Download Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Chapter 3.6
Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
(1400–1750)
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Introduction
 Renaissance (1400–1600)

Means “rebirth”

Refers to the time period and the style of art

A renewed interest in Classical thinking, mythology, and art
 Humanism

Philosophical approach that stressed the intellectual and physical
potential of human beings
 Religion

Reformation and Counter-Reformation
• Catholic and Protestant beliefs were reflected in the art of the Italian
Renaissance and the northern Renaissance
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Introduction
 Baroque (1600–1750)

Refers to the time period and the style of art

Increase in trade, advancements in science

Permanent split between Roman Catholics and Protestants

Baroque art tends to be full of motion and emotion
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.117 Map of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
3.118 Portrait of Michelangelo
from Giorgio Vasari’s Lives of the
Great Artists, second edition,
1568. Engraving
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Portrait of Michelangelo
from Lives of the Great Artists
 The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and
Architects

Written by Italian artist and historian Giorgio Vasari

Published in 1550

Known as the first art history book

Emphasized the intellectual ability required to make art

Encouraged the view of artists as creative geniuses
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
The Early Renaissance in Italy
 Renewed interest in the Classical past

Study of mathematics and science encouraged the systematic
understanding of the world
 Art was a balance of the real and ideal

Realistic depictions of three-dimensional space and perspective

Idealistic portrayal of mythological or religious subjects, and the
nude figure
 The artist Giotto represents the transition between the art
of the Middle Ages and the early Renaissance (see chapter
3.2)
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.119 Arnolfo di Cambio and others,
Florence Cathedral, view from
south, begun 1296
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Florence Cathedral
 Building the cathedral began in 1296, but it was still
incomplete more than 100 years later

No one had figured out how to build its enormous dome
 In 1419 a competition to design the dome was held

Italian sculptor and architect Filippo Brunelleschi won
• He designed the dome, devised the machinery used to build it,
and oversaw the construction
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.120 Filippo Brunelleschi,
Dome of Florence
Cathedral, 1417–36
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Dome of Florence Cathedral
 The construction of Brunelleschi’s dome began in 1420

It took 16 years to complete
 Dome was a great technological challenge

140 feet in diameter, and 170 feet above ground at its top

Brunelleschi designed the system and equipment for
building it

The dome structure was built layer by layer
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.121 Masaccio, Tribute Money, c. 1427. Fresco, 8’1” × 19’7”. Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Masaccio, Tribute Money
 Masaccio is a nickname, meaning “Big Clumsy Tom”
 Masaccio applied linear perspective (Brunelleschi’s
invention) in Tribute Money




All elements use the same scale
Vanishing point and focal point
Atmospheric perspective
Creates the believable illusion of three-dimensional space
 Chiaroscuro

Used to create realistic shading and modeling
 Continuous narrative

Three separate moments in time are depicted in one unified
space
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
The High Renaissance in Italy
 Beginning of the 16th century
 Continued development of making art look “believable”

Rules of perspective

Ideal and real

Religious and mythological subject matter
 Three great Italian artists dominated this period:

Leonardo da Vinci

Michelangelo

Raphael
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.122 Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper, c. 1497. Refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper
 Commissioned by Dominican friars

For their refectory in the monastery of Santa Maria delle
Grazie, Milan, Italy
 Story of the Last Supper

Christ’s last meal with his disciples before crucifixion
 Visual structure:

Christ at the center

Christ as a stable and calm triangular form

Christ’s head framed by natural light from three windows

Vanishing point directly behind Christ’s head
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.123 Michelangelo, Detail of Creation of Adam, Sistine Chapel ceiling, 1508–12. Vatican City
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Michelangelo, Creation of Adam
 Michelangelo was commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint
the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Italy
 Michelangelo preferred sculpting to painting

Three-dimensionality of his painted figures

Painted architectural and sculptural elements
 Nine central panels depict the Old Testament story of
Genesis
 More on Michelangelo in chapters 2.1, 2.2, 2.9, and 4.4
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.124 Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel, Vatican
City, with view of Last Judgment (1534–41)
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Michelangelo, Last Judgment,
Sistine Chapel
 Around 20 years after completing the ceiling, Michelangelo
was commissioned to return to the Sistine Chapel and
paint the altar wall
 Last Judgment

Souls called up on the left

Blessed remain in heaven

Damned cast down into hell on the right
 Energetic, chaotic effect of the scene

Reflects uncertainty of the late Renaissance
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.126 Michelangelo, Detail of Last
Judgment showing self-portrait in St.
Bartholomew’s skin, 1536–41. Sistine
Chapel, Vatican City
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Detail of Last Judgment showing selfportrait in St. Bartholomew’s skin
 Flayed skin of St. Bartholomew

