Download Renaissance Italy: Art, Sculpture, and Architecture

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Date:
HOMEWORK QUIZ
Blk:
• Were books expensive or cheap during the MIDDLE AGES?
• Expensive
• Why? Because only so many were printed – the less books in
print, the more expensive they become. The printing press made
more copies available thereby making prices more reasonable.
• What were Copernicus’ two theories and was he right or wrong?
• The world was not at the center of the universe/the earth spun
in two directions: on its axis and around the sun (He was right)
• The sun is one of many stars in the galaxy. (He was right)
• What did Galileo invent?
– Telescope
Renaissance Italy: Art, Sculpture,
and Architecture
In the top right hand corner of the handout, mark
how many pieces of art, sculptures, and/or pieces
of architecture you recognize
How many pieces did you
recognize?
Did you notice anything about the
art that you just saw?
Were there any common themes?
Objects? People? Colour schemes?
Humanism, Art and Literature
• Renaissance Artists were Humanists which means
they were more concerned with the goals of human
beings than with spiritual matters
• They believed in using the power of reason to find
truth instead of scared teachings
• Francesco Petrarch – one the first humanists; he
spent a lot of time and money collecting and
correcting ancient manuscripts
– Recommended that artists and writers study the
ancient masterpieces to move art in a new
direction – one that emphasized beauty
Humanism, Art and Literature
• Nicolo Machiavelli, born in 1469 is best known
for his book, The Prince
• Machiavelli disagreed with the Humanist view
that people were capable of improving
themselves through their own efforts
• People = wretched creatures who had to be
forced to what is right
• Some people accepted his ideas, others did
not
Innovations
• Two remarkable innovations: proportion and
perspective
• Proportion: a correct relation among parts
• Perspective: giving the appearance of distance
on a flat surface
Leonardo Da Vinci
• Never had classical education
• One of the first to learn about the truth
of the natural world through direct
observation and experiment
• Never finished anything!
• Wrote everything down backwards
so it could only be read by looking in a
mirror
• Most famous painting: the Mona Lisa
Michelangelo
•
•
•
•
Sculptor first, painter second
Apprentice at age 13
Wealthy and Famous!
The David was carved out a piece
of marble that was thrown away!
• Only painted the Sistine Chapel at
the insistence of Pope Julius II
• Most famous works: David, Pieta,
and The Sistine Chapel
Northern Art
• Northern European artists liked the idea of
Humanism but still retained a great fondness
for the Gothic art of the Middle Ages.
• Northern Art was a lot darker, had serious
tones, and focused on religious topics.
• Italians: perspective and proportion
• Northern painters: light and shadow