • In contrast to Christian humility of the Middle Ages. • Uniqueness, Personality • Confidence in ability to achieve greatness • Genius, development of full potential • Quest for glory

7. Humanism • Educationcentered around the study of the Latin classics. • Studied these classics to understand human nature rather than only to understand God. • Focus on the humanities – grammar, rhetoric, poetry, history, etc…

8. Secularism • A basic concern with the material world instead of the spiritual world. “Worldly” • Attention on improving life in the here and now, but did not abandon religion. • More focus on education, business, wealth • More leisure time, art patronage, etc…

9. RENAISSANCE: • Historical period in Europe from about 1300-1600 where a renewed interest in the classical culture of Greece and Rome led to changes in art, learning, and worldviews.

10. Renaissance (French for rebirth) • This time period is seen as a distinct passing from medieval to modern society. • A rebirth from the “Dark Ages” aka the Middle Ages – approximately 1,000 years between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance.

11. Some Ways to Describe It… • A time of creativity and great change • A rebirth from the disorder of the Middle Ages (Black Death, wars, etc…)

12. Why did the Renaissance begin in Italy? 1.) History – ruins from ancient Rome provided inspiration; Italians wanted to revive greatness. 2.) Thriving City-States – key location; crossroads for trade; great wealth. 3.) Wealthy merchant class – dominated politics in Italian city-states; were patrons of the arts

15. Important Writers/Literature • Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374) • “Father of Humanism” • Poet • Famous for writing sonnets – 14 line poems to Laura

16. Other Humanists… • Desiderius Erasmus (1469-1536) • Orphan; joined a monastery • Most famous work: The Praise of Folly (1509) – used humor to expose immoral behavior of clergy • Key Beliefs: • Education is key to moral/intellectual improvement • Christian attitude/study of the Bible

17. Other Humanists… • Thomas More (1478-1535) • Lawyer, writer, counselor to Henry VIII • Most famous work: Utopia (1516) “nowhere” • Ideal, nearly perfect society • Very radical for its time • Beheaded in 1535

19. Writing in the Vernacular • Dante (1265-1321) • From a noble family in Florence • Wrote the Divine Comedy between 1313-1321. • Journey of the soul through afterlife; Inferno, Purgatory, Paradise • Written in the Italian vernacular; helped develop the language.

20. Writing in the Vernacular • Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340-1400) • Wrote The Canterbury Tales in the English vernacular language. • Shakespeare

21. Renaissance Guidebooks • The Book of the Courtier (1528) • Guide to becoming a Renaissance gentleman • The ideal Renaissance man should be: • Educated in many subjects • Know how to sing, dance, play an instrument • Able to compose a sonnet, wrestle, ride expertly, and speak and write eloquently.

22. Renaissance Guidebooks • The Prince (1513) by Niccolo Machiavelli • About political power • How the ruler should gain, maintain, and increase it • “Machiavellian” – use of deceit in politics • “the end justifies the means”

23. Renaissance Architecture • Return from the Gothic style of the Middle Ages to the Classical styles of Early Greece and Rome. • Architecture became simpler, more symmetrical: columns, arches, domes

24. New Techniques • Perspective: The linear representation of distance and space on a flat surface. • How? By making distant objects smaller than those close to the viewer. Gives the illusion of depth.

25. Examples of Perspective

26. Techniques • Shading • Illumination

27. The Geniuses of Renaissance Art • Leonardo da Vinci • Michelangelo • Raphael • Donatello

28. Leonardo da Vinci • Painter, sculptor, inventor, scientist • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFN5hRukDlo • Mona Lisa • The Last Supper

29. The Last Supper

31. Why so famous?? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IitbJszd1kM • http://www.monalisamania.com/faqmain.htm • http://www.npr.org/2011/07/30/138800110/the-theft-that-made-the-mona-lisa-a-masterpiece

32. Michelangelo • Famous works include: • Pieta • statue of David • ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome

33. Pieta

34. Statue of David

35. Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel

36. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u8LDXhFzPo

37. A student of Leonardo and Michelangelo Famous painting: The School of Athens Raphael

38. The School of Athens

39. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-9G0Ndxopg

40. Most famous for his sculptures Most famous is his bronze statue of David Donatello