Located at the center-right of the composition
 Face is a self-portrait by Michelangelo
 Possible meanings:

Michelangelo was a tortured artist

Indication of his dissatisfaction with painting commissions
(his favored process was sculpting)

May refer to the artist’s homosexuality
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.125 Raphael, The School of Athens, 1510–11. Fresco, 16’8” × 25’. Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican City
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Gateway to Art:
Raphael, The School of Athens
Past and Present in the Painting
 Reference to the Classical past

Gathering of great philosophers and scientists
• Lived at different times in history
• A fictional scene
 Raphael made the scene believable

Followed the rules of perspective

Used features of contemporary people he knew
• Plato modeled after Leonardo
• Heraclitus after Michelangelo
• Self-portrait as Apelles
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
The Renaissance in Northern Europe
 Northern European countries we now know as the
Netherlands, Germany, France, and Belgium
 During the fifteenth century, artists in northern Europe:

Continued using methods established in the Middle Ages
• Those used for illuminated manuscripts (see chapter 3.2)

Paid careful attention to texture and fine detail

Developed oil painting techniques

Depicted everyday objects with religious symbolism

Were considered the finest artists in Europe at the time
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.127a Jan van Eyck, Analysis of The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434. Oil on panel, 32⅜ × 23⅝”. National Gallery, London
3.127b Detail of Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait
 Enigmatic subject matter

Believed to be Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife

Perhaps a legal document, possibly a marriage certificate

Highly symbolic (see annotations on figs. 3.127a and 3.127b)
 Jan van Eyck was a master of oil paint

Details, such as the mirror, give the illusion of reality
 The artist’s presence can be felt in the work (see 3.127b)
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.128 Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Netherlandish Proverbs, 1559. Oil on oak, 3’10” × 5’2”. Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen, Berlin,
Germany
3.129a Detail from Pieter
Bruegel the Elder,
Netherlandish Proverbs,
illustrating the proverb the
“world turned upside down”
3.129b Detail from Pieter Bruegel
the Elder, Netherlandish Proverbs,
illustrating the proverb “beating his
head against a wall”
3.129c Detail from Pieter Bruegel
the Elder, Netherlandish
Proverbs, illustrating two women
gossiping: the proverb “one winds
the distaff, the other spins it”
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Pieter Bruegel: A Sampling of Proverbs
 Bruegel was interested in “types”

Such as farmers and townspeople
 The people are general and universal figures

Not idealized individuals
 Over 100 proverbs are illustrated in this painting

Some are now obscure

Some are still in use
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.130 Matthias Grünewald, Isenheim Altarpiece (closed), c. 1510–15. Oil on panel, center panel: Crucifixion, 8’9⅝” × 10’; predella:
Lamentation, 29⅞” × 11’1⅞”; side panels: Saints Sebastian and Anthony 7’6⅝” × 29½” each, Musée d’Unterlinden, Colmar, France
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Matthias Grünewald, Isenheim Altarpiece
 Made for the chapel of the Abbey of St. Anthony in
Isenheim (northeastern France)

Hospital for patients with skin diseases
 Very graphic depiction of Christ’s crucifixion

Patients could relate to his suffering
• Green pallor of his skin
• Thorns piercing his flesh
• Deformed bones from hanging

Opening the altarpiece makes Christ’s limbs appear
amputated
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.131 Albrecht Dürer, The Last Supper, 1523. Woodcut, 8⅜ × 11⅞”. British Museum, London, England
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Albrecht Dürer, The Last Supper
 Dürer traveled to Italy twice

He was influenced by Classical subject matter

And Italian Renaissance rules of perspective and
composition

This woodcut was made 25 years after Leonardo’s painting
The Last Supper
 Reflects the ideas of the Protestant Reformation

The doctrine of the Lutheran Church emphasizes that
communion is only a re-enactment, not the literal receiving
of Christ’s body and blood
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Late Renaissance and Mannerism
 c. 1530–1600
 A time of historical upheaval


1527 Sack of Rome
1530 Charles V crowned Holy Roman Emperor
 Late Renaissance art



A reaction to the high Renaissance
Dissonance instead of harmony
Distortion rather than precision
 Mannerism


From the Italian “di maniera,” which means charm, grace
Exaggeration for emotional effect
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3.132 Sofonisba Anguissola, Portrait of the Artist’s Sisters Playing Chess, 1555. Oil on canvas, 28⅜ × 38¼”. National Museum,
Poznań, Poland
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Sofonisba Anguissola, Portrait of the
Artist’s Sisters Playing Chess
 Sofonisba Anguissola

