Brewer -Winter 2003

Donatello (Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi)

master of sculpture in both marble and bronze

(b. ca. 1386, Firenze, d. 1466, Firenze)

St John the Baptist1438 Wood, height: 141 cmSanta Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice

Mortified by penance, clothed in shaggy hide with a mantel thrown over his shoulders, the Baptist maintains all his admonishing power in the force of his expression and his raised arm.

Crucifix1449

Bronze 180 x 166 cmBasilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua

Agony in the Garden1465BronzeChurch of San Lorenzo, Florence

Sandro Botticelli

(Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi)

Italian, Florentine

1444/45-1510

The Adoration of the Magi1470-75, tempera on panel

111 x 134 cm

Uffizi, Florence.

 

The Birth of Venus c. 1485-86, painted for the villa of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici at Castello, tempera on canvas, 67 7/8 x 109 5/8 inches now in the Uffizi, Florence.

 

Leonardo da Vinci

Italian 1452-1519

Study of proportions, from Vitruvius's De Architectura

red crayon with pen and ink on paper

13 1/2 x 9 5/8 inches

Accademia, Venice.

 

The Last Supper1498

modified fresco

15 x 29 feet

Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie (Refectory), Milan

perspective The technique artists use to project an illusion of

the three-dimensional world onto a two-dimensional surface. Perspective helps to create

a sense of depth-- of receding space. Fundamental techniques used to achieve

perspective are: controlling variation between sizes of depicted subjects, overlapping some of them, and placing those that are on the depicted ground as lower when nearer and higher when

deeper. In addition, there are three major types of perspective: aerial perspective, herringbone

perspective, and linear perspective.

Chiaroscuro(kee-ahr'oh-scyoo"roh)

A word borrowed from Italian ("light and shade" or "dark") referring to the modeling of volume by

depicting light and shade by contrasting them boldly.

This is one means of strengthening an illusion of depth on a two-dimensional surface, and was an

important topic among artists of the Renaissance.

This is particularly used to illuminate the figure of Christ.

For example:

The Descent from the CrossRembrandt van Rijn 

C.1651

Dark

Light

Dark

cenacle or cenacolo

A cenacle is a painting of the last supper -- Christ dining with His

disciples the night before He was crucified. Cenacolo is the Italian equivalent often used by English

speakers.

Mona Lisac. 1503-1506

oil on wood panel

height: 77 cm

Louvre

sfumatoIn painting, the technique of blurring or softening sharp outlines by subtle and gradual blending (feathering) of one

tone into another. The smokelike haziness of this effect slightly lessens

the perception that a still image is entirely still, instead lending a vague

sense of movement.

Albrecht DürerGerman

1471-1528

Self-Portrait at 261498

Oil on panel Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

Oil paintSlow drying paint made when

pigments are mixed with an oil, linseed oil being most traditional. The oil dries with a hard film, and the brightness of the colors is protected. Oil paints are usually opaque and traditionally used on canvas. They can have a matte,

semi-gloss, or glossy finish.

Buonarroti

1475- 1564

Born in Florence, Italy

Began training in Medici household

The Rome Pieta 1498 – 1500

*Christ in the arms of his mother after being taken down from the cross.

*Immediate fame = the divine Michelangelo

*Mary appears young and beautiful = Physical perfection = pure, noble spirit

*Mary would be over 7” Jesus would be 5’8”

*Mary and her sorrow the main focus.

*Death of Michelangelo’s mother

*Only statue signed by Michelangelo.

The Rome Pieta1498 – 1500

Marble

Height 68 ½ inches

Maximum width at base 76 ¾ inches

St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican, Rome

Carved in Rome for the French King

Charles VIII’s ambassador to Pope Alexander VI.

Pieta (pee-ay-tah')

An Italian word meaning pity, compassion, and sorrow, it is strongly associated with works of art portraying the Virgin Mary

holding and mourning over the dead body of Jesus. Although the term derives from the Latin word pio, which means pious,

pietà does not itself mean pious or piety.

David 1501-04 Marble 17 ft high

Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence

Michelangelo began work on the colossal figure of David in 1501 and by 1504 the sculpture was in place outside the Palazzo Vecchio. The choice of David was supposed to reflect the power and determination of Republican Florence and was under constant attack from supporters of the usurped Medicis. In the 19th century the statue was moved the Accademia.

David

Sistine Chapel

Vatican, Rome.

Fresco

1508- 15 12

FrescoA method of painting on plaster, either dry (dry fresco or fresco secco) or wet

(wet or true fresco). In the latter method, pigments are applied to thin

layers of wet plaster so that they will be absorbed and the painting becomes

part of the wall.

The Creation of Adam

(Raffaello Sanzio or Santi)

Italian, Marchigian

1483-1520

Madonna and Child

(Madonna Conestabile)

1502-03 Tempera on

canvas (transferred from

panel) 7x7 inches

State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

Madonna and Child (Madonna Conestabile)

In this early work, the Madonna Conestabile, named after a previous owner, Raphael represents the harmony and unity of Man and Nature with profound lyricism. Peace and contemplation - and hint of sadness - are reflected in the face of the young woman, and are perfectly in tune with the mood engendered by the transparent spring landscape. The flowing lines of the figures, echoing the round format of the painting, and the gentle painting style intensify the tender and delicate image of the young woman and the beauty of the world around.

temperaA paint and process involving an

emulsion of oil and water. It was in use before the invention of oil paints.

Traditionally it involves an egg emulsion; thus the term egg tempera. The

pigments or colors are mixed with an emulsion of egg yolks or oil and water.

St. George Fighting the Dragon 1504-06

Oil on wood panel

11 1/8 x 8 3/8 in.

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

The School of Athens

1510-11, fresco, height 25 feet, Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican, Rome.

Many art historians believe that Raphael painted Plato-- the man with the white beard in the center of the picture-- in a likeness to Leonardo da Vinci. The man who is seated, in the near left of center appears to be a likeness of Michelangelo. Euclid looks like the architect Bramante; another man

resembles Raphael's painting master, Perugino; and there's even a self-portrait at the far right.

…and now for a little math

The Golden RectangleSupposedly, Pythagoras discovered this ratio. And the

ancient Greeks incorporated it into their art and architecture.

The Parthenon is the most famous example of the use of the golden rectangle.

People find the golden rectangle in the Mona Lisa, and other Renaissance art works.

Special Thanks to Mr. Gallt for Pointing This Out