Download The Renaissance(newnew)

1400-1520
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•Renaissance means “rebirth”
•Rebirth of what? Culture-music, art,
writing
•Painting dominated as the art
medium during this time
Michelangelo
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 Michelangelo knew at a young age
he wanted to be an artist and started
working in Florence at age 13.
 He was accepted into the Medici family school for
sculptors where he became extremely interested in
Greek and Roman culture.
 He was a painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and
engineer.
The Pieta

 carved in1498 out of a single
block of marble.
 The marble is highly polished in
the Renaissance style.
 It depicts Mary holding Christ’s
lifeless body after his crucifixion.
 It used classical naturalism.
 The folds in the cloth and the
since of flesh are handled
incredibly.
 However, the figures are out of
proportion.
The David

 sculpted in 1504 out of one piece
of marble and is the most
recognizable sculpture from
history.
 The 17 foot statue depicts a nude
David at the moment he decides
to fight Goliath.
 He stands with a sling shot over
his shoulder and a rock in the
opposite hand.

 It initially stood outside in a
square but is now protected in a
museum with a replica in its
original place.
 His twisted body and contrapposto stance gives the
since of motion.
 His body is not true to human proportions. His
upper body is larger than this lower body and his
hands are too large for his body.
The Sistine Chapel

 took four years and five months to complete.
 The large ceiling contains four large and five smaller
Old Testament scenes as well as 400 other figures that
fill the space.
 There are 9 scenes from the book of Genesis with the
best know being The Creation of Adam.
 To paint the large Last Judgment scene Michelangelo had
to climb 6 or 7 levels of scaffolding every day.
 He once fell and badly injured one leg.
http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html
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 Contrary to popular belief, he painted the whole thing standing…not
lying on his back.
 Burning candles and oil lamps created soot that darkened the images.
 Attempts to fix the damage simply made it worse.
 However, in 1979 restorers were able to clean the paintings
appropriately over the course of 10 years.
 The room is now monitored for temperature and moisture control as
well as filters that clean the air.
 The Sistine Chapel sees 19,000 visitors a day.
Leonardo da Vinci

 Da Vinci lived and worked from
1452-1519.
 He is identified as the “Renaissance
Man” or known for being an expert in
all subjects including painting, sculpture, architecture,
engineering, military science, botany, anatomy, geology,
aerodynamics, and optics.
 He left behind 10,000 pages of drawings, ideas, sketches and
notes.
 He is famous for writing left-handed, in reverse, or mirrored
images.
 However, he only left about a dozen paintings.
The Last Supper

 (1495-1498) was painted on a wall in the dining hall of
the monastery in Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan.
 The wall mural is over 15x28 feet.
 Christ and His disciples are seated at a table celebrating
Passover.
 Christ announces “One of you will betray me” and
sends everyone into shock.

 Order of disciples left to right Bartholomew, James, Andrew, Judas, Peter, John, Thomas,
James, Phillip, Matthew, Jude, Simon.
 Since Judas is the one who betrays Jesus, he is shown in shadow.
He also is the only one featured with his elbow on the table
which displays bad manners.
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 The painting
contains several
references to the number 3, which may be an allusion to
the Holy Trinity. The Apostles are seated in groupings
of three; there are three windows behind Jesus; and the
shape of Jesus' figure resembles a triangle. There may
have been many other references that have since been
lost to the painting's deterioration.
The Mona Lisa

 (1503-1506 The Louvre, Paris) is the
world’s most famous portrait.
 In Italian, the painting is known as La Gioconda.
 She sits in a relaxed position in front of a typical Leonardo
landscape.
 The distant hills and mountains are softened by a light
haze. This technique is called sfumato. This effect creates
a feeling of depth within the painting.
 Her smile and her identity have been speculated.
 Her identity is said to have the wife of a prominent
Florentine merchant.
 The painting is called “enigmatic” or
puzzling and mysterious because she
has a gentle smile yet her eyes lack the
same warmth.
 She has plucked eyebrows and
eyelashes and a shaved hairline which
was popular at that time. This adds to
the unsettling feeling she gives.
 Her direct stare at the viewer which
contrasts the serenity of the
background also causes allure.
 She is considered an ideal woman.
 This small work (30”x21”) is said to
have been Leonardo’s favorite because
he carried it around with him until he
died.
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