Italian Mannerist artist

Achieved success rare for a Renaissance woman

Known for her portraits
• Was appointed at the court of the Queen of Spain
 Portrait of the Artist’s Sisters Playing Chess

Everyday scene

Details and textures: fabric, jewelry, fashion of the day

Emphasizes personality and expressions of the girls
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.133 Paolo Veronese, Christ in the House of Levi, 1573. Oil on canvas, 7’3⅜” × 16’8⅞”. Galleria dell’Accademia, Venice, Italy
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Paolo Veronese, Christ in the House of Levi
 Originally painted as a Last Supper scene

Veronese included unconventional characters, including
clowns and dwarves

Church officials objected and the Inquisition charged the
painter with irreverence

Veronese changed the title to portray the Feast in the House
of Levi
 Classical architectural structure

Roman arches

Formally balanced
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.134 Tintoretto,The Last Supper, 1592–4. Oil on canvas, 11’11¾” × 18’7⅝”. San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, Italy
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Tintoretto, The Last Supper
 The Catholic Counter-Reformation believed in religious
images as powerful teaching tools

Especially to dissuade followers from converting to
Protestantism
 Intensely dramatic quality of this painting is characteristic of
Counter-Reformation art





Diagonal lines
Asymmetrical balance
Extremes of light and dark
Supernatural light
Active and dynamic
• Versus the calm and order of Leonardo’s Last Supper (fig. 3.122)
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.135 Jacopo da Pontormo,
Deposition, 1525–8. Oil on
wood, 123¼ × 75⅝”.
Capponi Chapel, Santa
Felicita, Florence, Italy
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Jacopo da Pontormo, Deposition
 Mannerist depiction of the deposition scene

Unstable composition

Swirling pattern

Bright, unnatural colors

Sense of anxiety and disorder
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.136 El Greco, Laocoön, c. 1610/14. Oil on canvas, 54⅛ × 68”. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
El Greco, Laocoön
 Domenikos Theotokopoulos, called El Greco

Mannerist painter from Greece

Worked in Venice and Rome

Eventually moved to Spain
 Laocoön

Story from Greek myth of a Trojan priest

Mannerist exaggeration
• Elongated and distorted forms
• Expressionistic use of color and modeling
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.137 Donatello, David, c. 1430. Bronze,
5’2¼” high. Museo Nazionale del Bargello,
Florence, Italy
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Depictions of David
 Biblical story of David and Goliath
 Interpreted by three different artists at different times
 Donatello’s David

Early Renaissance

Inspired by the art of ancient Greece and Rome

Revives the ancient technique of bronze casting

Idealized depiction of the human body
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3.138 Michelangelo, David, 1501–4.
Marble, 14’2⅞” high. Galleria
dell’Accademia, Florence, Italy
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Depictions of David
 Michelangelo’s David

High Renaissance

Classical athletic body

Idealized proportions

Poised in contemplation before battle
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3.139 Gianlorenzo Bernini,
David, 1623. Marble, 5’7” high.
Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Depictions of David
 Bernini’s David

Baroque

Designed to be viewed in the round

Dynamic energy of pose

Even the muscles in his face are tensed
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 3.3 Art of India, China, and Japan
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Depictions of David
 Compare and contrast:

Characteristics of the different time periods

Medium

Size

Moment depicted

Overall effect
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
The Baroque
 Time of exploration and discovery

Theory that the sun was the center of the universe now accepted
 Religion

Post-Reformation
 Warfare

Battles throughout Europe
 Artwork characteristics:

Emphasis on light

Diversity of approaches

Dramatic movement and theatrical compositions
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.142 Caravaggio, Judith Decapitating Holofernes, 1599. Oil on canvas, 4’9” × 6’4¾”. Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Rome, Italy
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Gateway to Art:
Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernes
The Influence of Caravaggio

Caravaggio

Innovative painter, tumultuous personal life

Developed stylistic technique called tenebrism
• Dramatic light
• Dark background, figures seem to be lit with a spotlight

Caravaggio’s Judith Decapitating Holofernes

Italian Baroque

Dramatic light calls attention to the violence of the scene

17th-century (present-day) clothing
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3.143 Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernes, c. 1620. Oil on canvas, 6’6⅜” × 5’3¾”. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Gateway to Art:
Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernes
The Influence of Caravaggio

