The Renaissance in Art Essay

“No painter can paint well without a thorough knowledge of geometry” (qtd. in Butterfield 27). The Italian Renaissance is famous for its art which includes unique style of painting and sculpting, however, the Renaissance made significant remark on the use of scientific techniques which also can be considered as the influence of classical ideas. Although, classical ideas were not advanced like in the Renaissance, it provided the foundation for the Renaissance to revive it again. The Italian Renaissance transformed the manner of viewing the arts. Before, most people in Italy were bounded by religious thoughts and beliefs. Renaissance helped people to shift their mind and behavior towards the secular ideas, instead of vague ideology like

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.

Renaissance art created standards and principles that every painting and artist had to utilize in order to even be considered good, let alone great. Characteristics such as the phenomenon of natural light, one-point and linear perspective, and highly idealized religious or mythological figures changed into the Baroque techniques of manipulating light to create emphasis, dramatizing the illustrated allegory, and unidealized realism. Additionally, “… the Baroque trend dominated and gave its name to the age… [but it was the presence of both styles] that give the Italian seventeenth century its richness and diversity.” (4) Italy, and Rome especially, is home to what can

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.

The aim of this paper is to examine two different pieces of art. In one corner we have Rogier van der Weyden, Deposition and in the other corner we have Pietro Perugino, Delivery of the Keys to Saint Peter. Both paintings are innovative with respect to the period that it was done in. As I move along in this paper, I am going to examine an art piece and compare it to the other.

Beginning roughly around the year 1400 an era in Europe began; one that would shape the ideas and the lives of men. This era of rebirth or renaissance came within the fifteenth century through the revival of classical texts. One central effect of the Renaissance was the production of a new intellectual idea: humanism. Humanism being defined as a, “[t]erm invented in the 19th century. . . [regarding] developments relating to the revival of Classical literature and learning in European culture from roughly 1300 to 1600” left its mark on all of Europe leaving nothing untouched not even the artist. Both northern and southern art would be affected by humanism but in different ways ranging from changes in the human form, new choices of

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

This module covers chapters sixteen and seventeen, both of which analyze and explore art work during the 1400s through the 1800s. Chapter 16 discusses the renaissance, a period that covers the 1400s through the 1600s, and the art that was produced during that time. “The word renaissance means rebirth and it refers to the revival of interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture that is one of the key characteristics of the period” (Getlein 365). Another defining characteristic was the belief that humankind was god’s most perfect creation, and humans were therefore obligated to reach their full creative and intellectual potential. This new pursuit of knowledge lead to a fascination with the natural world and that fascination was translated into the marvelous works of the time.

There were many great artists spread across the time of the Renaissance. Some of them were leading the way in new artistic techniques created during the Renaissance, while others used inspiration from a past artisan to establish their own styles and methods. About a century before the art caught on, a Florentine painter by the name of Giotto was the first to break away from the Middle Age style of painting. "Giotto was the towering artistic genius of the 14th century, so far ahead of his time that no other painter approached his level of work for almost a hundred years" (Walker 78). Even though Giotto was ahead, he lacked the awareness of perspective, but he used space, light, and color to create a very strong sense of the human form, along with a storyteller's ability to capture the central moment in a particular scene (Walker 78). One of the important pieces of the revolution that Giotto started was that he established painting as a major art for the next six centuries, and he also founded the method of pictorial experiment through observation (Gardener 568). After Giotto there was a architect that came along in the early

Pop Art is based on Art that uses elements of popular culture, such as magazines, movies, popular music, which emerge in the late 1950’s in the United States of America. Early Renaissance Art is that was created in the 1500’s in Italian based upon creative and intellectual activity. Art has been around for many centuries and still today is one of the most beautiful things we have to offer.(Getlein, 2013, pg. 19) Among many artists are Tommaso Guidi also known as Masaccio he created the Holy Trinity in 1427. He painted the painting in his fresco in Santa Maria Novella, in Florence. Andy Warhol created Gold Marilyn Monroe in 1962. It is located at Museum of Modern Art in New York, New York.

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.

in the church’s authority over their community crumbled leaving a fragile society. During this period a cultural movement spread readily. This was espsicaily due to the geographical link between the countries allowing their to be a continues cultural flow back and forth. Since Italys was location on the Mediterranean Sea they were able to develop the first port, which allowed for them to engage in trade and commerce as well as the spread of idea. A new found interest in the classical art thanks to the contribution made by the of Ancient Greece and Rome. Though out time there was, a series of discoveries and improvements of the visual arts are paintings, sculptures and the architecture. The significant increase in prosperity among the citizens of Venice, Genoa and Florence were associated with the trade route. The Renaissance art began to flourish within the capital of Florence during the first decade of the 14th century. The term Renaissance means, rebirth which also mark’s an era of broad cultural achievement. They focus on learned more philosophy, Science literature and music. Learning more about philosophy improved the relationship between the earth beneath their feet and towards God above which opened their eyes to Humanity. There are many inspiring artist during that period such as Tommaso di Ser Giovanni. Masaccio, also known as the 'Father of the Renaissance' endured a career of only seven years but in

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.

However, neither daily life nor classical images were entirely new subjects. Renaissance art, like Renaissance scholarship, owed a major debt to earlier generations. The Florentine painter Giotto had a formidable influence on the major Italian painters of the fifteenth century, who credited him with single-handedly reviving the “lost art of painting.” In his religious scenes, Giotto replaced the stiff, starving figures of the Byzantine style, which were intended to overawe viewers, with more natural human portraits with whose emotions of grief and love viewers could identify. Rather than floating on backgrounds of gold leaf, his saints inhabit earthly landscapes.

The history of art dates back to ancient times. Artwork can be, and was, found around the world. What makes art interesting is that it can be created in any way, shape or form with any materials. It seems that the artwork can also tell us a lot about the artist. Art seems to be simply, a direct, visual reflection of the artist’s life. Therefore, one can assume that an artist’s life experiences and beliefs directly influence their art. If we look at examples from different periods of art we will be able to see the connection between the artist and the art.