Elliott Gorman
Professor Cangelose
Art History 1304 N05
9 October 2017
Identify and Compare the works of two Artists - Leonardo and Raphael
“Art is in the eye of the beholder, and everyone will have their own interpretation.” - E.A. Bucchianeri. Art is a beautiful construct and it has been seen as such and shall continue to be seen as such for generations to come. History has seen a vast number of extremely talented Artists, and while art may take new forms, its integrity shall remain unshifted. Two men in specific have contributed to art and its history like no other; Leonardo Da Vinci and Raphael Sanzio da Urbino. Both of these men, considered masters of their talents, have conceived some of the World’s greatest artworks, but it is here that I would like to specifically examine, compare, and contrast the ideals of both man and his work in a self-portrait from each their own. Leonardo’s Portrait of a Man in Red Chalk and Raphael’s Portrait of a Young Man.
Leonardo and Raphael are perhaps two of the most interesting individuals in Art History. A man could spend a lifetime studying them and their works, and yet one would only be able to understand the complexity of their minds, but not the begging question of, “Who truly is Leonardo or Raphael?”. Perhaps, to begin to understand you might look deep into their art and view it, not as what you feel, but as what they felt. While art has always taken new forms, an Artist’s personality is always seen manifested in his or her work.
During this painting, Michelangelo didn’t have the drive he usually did, but when his greatest enemy, Perugino started to work on it with him, that drove him to another level. Michelangelo’s interest in portraying the human body, reflected how the people in this time period felt, and that made the people who viewed his art interested in his work. Also, his sculptures reflect how dramatic of a shift it was to the Renaissance Period from the Middle Ages, and shows how the
From the late fifteenth century to the genesis of the sixteenth, a new movement influenced art in Europe, expanding the bleak limits of past art and created some of the most memorable masterpieces in history. The creators of these artworks during these decades of the Renaissance include Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, and Raphael Sanzio. Influenced and sometimes driven competitively by each other, these artists share differences and similarities in their life, art style and techniques, and interests.
Italy can be looked at as the home of the renaissance and consequently the immergence of great art. Artists such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, Da Vinci, and Raphael are some of the greats and are looked at for standards. But what about the artists whose lives are mysteries, and their works that were influenced by the greats? These artists hold just as much importance in the history of art as do the artist’s whose names can be recalled off the top of an average person’s head. During the sixteenth century things began to change in the art world, and that change was the Baroque. This new style of art brought a revolution to how subject matter was painted, it brought upon “… a radical reconsideration of art and its purposes…” (249) and how artists of all ranks could learn to paint the up and coming style of Baroque.
The Renaissance was a period in Europe civilisation that immediately followed the Middle Ages. It was an era of cultural growth that was introduced in Italy and was carried on throughout northern Europe lasting the 14th to 17th century. Many artists and scholars of that time period believed that they were contributing in a revival of the ideals and worth of the periods that arrive before them. The Renaissance period open doors for individuals to rediscover one’s will and obligations of observing the environment. It was an opening for them to express themselves in human terms. They shifted their interest from God centred to humans centred, known as Humanism. The Renaissance had expanded into four periods which were classified as Early Renaissance,
The Mona Lisa has been one of the most debated paintings of all time. The look on the face of the women in this painting leaves a person’s mind wondering. No one really seems to know what this mysterious woman is thinking or feeling. The questions that cannot seem to be answered are what make this painting so famous. The reason for that is because it is raveled in mystery and secrets. All of the small details make the painting stand out by being different from others and the details also make it far more remarkable as well. And surely, the smirk on the face of the Mona Lisa is the major key factor to the painting being so interesting. “Leonardo da Vinci was one of the
Neoclassical Art was an art form that followed the Baroque and Rococo art periods. Neoclassicism was a way for artists to display their wish to return to meaningful art, to escape the frivolity of landscapes and still life paintings, and paint something that had a moral, educational or inspirational value to the viewer. Neoclassical art was an attempt to return knowledge and purity back to art. Neoclassicism was mainly focused on Greek and Roman arts and stories of the classical era with some new advancement. It was a revival of antiquity.
