REN - Italian and Northern Renaissance, con't. (Lesson)
Italian and Northern Renaissance, con't.
Renaissance Art
Information below is adapted, in part, from the Giant EHAP Review Guide at HistoryTeacher.net. You can view the powerpoint and artwork that accompanies these notes by downloading them here.
Links to an external site.
Characteristics of Renaissance Art
- Emulation of the Ancient Greeks and Romans.
- Good use of depth in paintings.
- Linear (further away = smaller) and atmospheric (further away = hazier) perspective.
- Paintings began to have more detailed backgrounds.
- Not necessarily religious, more focused on earthly themes and humans. Many may include imagery from mythology.
- More realistic, geometrically precise, and mathematically accurate.
- Bodies have accurate proportions.
- Subjects showing signs of more emotion.
- Contrapposto posture, in which the subject is shifting his or her balance.
Artists of the Early Renaissance
Donatello - (1386 - 1466) was mainly a sculptor whose focus was on the beauty of the human body. His statue of David was the first free standing nude since Roman times.
Brunelleschi - (1377 - 1446) was an architect whose work was groundbreaking for its simplicity, symmetry, balance ,and harmony. Additionally, he created the largest dome built in Europe since the ancients, for a cathedral in Florence.
Artists of the High Renaissance
Leonardo da Vinci - (1452 - 1519) was a painter (and a scientist, writer, and inventor) whose paintings are remarkable for their technical perfection; in other words, for their good use of angles, perspective, and detailed background.
Raphael - (1483 - 1520) was a painter who used his mastery of perspective and ancient styles to produce works of harmony, beauty, and serenity to convey a sense of peace. He is known for his portraits as well as multiple Madonna paintings.
Michelangelo - (1475 - 1564) was a painter who also experimented with poetry, architecture, and sculpture. Most of his work focuses on individuals who always give a sense of strength and ambition.
A Note About Renaissance Art - Often art was sponsored through patrons. These were often of the wealthy elite but also included the Church (primarily the Pope). Patrons sponsored artists, occasionally requesting specific pieces of art, and once complete the piece would bear both the artist's name and the patron’s. This allowed for the patrons to "be a part" of the glory an artist receives and was used to help raise social standing and prestige.
Later in this module, you will be introduced to your semester long project. During your course, you will be evaluating artwork and artistic styles present in the various movements throughout history. For now, download a copy of the art chart you will use later. Links to an external site. This one includes information on Medieval and Renaissance art that you can add to your notes.
Heading North: Why the Renaissance Left Italy
The Renaissance spreads north due in part to the wars of the Italian city-states - artwork is stolen and sent north, soldiers are influenced by the artwork and Renaissance spirit, and artists flee to the north to escape fighting.
It is in the last quarter of the 15th century, that the Renaissance effectively goes north. Students from Low Countries (Netherlands, Belgium, Brussels), England, and France go to school in Italy in search of "new learning," and carry ideas back home.
Northern Humanists interpret Italian ideas and attitudes of classical antiquity, individualism, and humanism and adapt them to fit into the Northern traditions.
Morality Tales (Christian Humanism)
Northern Renaissance was distinctly Christian in value:
- Italy - pagan themes, Greco-Roman, secular
- North - biblical characters and themes
The North also had goals of vast social reform based on Christian ideals.
Humanists in the North become "Christian Humanists," and want to develop an ethical way of life via a combination of the best of classical and Christian culture.
Example: calmness, stoic patience, and broad-mindedness should join love, hope, faith.
It stresses the importance of reason over blind acceptance, believing that human intellect can bring about moral and institutional reform.
They believed that though human nature had been corrupted by sin, it was fundamentally good and capable of improvement. Improvement would come by way of education which leads to piety and an ethical way of life.
Christian Humanist Writers
Erasmus
- a monk
- considered one of Europe's foremost experts in the Greek Language
- saw many issues within the Church he wished could be reformed
Perhaps the most famous of all the Christian Humanists, Erasmus is known for his criticisms of the Church so much that he was often erroneously blamed for the Reformation that will follow. He was a devout Catholic who only sought to reform the Church not split it apart. It was believed that Erasmus suffered from OCD and that it manifested itself in his wanting to "cleanse" the church and return it to its rightful path after the excesses and immorality of the Renaissance popes.
Erasmus translated the bible into Greek, adding a humanist approach in order to have the most accurate version available. His work, In Praise of Folly, satirized the foibles he saw within the Catholic Church, in particular monastic life, worldly ambitions of the clergy, and the hypocrisy he saw in church leaders. The book was widely popular and inspired many to call for reforms.
Art of the Northern Renaissance
Unlike the Italian Renaissance, the Northern Renaissance retained a more religious focus. This led to a more human-centered naturalism which meant that individuals and facets of everyday life were appropriate objects for artistic representation. Northern Renaissance artists were more concerned with the small details of people and events. Examples of artists who employed naturalism include Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Rembrandt.
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