THE RENAISSANC

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What: Rediscovering of the human form, human emotion and the natural world and shunning of unrealistic, stiff, unsmiling Byzantine figures.

When: The 14th century (1300s) was the pivotal transitional period between Byzantine and Renaissance.

Who and Where: Giotto and Cimabue from Florence

Duccio, Martini and Lorenzetti from Sienna

Precursors of the Renaissance

FLORENCE

← The Florence Cathedral

Florence was home to CIMBUE

and GIOTTO

CimabueTitle: Virgin and Child Enthroned and Surrounded by Angels

Location: Florence Cathedral

Style: Typical Byzantine gold and frontal pose but innovative in drapery of robes (not flat anymore) and realistic poses of angels.

Giotto… he was taught by Cimbaue!

Title: Madonna Enthroned

Style: Typical Byzantine gold and lack of proportion but innovative in 3D throne and volume/form of bodies

More Giotto←The Lamentation

Innovative in use of human emotion and shadow… first hints of chairoscuro (dramatic contrast btwn light and dark)

Giotto’s most famous works are a series of frescos in the Arena Chapel in Padua. They are a narrative of the story of Christ’s life.

Arena Chapel →

SIENNA

Called itself the “Virgin’s ancient

city”

Palazzo Publico →

Sienna was home to DUCCIO,

MARTINI and LORENZETTI

DuccioFamous for: The Maestá, a tempera on wood alterpiece that had about 50 panels, most notable one was the central panel depicting Virgin and Child in majesty (this is why it’s called Maestá)

Byzantine Influence: Mary is Queen of Heaven, dressed in blue and proportion is hierarchical. Lots of GOLD.

DuccioAnother panel from the same alterpeice, Betrayal of Christ, shows Renaissance influence in the ranges of human expression and the careful use of shading to give figures volume.

Simone Martini… believed to have assisted Duccio

Title: Annunciation

Style: very regal, lots of gold but different in the use of brilliant colors, lavish costumes and ornamental detail.

Inspiration for: INTERNATIONAL STYLE

LorenzettiFamous for: Peaceful City, which was innovative for it’s rigid depiction of the form of buildings and realistic perception and depth.

What: Rebirth of classical ideals as lead by the humanists.

When and Where: The 15th century (1400s) mainly in Florence and other parts of Italy.

Who : Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, Masaccio, Donatello, Pollaiuolo, Botticelli and, of course, the Medici family who commissioned a lot of the works.

Early Renaissance

Brunelleschi vs. GhibertiThe great Baptisery Competition: Brunelleschi and Ghiberti went at it for a competition to get their work on the doors of the Florence Cathedral. The winner was Ghiberti because his work was more elegant and classical (and nude)… the renaissance saw a clear revival of classical traits. LOSER WINNE

R

But Brunelleschi wasn’t a total failure…

He planned and created the Dome of

the Florence Cathedral after studying Roman

architectural principles. Many were baffled by the task of creating a massive dome to cover the Cathedral’s 138 ft opening without

visible supports but Brunelleschi figured

out that he could support the dome’s weight with ribbing.

Brunelleschi

Brunelleschi knew his math and classical proportions, just look

at his arches…

The IOGGIA (continuous covered walkway) of the Ospedale degli Innocenti

(Hospital of the Innocents)

interior view of Santo Spirito Church

Last thing to note about Brunelleschi : he is said

to be the father of LINEAR PERSPECTIVE.

Sadly, the two paintings of his that were said to have first represented this are now lost, but we do have written records, specifically a book (De Pictura) by Alberti, that detail the theory of linear perspective,

crediting it to Brunelleschi.

Though he was the winner, his repertoire

isn’t nearly as fascinating as

Brunelleschi’s. His most famous work was

the doors of the Florence Catherdral. But then again, those were good enough for Michelangelo to call them the “Gates of

Paradise”.

Ghiberti

Masaccio

Title: The Holy Trinity

Nicknamed “the hole in the wall” because of its astoundingly realistic depth perception. Classical conventions clear in architecture and realistic forms, as well as the musculature of Christ.

Thing to remember: Triangular Composition!

MasaccioSince everyone loved the Holy Trinity, Masaccio

was commissioned to do half of a series of 12 frescos for the Brancacci Chapel. This fresco, Tribute Money, is a continuous narrative. It it

significant because the figures are all solid and 3D, standing in the ever-popular contrapposto

pose. There is a constant light source and use of chiaroscuro to create depth and volume. The story:

Tax payer tells Christ to pay up. The apostles

worry because they don’t have enough

money. Christ calms their fears and tells

Peter to go to the Sea where he will find gold coins. He’s uncertain

at first, but finds gold!

Masaccio also did this piece…

Just a random interesting fact…

Masaccio died at the young age of 27. Some speculate that his rivals got so jealous of him and his work that they poisoned him… no joke, my review book actually dedicated two whole sentences to this fact.

Also worth mentioning: Michelangelo studied the paintings of Masaccio in the Brancacci Chapel as a part of his training.

The Many Works Commissioned by the

Medici

↑ Birth of Venus by BOTTICELLI

David by DONATELLO →

↑ Hercules and Antaeus

by POLLAIUOLO

What: The love for classicism at it’s peak.. Mastery of perspective and human form.

When and Where: The late 15th century (1400s) to mid 16th century (1500s). Mainly dominated by Rome, but followed closely by Florence and Venice.

Who : Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bellini, Giorgione and Titian

High Renaissance

Let’s face it…

Da Vinci was pretty much a genius. He was skilled in drawing, painting, anatomy, botany, geology, architecture, music, military science and so much more.

Here’s a look at two of his most famous works.

Da Vinci

The Last Supper →

Modeled after Castagno’s painting, only better.

