Download Beginnings of the Renaissance and Famous Artists

Beginnings of the
Renaissance
Renaissance
•
Renaissance: French word meaning
“rebirth.”
1. Began in Italy
2. Developed new attitudes about
themselves and the world
Factors that attributed to such
changes:
•
The plague led to a higher quality of life
for peasants after the disease had
subsided.
– Reduced population led to workers having
more bargaining power
•
Increase in security
– Less warfare and more security allowed for
Europeans to focus on cultural aspects such
as art, education, and technological
innovations
•
Italian Renaissance
The Renaissance began in northern Italy,
specifically in the cities of Genoa, Venice, and
Florence
• 3 reasons why Italy was the birthplace of the
Renaissance:
1. Northern Italy was a center for international
trade
2. Had an urban culture that fostered the
exchange of ideas
3. Wider variety of jobs and more social
mobility
Florence
• One of the first cities to
embrace the Renaissance
• Cosimo Medici: first in the
Medici family to preside
over Florence
– Helped to foster the spirit of
humanism in Florence
• Architecture and Arts
came alive in Florence;
other Italian city-states
followed
Ways in which society changed:
1. People began to reflect and imitate the
classical works of the Greeks and
Romans (expressed humanism)
2. Secularism: Society becomes worldly
rather than spiritual
3. Individualism: free standing figures
4. Church leaders and rulers spent huge
sums to beautify city
-Emphasis on the arts and architecture
Humanism: studied the idea of Greek
and Roman ideas and the worth of an
individual
 Those who studied these ideas were called
humanists
 Didn’t try to get classical texts to align with
Christian teaching
 Wanted to understand Greek values
Humanist views included:
1. Seeking fulfillment in daily life
•
Medieval belief was that people should expect little
comfort from life on Earth.
2. Each individual has dignity/worth
3. “Ideal” person is one who participates in
a variety of activities (politics, sports, art,
literature, music, ect.)
4. Differed from Medieval belief of the ideal
person working the fields and following
the word of God.
Changes in Art
• Renaissance artists used new techniques,
leading to greater realism in their
paintings
• Realism: an visual that promotes accurate
and detailed depiction in art
• Renaissance artists often portrayed
religious themes, however, it was in Greek
and Roman styles.
Creation of the Heavens - Michelangelo
More Changes in Art
• Artists also used new oil paints that
reflected light, and used shading
techniques to make objects look more real
• Painters studied human anatomy and
drew from observing models, resulting in
more accuracy.
• Including dead bodies
Differences in Art
• Middle Ages
Reconstruction of Jerusalem
• Renaissance
Raphael – Tempi Madonna
Three-Dimensional Art
• Perspective: technique that allows an
artist to show depth and three-dimensional
qualities by making distant objects smaller.
– technique used to create realism.
– Vanishing Point
Leonardo Da Vinci used
PERSPECTIVE
The Last Supper
Influential Artists of the Day
• Donatello di Niccolò di
Betto Bardi
• Leonardo da Vinci
• Michelangelo Buonarrtoi
• Raphael Sanzio
Donatello
• Created a life-size soldier
on horseback called
Gattamelata
– the first sculpture of this size
since ancient times.
• Worked in Florence
• Created first David
Statue
Gattamelata
– First free form bronze
statue since Roman
times
Michelangelo
• Michelangelo Buonarroti was a sculptor,
engineer, painter, architect, and poet.
• He is best known for sculptures such as
David and for painting the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel.
• He also designed the dome for St. Peter’s
Cathedral.
Famous works of Michelangelo
St. Peter’s Basilica
David
 15c
What
a
difference
a
century
makes!
16c 
Sistine Chapel
Raphael
• He blended Christian and classical styles
• Famous for his paintings of the Madonna
and The School of Athens
The School of Athens
The School of Athens – Raphael, 1510 -11
 One point perspective.
 All of the important Greek philosophers
and thinkers are included  all of the
great personalities of the Seven Liberal
Arts!
 A great variety of poses.
 Located in the papal apartments library.
 Raphael worked on this commission
simultaneously as Michelangelo was doing
the Sistine Chapel.
 No Christian themes here.
The School of Athens – Raphael, 1510 -11
Da Vinci
Raphael
Michelangelo
The School of Athens – Raphael, details
Plato:
looks to the
heavens [or
the IDEAL
realm].
Aristotle:
looks to this
earth [the
here and
now].
Ptolemy
Euclid
Leonardo Da Vinci
“The man who wanted to know everything”
1452-1519
• Leonardo Da Vinci was an
artist and inventor. He studied
botany, optics, anatomy,
architecture, and engineering.
• Famous works include Mona
Lisa and Last Supper
Mona Lisa
A Da Vinci “Code”:
St. John or Mary Magdalene?