Art Analysis: Renaissance Period vs. Italian Baroque

The Baroque period saw many influential artists and sculptors, however, for the purpose of this assignment I am going to reflect on the works of Bernini and Caravaggio. Bernini’s sculpture, The Ecstasy of St. Teresa and Caravaggio’s painting, the Crucifixion of St. Peter will be what I am going to discuss. Both artists rose to prominence during the Baroque era by employing the artistic techniques unique to the era and playing into the vast influence the Catholic Church held over creativity of this period.

Oil Paint, bright colours with shadow and the ability to be much more creative when painting

To help one differentiate between the Renaissance Era and Baroque Era Heinrich Wolfflin created the Wolfflin Method. The Wolfflin Method compares the two eras in a masterful way that helps one simplify the differences between the Renaissance and Baroque Eras. The Renaissance Era is represented by linear, planar, closed, and multiplicity elements. All of these elements combined to create a crisp painting where lines and shapes are distinguished. The Baroque Era is represented by painterly, recessional, open, and unity elements. These four elements help create a painting that uses shadows to create dimension and depth within the piece giving the viewer an overall sense of unity. The Wolfflin Method assists the viewer in understanding the differences between the Renaissance and Baroque Era.

The renaissance period extended from the start of the 14th century until the early 16th century. It was considered a period of enlightenment and rebirth. Coming on the heels of the Middle Ages, the renaissance saw revived interest in classical art. However, since the concept of humanism was on the rise, artwork during the renaissance depicted more realistic representations of the human form and were not so much concerned with perfection as seen in classical art. From the flow of fabric to intense facial expressions, renaissance artists involved emotions and other elements of the natural world in their work. I would choose this period over the classical period because I find the work more relatable. The use of perspective gives work done during this period a very realistic feel. It demonstrates an understanding of anatomy and science to create the illusion of depth and space on a flat surface coupled with and artistic ability.

Art in the Baroque period was used to depict the religious tensions present at the time. Coincidentally, the philosophy of the time also played a key role in addressing the tensions that existed during the period. As a result of the focus on similar aspects of the society, there emerged numerous similarities between the artwork of the time and the ideas expressed by philosophers such as Descartes and Leibniz. It is critical to assess the views of the different philosophers in order to determine how the artwork was similar to their perceptions of the world. This essay addresses the views of Descartes in relation to the principles of Baroque art. In particular, the essay focuses on the works of Vermeer and Rembrandt, seeking to determine how their art relates to the philosophical views of Descartes.

The 13th century for Italy marks the decline of classic structures, such as Notre-Dame de Paris, and the push towards more natural and flowing figures which were just inklings of what was to come in the Renaissance period . The first hint of change can be seen when comparing Nicola Pisano and his son Giovanni Pisano, who both fashioned pulpits for a baptistery in Pisa. Nicola carved out three biblical inspired scenes (Annunciation, Nativity, and Adoration of the Shepherds) into three panels showing influences of medieval and classical styles . Giovanni designed a pulpit with nine panels with biblical inspired scenes showing influence of French gothic style . The main difference between the father and son ‘s art style, and conveniently it can

To begin with there are several differences in texture between a musical piece from the Middle Ages and one from the Renaissance. The piece Estampie from the Middle Ages texture would be described as monophonic, and the piece Palestrina: Pope Marcellus Mass, Kyrie from the Renaissance which is predominantly polyphonic. First off, the piece Estampie differs from “Kyrie” from the Renaissance, because of its short melodic sections that repeat for example, aa, bb, cc, dd, etc. On the other hand, the piece “Kyrie” from the Renaissance is a combination of melodies were the words written seem to move together, frequently using imitation between the voices. In addition, pieces from the Renaissance like “Kyrie” were generally vocal music, and pieces

The author of this paper examines three works of art from three different artists from the Baroque Period. He compares the different works of art and discusses similarities, differences, and the techniques that were used.

The ideology and culture of the Renaissance and Baroque Eras are reflected in artwork from the eras. Renaissance art seems to the moment before an event took place and the Baroque art is characterized by great drama, rich deep color, and intense light and dark shadows. Baroque artists chose the most dramatic point, the moment when the action was occurring. For example Michelangelo designed his David composed and still before he fights against Goliath. In Bernini's David in the Baroque era is caught in the motion of hurling the stone at Goliath. “Baroque art was meant to evoke emotion and passion instead of the calm rationality that had been prized during the Renaissance.”

The “rebirth” of art in Italy was connected with the rediscovery of ancient philosophy, literature, and science and the evolution of empirical methods of study in these fields. Increased awareness of classical knowledge created a new resolve to learn by direct observation and study of the natural world. Consequently, secular themes became increasingly important to artists, and with the revived interest in antiquity came a new repertoire of subjects drawn from Greek and Roman history and mythology. The models provided by ancient buildings and works of art also inspired the development of new artistic techniques and the desire to re-create the forms and styles of classical art.

A. The Baroque era began as artists were disgusted against the approach of Mannerist art. The Baroque art movement combines dramatic works of arts, beautiful details, and emotionally stimulating subject matter to give the viewer a powerful visual experience (Devlin, E. L. 2013)

For my Installation piece I have decided to explore the idea of The Baroque Art Era. The Baroque is a period of artistic style that concentrated on exaggerated processes and lavish designs.

The following is a comparative analysis of Caravaggio’s The Musicians from the Italian Baroque period, and Watteau’s Mezzetin from the Rococo Period. Although both paintings depict a scene or event from everyday life, or a genre scene, the latter was painted more recently during the modern era and it differs immensely. The major differences become evident in the style of the painters as well as their personal representations of the subject matter. The works illustrate the evolvement of a certain genre in Western painting from Renaissance through the modern era. This transformation exemplifies how a similar subject matter can be represented in an entirely new and innovative way.

This essay will attempt to establish a sufficient visual analysis of a painting. It will use the painting The Battle of Anghiari to identify an underlying feeling associated with the painting. The paper will also try to determine the emotions and message that may be associated with this piece of art. Also, use sources to show what Leonardo Da Vinci intended to show in this marvelous masterpiece. Additionally, incorporating the history and background of the time and place, establishing the purpose of this painting being created, and overall meaning. Furthermore, this essay will also give a description of the artistic style and technique to add to the many things the paper uses as support to back up the thesis. With all of these ideas and

In the 15th Century, Italy was the hub of the arts, humanism, technological innovations and science. This period is commonly referred to as the Renaissance, and it is stated that Florence was in the heart of it, although Venice was also prominent in its artistic development. In this essay, the characteristics of Florentine and Venetian art in the Quattrocento will be analysed, and a comparison and contrast between the two will be conducted.