Perspective is much more realistic, vanishing point is behind Christ’s head.

He broke away from tradition and depicted

each of the 12 apostoles eating with Christ on the

same side, seemingly exteding the meal to the

audience.

There is drama depicted- this is the

moment Christ announces he knows someone will betray

him and all the figures are reacting with

emotion and gesture… Judas cloaks his face

and hides.← Castagno’s Last Supper

Da Vinci

Mona Lisa →

Why it’s innovative:

-three quarter pose-no lavish jewels typical of female portraiture -mysterious appeal of

smile

-SFUMATO: misty haziness of background

as it disappears for perspective

Michelangelo

La Pieta David

We all know these artists pretty well…

So, let’s play a game!

NAME THAT ARTIST

RaphaelRaphael

Good Job!

Now just keep some things in mind about Raphael: you can single him out because

of his really rounded figures, especially the

babies or cherubs.

GiorgioneGiorgione

Good Job!

Now just keep some things in mind about Gorgione: you can single him out because of his love of a

natural setting and plump figures.

TitianTitian

Good Job!

Now just keep some things in mind about Titian: you can single him out because of his the RED and complex

compositions.Also, notice how the first two painting were both offset by arches and have levels that represent

each figures or group of figures level of importance. Note that Titian came after Gorgione

and Raphael… his Venus of Urbino resembles Gorgione’s Sleeping Venus

Now For a Quick Review of the Italian Renaissance.

Group these artists…

GiottoTitian

Martini

Duccio

Cimabue

Botticelli

Pollaiuolo

Donatello

Masaccio

Brunelleschi

Ghiberti

Giorgione

Lorenzetti

Bellini

RaphealMichelangelo

Da Vinci

Pre-Ren 14th CE

Ren 15th CE

High Ren 16th CE

Who started the trend?

Giotto

Martini

Linear Perspective

Masaccio

ChairoscuroInternational Style

Brunelleschi

Sfumato

Triangular Composition

Da Vinci

What: With everything so dang perfect during the Renaissance, Mannerism gets little attention. They basically did the same thing, but with different values.

When: Mid to late 16th century (1500s)

Who : Pontormo, Parmigianio, Bronzino, Tintoretto and Cellini

Mannerism

• unnaturally elongated features

•purposefully asymmetrical or unbalanced

•unusual light sources

•figura serpentina: twisting movement of body similar to that of a serpent’s

*can also be called il maniera (italian)

What made it different?

Descent from

the Cross

by Pontor

mo

Madonna of the

Long Neck by

Parmigianino

Venus, Cupid,

Folly by Bronzino

The Last Supper by Tintoretto

Genius of Fontainebleau by Cellini

I think we get the gist of Mannerism. =]

Let’s look at the Northern Renaissance.

I honestly find this one a bit boring and hard… so let’s

make it a GAME!

I painted this… who am I?

Jan van Eyck!Jan van Eyck!

I painted this… who am I?

Limbourg Limbourg Brothers!Brothers!

Big thing in Mannerism:Alterpeices

Let’s name some!

Name that Alterpiece!

Robert Campin: Merode Altarpiece

Name that Alterpiece!

Deposition by Rogier van der Weyden

Name that Alterpiece!

Garden of Earthly Delights: Hieronymous Bosch

Name that Alterpiece!

Matthias Grünewald, Isenheim Altarpiece

Well that was fun, but in all seriousness, we should

review the big names of the Northern Renaissance and

their style because, according to my review

book, the AP likes to scare you shizless by asking you to discuss Renaissance and medieval conventions of art

in this time period.

First Big Name: Jan van Eyck

• He liked hidden symbols and painted everything in great detail.

• He was a flemish painter, so he painted in oil for luster. This luster could parallel what the Italians were doing with light and shading (chairoscuro) to give depth and sense of reality. Emotion is also a commonality.

• BUT, the difference: the proportions Eyck uses are not idealized and thus, not Renaissance. His proportions hearken back to the medieval times.

Second Big Name: Albrecht Dürer• Called the Leonardo of the North. His art is

influenced by his trips to Italy and he is most known for his engravings.

• As he had seen classical Italian art, his figures were idealized just like those of the Italian Renaissance.

• He develops shadow and light through cross-hatching and is also keen on portraying naturalism.

• Lots and lots of use of religious symbolism.• There is one work of his that reflects medieval

ideals: Knight, Death and the Devil. He depicts a dog with the Knight, which in the medieval age was symbolic of fidelity, something closely ties to chivalry.

And now, we go for Baroque.

According to my review book, this has been the most heavily stressed

period so let’s learn the stylistic basics.

What it means to be Baroque…

• A style of persuasion: note that Baroque art was commissioned by the Catholic Church during the Reformation… like propaganda.

• You’re supposed to be left with a sense of awe and that means…

• DRAMATIC THEATRICS• GRADIOSE SCALE• ORNATE DECORATION• When and where: Rome in the late 1500s

then spread to Western Europe in the 1600s

• Who: Bernini, Borromini, Caravaggio and Gentileschi

I sculpted this… who am i?

Bernini!Bernini!

Bernini• Met Pope Paul V, who appreciated his

great talent, at the age of eleven!• His David is often called the first Baroque

statue because of its emphasis on dramatic movement and asks of the viewer to interact with the work.

• He creates illusions of space and extends space.

Baroque Architecture to Know

Saint Peter’s Basillica

Borromini’s Undulating Walls- San Carlo Facade

I painted this… who am I?

Caravaggio!Caravaggio!… it’s called the Calling of Saint Matthew… it’s called the Calling of Saint Matthew

Caravaggion• Style elements: ostentatious costumes,

contemporary characters, drama from tenebrism (exaggerated chairuscuro) and light beams, deliberate naturalism