Download As you can see in Donatello`s work David, he stands with his hand

Unlike during the Middle Ages when all artwork was commissioned by the
Catholic Church, new patrons (supporters of the arts) began to arise across
Europe. Wealthy nobles such as Lorenzo di Medici and Isabella d’Este
supported the work of dozens of talented artists and paid for them to create
some of humanity’s most powerful works of art.
Renaissance artists still portrayed religious subjects,
but they used a more realistic style that focused on
the “human” characteristics of their subjects.
The New Techniques of Donatello
Donatello made sculpture more realistic by carving
natural postures and expressions that reveal
personality. He revived a classical form by carving
the statue of David after the defeat of Goliath. It
was the first European sculpture of a large nude
figure since the fall of the ancient Roman Empire.
Donatello made an effort to depict his figures
realistically, giving them distinctive postures (the
way they hold their bodies) and facial expressions
that were meant to convey emotions.
As you can see in
Donatello’s work David,
he stands with his hand
on his hip and a slight
smirk, suggesting that
the subject is both
confident and satisfied
with himself.
Leonardo, the Renaissance Man
Leonardo da Vinci was a painter, sculptor,
inventor, and scientist, among other things. A true
“Renaissance man,” he was deeply interested in how
things worked. He studied how a muscle
moves or how veins are arranged in a leaf.
He filled his notebooks with observations
and sketches of new inventions, and he
incorporated his findings in his art.
Among his many masterpieces, Leonardo
painted one of the best known portraits in
the world, the Mona Lisa. The woman in the
portrait seems so real that many writers
have tried to explain the thoughts behind her
slight smile. Leonardo also produced a
famous religious painting, The Last Supper. It
shows the personalities of Jesus’s disciples
through facial expressions.
What’s she smiling about anyway?
Michelangelo Lays on His Back All Day
Like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo
Buonarroti was a true Renaissance man.
He excelled at almost every area of study.
Michelangelo was a painter, a sculptor, and
architect, and a poet.
Michelangelo is most famous for the way
he portrayed the human body in painting
and sculpture. Influenced by classical art,
he created figures that were forceful and
showed heroic power. By doing this, he
explored the Renaissance theme of human
potential.
Perhaps his most famous work of art is a
painting that covers the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. The muscular
human figures in this massive painting
remind the viewer of Greek or Roman
statues. He worked on it from 1508 to
1512, and some art historians believe that
he placed hidden meanings in the work.
Raphael Advances Realism
It took Michelangelo nearly 3 years to
Raphael was younger than Michelangelo
sculpt this 18 foot tall statue of the
and Leonardo. He learned from studying
Biblical hero David. His posture is
graceful, but powerful.
their works. One
of Raphael’s
favorite subjects was the Virgin Mary (Madonna)
and her child (Jesus). Raphael often portrayed
their expressions as gentle and calm.
In his greatest achievement, Raphael filled the
walls of Pope Julius II’s library with several
paintings. One of these, School of Athens,
conveys the classical influence of the
Renaissance. It showed classical and Renaissance
figures together, with individuals such as Plato
and Aristotle conversing with Michelangelo and
This is Raphael’s depiction of
da Vinci.
Michelangelo in his “School of Athens”