Gentileschi’s Judith Decapitating Holofernes

Influenced by Caravaggio’s use of realism and tenebrism

Both scenes emphasize violence

Gentileschi’s Judith appears physically stronger and more active in
the murder
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.140 Nicolas Poussin, The Funeral of Phocion, 1648. Oil on canvas, 44⅞” × 68⅞”. National Museum of Wales, Cardiff
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Nicholas Poussin, The Funeral of Phocion
 French Baroque
 Nicholas Poussin

Carefully planned his compositions

Specialized in subjects from Classical antiquity
 The Funeral of Phocion

Story of an Athenian general falsely executed for treason

Space organized to guide the viewer through the landscape

Balance and order
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3.141 Peter Paul Rubens, center
panel from The Raising of the Cross,
1610–11. Oil on canvas, 5’1⅛” ×
11’1⅞”. Cathedral of Our Lady,
Antwerp, Belgium
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Peter Paul Rubens,
The Raising of the Cross
 Flemish Baroque
 Peter Paul Rubens



Very prolific artist
Operated a large workshop with assistants
Received many commissions from wealthy merchants
 The Raising of the Cross


Center panel of an altarpiece for a church
Focus on Christ’s body
• Strong diagonal lines
• Bright light
• Muscular body, immaculate flesh
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.144 Rembrandt van Rijn, The Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch (The Night Watch), 1642. Oil on
canvas, 11’11” × 14’4”. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Rembrandt van Rijn, The Night Watch
 Dutch Baroque
 Rembrandt

Impressive reputation as an artist
 The Night Watch

Commissioned by the Dutch civic militia
• Depicts a gathering of officers and guardsmen

Skillful use of lighting techniques
• Chiaroscuro, tenebrism

Believed to be a night scene
• Until it was cleaned after WWII, when it was revealed that the
dark atmosphere was a result of years of accumulated dirt and
layers of varnish
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
The following videos will show you more about the art and
architecture of the Renaissance and the Baroque:
St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Gianlorenzo Bernini: The Ecstasy of St.
Teresa
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Sandro Botticelli: The Birth of Venus
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Diego Velázquez: Las Meninas
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Discussion Question
1. Find two examples of artwork in this chapter in which
linear perspective plays an important part. Point out the
parts of the composition that use linear perspective to
create the desired illusion. Discuss what the artist wants to
communicate by using linear perspective.
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Discussion Question
2. From this chapter choose a northern Renaissance artwork
and an Italian Renaissance work. List the prominent
characteristics of each. Include information about both
the form and the content of the artworks in your lists.
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Discussion Question
3. Select three artworks that deal with subject matter from
the Bible. Consider how they portray their biblical
themes: examine style, medium and technique, content,
and any other aspects that the artist emphasizes. You
might choose works from this chapter, or elsewhere in the
textbook. For example: 1.70, 2.148, 4.163.
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Discussion Question
4. Select a Renaissance work and a Baroque work from this
chapter. List their similarities and differences. Consider
their subject matter, style, content, and emotional impact.
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Discussion Question
5. Select three Renaissance artworks that draw on the
artistic and intellectual heritage of Classical Greece and
Rome. Make a list of the ways in which they use the
Classical past. Make another list of any Renaissance
innovations, either in terms of form or content. You might
choose one work from another chapter in the textbook, for
example: 4.133, 4.136.
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
This concludes the PowerPoint slide set for Chapter 3.6
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts
By Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
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Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Picture Credits for Chapter 3.6
3.117
Drazen Tomic
3.118
From Vasari, G., Lives of the Great Artists, 1568
3.119
© Michael S. Yamashita/Corbis
3.120
Libreria dello Stato, Rome
3.121
Brancacci Chapel, Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence
3.122
Refectory of Sta Maria delle Grazie, Milan
3.123, 3.124 Vatican Museums, Rome
3.125
Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican Museums, Rome
3.126
Vatican Museums, Rome
3.127a, 3.127b National Gallery, London/Scala, Florence
3.128, 3.129a, 3.129b, 3.129c Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen, Berlin
3.130
Musée d’Unterlinden, Colmar
3.131
British Museum, London
3.132
Museum Narodowe, Poznan´/Bridgeman Art Library
3.133 Galleria dell’Accademia, Venice
3.134
Cameraphoto/Scala, Florence
3.135
Capponi Chapel, Church of Santa Felicità, Florence
3.136
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1946.18.1
3.137
Photo Scala, Florence, courtesy Ministero Beni e Att. Culturali
3.138
© nagelestock.com/Alamy
3.139
Photo Scala, Florence, courtesy Ministero Beni e Att. Culturali
3.140
The Earl of Plymouth. On loan to the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff
3.141
Royal Institute for the Study and Conservation of Belgium’s Artistic Heritage
3.142
Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Rome
3.143
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence
3.144
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
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