Art : Comparing Medieval Art to Renaissance Art

The difference between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance is most visible through art and architecture, demonstrated specifically through an emphasis on religion or classical antiquity, and humanity. During the Middle Ages, art was more religious because it had a very religious influence from the church having such great power in the community. When the Renaissance started, art became more focused on ancient Greece. The Greek influence was because scholars were broadly studying the revival of classical antiquity. The architecture was affected in the same way because in the Middle Ages the style of the buildings was being influenced by religion. The style in the Renaissance was being more influenced by ancient Greece.

the Renaissance, the first period, emerging as a distinct style in Italy in about 1400, in parallel with developments which occurred in philosophy, literature, music and science. Renaissance art, perceived as a royalty of ancient traditions, took as its foundation the art of Classical antiquity, but transformed that tradition by the absorption of recent developments in the art of Northern Europe and by application of contemporary scientific knowledge. Renaissance art, with Renaissance Humanist philosophy, spread throughout Europe, affecting both artists and their patrons with the development of new techniques and new artistic sensibilities. Renaissance art marks the transition of Europe from the medieval period to the

The Renaissance was a distinct time period from the middle ages, due to many factors. Some of the factors include, the artist's’ thinking, the style of art, and architecture, and the advancement of education.

The Renaissance period was from roughly the 14th century to the 17th century of the common era (CE) beginning in Italy later spreading throughout Europe. The word Renaissance comes from the original Italian word "Rinascimento" or "rinascere" which means "to be reborn" according to Harper (2012).

Along with the different kinds of techniques of art, a shift in artistic themes occurred due to a change in the artist’s perception of life and their values. The Renaissance is an era that was home to some of the most influential artists of all time – Michelangelo Buonarotti, Raffaello Sanzio, and Leonardo di Vinci were few of the many. One main characteristic

The Renaissance was from the late fourteenth century to the late sixteenth century.The word Renaissance means ‘rebirth’ in French. In this period of the arts, the paintings dramatically improved. The individuals changed from flat two-dimensional people to three-dimensional, life-like figures. During the Renaissance, there were many artists including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Jan van Eyck.

The Renaissance, a time period painted over like a great canvas with the names of legendary artists. People in the modern world know mostly the great names like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, etc. These names have become ingrained in culture, so much so that the names have taken on a new persona of four animated turtles. But like any time period these names barely scratch the surface of a cornerstone in the history of art. Beginning in the 13th century, known as the Early Renaissance, the focus of art started to shift from a heavenly perspective down to a more human perspective. Sciences grew, knowledge of the human body expanded, and in turn this helped shape artistic trends like they were clay on a potter’s wheel. Great

Middle Age art and Renaissance art has one common characteristic: many are themed around Christianity. However, as far as style is concerned, the two periods vary greatly. Middle Age art was about function. The pieces told the stories of the Church and of war. The colors were muted because of a lack of good paint. Perspective and proportions were incorrect. The faces of figures were not realistic and generally very masculine. The statues were done in relief and the paintings seemed flat. In contrast, art in The Renaissance was about beauty. The pieces invoked emotion while telling a story. The colors were bright and vibrant

The Renaissance was a rebirth of cultural awareness and learning that took place during 1400 - 1500. Art became a branch of learning during the Renaissance. It was a period of time when art was very important. Artists had finally recaptured the amazing detail and realism that the Greeks and Romans perfected. Artists broke boundaries with new exciting mediums and bright colors. Filippo Brunelleschi permitted artists to decide the proportional size of a figure by inventing the vanishing point perspective. This made it possible to put everything into perfect proportion. Many elderly people are found in the paintings. Such as Man in a Red Turban on page 270 fig. 15.34 or online at http://www.abcgallery.com/E/eyck/eyck3.html.

Many things changed from Medieval Times to the Renaissance. The catholic church saw it’s reign secede and individualism increase in the minds of the people of the time. Because of this, people in the Renaissance now looked at themselves in a way that was never seen before. Slowly but surely, the whole world changed. The rise in individualism and humanism signified a change in the way people thought about their purpose in life. In the Medieval Times, people believed that they were at the mercy of God, and they had no control over their own bodies or lives. From the change in Medieval Times to the Renaissance, whole fields were changed, especially art and the medical field, because of the rise of the individual and that way of life.

Art during the Italian Renaissance differed from art during the Middle Ages. The two have contrasting characteristics and concepts. To the people in the medieval world, religion was their life. Everything in daily life focused around the church and God (Modern World 164). Medieval culture influenced the arts; this was evident in the religious themes. During the Italian Renaissance, painters and other artists focused on the portrayal of a more humanistic way of life. Renaissance artists’ work portrayed realism with “lifelike human figures in their paintings” (Modern World 164). Renaissance artists wanted to express ancient Greek and Roman cultures in their work (Modern World 162). Italian Renaissance

The Renaissance time period was home to many new ideas in art. This includes new artists bringing forth ideas that had yet to be discovered and made popular. New themes and types of art were also being brought forward during this period.

Before the Renaissance, art was all about religion, and lacked emotions and details. Renaissance Art had stronger emotions, well defined

In the art world, the medieval periods were traditionally though to be the unproductive phase of Europe between the decline of Rome and the Renaissance. Our modern feelings toward medieval art are far more appreciative. The main intent of Medieval art was to express Christianity which was also a common bond between a wide spread and diverse Europe. For this reason most of the art found from medieval times originated in monasteries and churches. European art during the Middle Ages can be divided into four periods. These four periods include Celto-Germanic art which ranged from 400 to 800 A.D. and was important in metal work. Carolingian art ranged from 750 to 987 A.D. overlapping 50 years of the Celto-Germanic period. The

The renaissance or “rebirth” was a cultural awakening which spanned from the fourteenth to sixteenth century. A growing interest in humanist traits and classical ideas heavily influenced the art during the renaissance. A growing community of artists provided much needed competition for their profession. The renaissance introduced many different and modern ideas but also remained obedient to classical belief. The unique art of the renaissance spread throughout Europe. Northern European art differed tremendously from Italian art.