Throughout time, many men and women have made legendary contributions for mankind today. Two of those people are Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Da Vinci and Michelangelo given society many new styles of education. They both specialized in science, mathematics, and modern art. They each lived completely different lifestyles yet they have impacted many others.
Every painting is a unique experience for each individual person, therefore two of the artists that offered some of the most unique experiences where Leonardo da vinci and Michelangelo. While both of these painters are today well regarded and remembered, during their time they both had achieved such status in vastly different ways. Therefore even though these two artists lived during the same time these two are nothing alike. With their unique take on the world and events around them they were able to shape how the average person thought about the world around them.
Vasari, an artist, and well known writer provides the reader with a detailed view inside the lives of artists across history. His view takes the reader on a journey through the struggles of these renowned artists. Vasari describes each painting as if they are narratives ready to come off the walls. Three artists that Vasari takes a great liking to are the artists Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael of Urbino, and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Vasari’s words for these artists come off as endearing and appreciative. To Vasari these were more than just artists, they were inventors and contributors to society as we know it.
Given the many versions and accounts of famous artist’s lifetimes, we’re shown the vast underlying meaning, and situational ironies, to several of well- known pieces of work we still admire today. Donatello, Verrocchio, da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Bernini; All of these artist left unique and controversial imprints on the timeline of art and life. Though many follow one right after the other, we see the changing of times through the midst of the creation of their works. Through the Renaissance and to the Reformation period, these artists help shape the nature of society. Coming to the end of the Renaissance era, an artist nicknamed “Caravaggio,” because of where he came from, pushed his world into the times of a more sound
Leonardo Da Vinci was a successful man in more areas than artwork. From the time he was a boy, he began studying the arts as well as the ideas of science, medicine, machinery, and much more. Da Vinci’s history is reflected in his paintings and inventions that have been able to change the world of then and now. Leonardo’s artistic vision led him down a prosperous path of life that has made him one of the most innovative individuals the world has seen. With the help of a lot of childhood exposure to the arts, along with the natural creativity born inside of him, Leonardo Da Vinci changed the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries through his work.
Raphael is now considered one of the three most outstanding artists of the Renaissance, with a lifetime of beautiful artwork to show for it. From working with his initial master Perugino to painting the The School of Athens, Raphael always worked to improve and further himself in his skill and experience. After learning and studying from the two other most famous artists of the time, he earned his place among the best. Raphael truly knew how to take the resources he had around himself and learn from them, and that’s why he always improved. He had an incredible life of success, including creating seemingly countless beautiful pieces of art, working on more commissions for the Pope than any other artist, and succeeding in “conquering” every
The works of Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo influenced the art of the 16th century in Italy and Europe in many ways. Three of Michelangelo’s works such as: The Last Judgment, Pieta, and David were great works during his time. Leonardo da Vinci also contributed great works to the 15st century such as: The Last Supper, St. James in the Wilderness, and The Mona Lisa. Although there were some similarities in Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo’s works, their differences and uniqueness is what made their works great masterpieces of the 15th and 16th century.
The Mona Lisa has to be one of my favorite paintings of all time and has lead me to use this specific painting as a topic for this paper. Not to mention the love I have for Leonardo da Vinci. I, myself have always been drawn to da Vinci’s paintings and all of his other achievements that he has given us during his life. I, like Leonardo da Vinci love art and science just as much as it seems he did. He shares a love of art and a fondness for science. It also seems that he loves a good mystery, and the Mona Lisa just happens to be one clouded in mystery. And I too love a good mystery.
Grasping the full understanding of science and perfection in creative art are the two ultimate goals that mankind had been striving for ever since these two aspects became an important part of society. Many had aimed for it but none succeeded. Most of those who attempted to obtain this Holy Grail failed but some were able to conquer many fields. Leonardo da Vinci is a perfect example of those “Universal Geniuses.” Leonardo was one of the few who achieved major success in both art and sciences including portrait painting, conceptual engineering, anatomy, and many more.