Download The Art of the Renaissance

World History, Unit:05 Lesson: 01
The Art of the
Renaissance
Chigi Chapel in the Church of Santta Maria del Popolo in Rome.
The chapel and its decorations were designed by Raphael.
What do you see?
What do you think
is going on?
What does it make
you wonder?
What do you
see?
What do you
think is going
on?
What does it
make you
wonder?
• Which of these paintings looks more realistic to you?
• Identify specific details.
Jacopa di Cione
Madonna and Child in Glory 1360/65
Giovanni Agostino da Lodi
Adoration of the Shepherds 1510
The general characteristics of Medieval art:
• Religious subject matter
• Important figures are shown as
larger than others around them
• Figures look stiff with little sense
of movement
• Fully clothed
• Faces were serious and
showed little emotion.
• Flat and two-dimensional
• Backgrounds were one color
The general characteristics of Renaissance art:
• Subject matter was varied, not always religious
• The human body was studied
in order to paint figures more
realistically
• Shading used to make
objects look round and real
• Perspective used to make
paintings look three-dimensional
• Shadows and light were used to
draw the viewer’s eye to a
particular point in the painting
vanishing point
horizontal
line
linear perspective
Perspective is the technique used to create an illusion of space and depth on a
flat surface (a piece of paper or canvas) so that it looks realistic. The vanishing
point is a place in the distance where the train tracks appear to come together.
Using linear perspective objects are painted smaller to appear farther away.
Examine this painting.
Identify:
• Vanishing point
• Linear perspective
• How the artist shows
that the building is well
behind the wedding
party.
The Marriage of the Virgin.
By Raphael
The Three Most Gifted Artists
of the Renaissance
Michelangelo
Portrait by
Jacopino del Conte
Leonardo da Vinci
Self Portrait
red chalk on paper
Raphael
Self Portrait
Leonardo da Vinci was Renaissance man interested
in many different things. He was a:
• Painter - his two most famous paintings are the Mona
Lisa and the Last Supper. Only
a few of his paintings survived.
• Scientist – he was master of
anatomy. He dissected human
corpses to study human anatomy.
• Engineer - in his notebooks
he demonstrated his technological
originality. He drew a helicopter, a
tank, a calculator, and a hang
glider. Some have been
demonstrated to work through the
construction of models.
The Vitruvian Man (c. 1485) Accademis, Venice
The Mona Lisa is the
most famous painting in
the world. It was painted
by Leonard da Vinci
between 1503 and 1506.
This young woman in the
painting was the wife of
a Florence merchant.
Her clothing was the
style of the period.
Behind her is a
mountainous landscape.
The Last Supper was a fresco painted for the refectory (dining room) of
the Convent of Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan. A fresco is painted
directly onto a wall. Leonardo used a new technique for his fresco that
was not successful. Over the years it molded and flaked. Despite the
problems with the original, this is the most frequently reproduced work of
art in the world.
Michelangelo was a Renaissance man. His work included:
• Sculpture – His earliest works were sculptures. Among his
most famous was an 17 foot marble statue of David
preparing for his battle with Goliath.
• Paintings – His most famous painting is a fresco which
covers the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. It was
painted directly onto wet plaster so that the painting became
part of the wall. The fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel was commissioned by Pope Julius II.
• Architecture – Pope Paul III hired Michelangelo to oversee
the completion of the building of St. Peter’s Basilica. He
combined two earlier plans with his
own to design the building as it looks
today.
• Poetry – His early poetry was of
courtly love. In later life his poetry
centered on religious themes.
• Name it
• Explain it
• Give reasons for your
name and explanation
Moses was carved from
marble by Michelangelo. It
is part of the decoration for
the tomb of Pope Julius II.
This representation of Moses
with horns on his head was
based on a description of
Moses found in the Vulgate, a
Latin translation of the Bible
that was in use during the
Renaissance.
Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
It is:
131 feet long. Compare
that to the length of a
football field.
46 feet wide. Compare
that to the width of a
basketball court.
65 feet from the floor.
The design of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel depicts
nine scenes from the book of Genesis in the Bible.
This is the most well-known of the fresco panels. It is from the
section which is called The Creation of Adam. It shows God
reaching out to Adam.
Raphael was a Renaissance man. His work included:
Painting – He was primarily a painter. Pope Julius II called
Raphael to Rome in 1508 and hired him to complete the
fresco decoration of a number of rooms in the Vatican. The
best known of these works is The School of Athens, which
honors the classical philosophers. Raphael is most famous
for the Madonnas that he painted throughout his life.
Architect – He helped to redesign
St. Peter’s Basilica after the original
architect was dismissed.
Raphael’s Madonnas
Compare the Madonnas. How are
they similar? How are they different?
How does the artist use
perspective?
Alba Madonna
Madonna and Child
Enthroned with Saints
Madonna and Child
Enthroned with Saints
The Madonna with
the Blue Diadem
Madonna of Foligno
Small Cowper Madonna
In 1510, Raphael was
commissioned by Pope Julius II to
paint the Pope’s personal library.
There were four frescoes based
on the themes of philosophy, law,
poetry, and theology. The most
recognized was The School of
Athens, which represented
philosophy. Many well-known
people were incorporated in the
painting as Greek scholars,
including Michelangelo. In the
center was Plato and Aristotle,
Athena was on the right,
Michelangelo as Heraclitus, the
crouching figure in the front.
Describe the use of perspective in this painting.
St. Peter’s Basilica is an outstanding example of
Renaissance architecture.
The original St. Peter’s
Basilica was torn
down. Pope Julius II
invited artists and
architects to submit
their plan for a new
building.
The design by Italian
architect Donato
Bramante was
chosen. The building
begun in 1506 was to
be a Greek cross with
a large circular room
in the center.
When Pope Julius died
in 1513, the original
architect Donato
Bramante was replaced
by Raphael.
The major change in
Raphael's plan was the
addition of chapels
which substantially
changed the shape of
the building.
In 1547, Pope Paul III
hired Michelangelo to
oversee the
completion of the
building. It had been
under construction for
more than 40 years
when Michelangelo
took over. He
combined elements of
both the previous
designs and created
the plan for St. Peter’s
Basilica which is the
church seen today.
Throne of St. Peter designed by Bernini at the west end of the basilica.
• How were paintings of the Renaissance different from
paintings of the Middle Ages?
• Who were the three greatest Renaissance artists?
• Identify a work of art produced by each one.