As we live our lives, we travel through time periods without intending to recognize it.
However looking back, we find ourselves making distinct boundaries for a chunk of years. For
example, the High Renaissance and the time of the Baroque. Yes, these are two different
moments in time here on earth and they do share their differences, but they also share many
similarities. “The Renaissance period for art began in the 1400s in Italy, which today is
considered the art capital of the world, together with Paris. This period was considered one of the
most important in Europe’s history as it marked the transition from medieval times into early
modern age.1” During this time period, many world renowned artists created awe-inspiring
artworks, that will forever go down in history. “The Baroque era soon followed in the 1600s, as
another transformation came about when the church began to divide between Protestants and
Roman Catholics. It is no wonder many creations in this period were recreations of famous
works in the Renaissance era.” 2 This time also consist ed of incredible artists, and even more
alluring pieces of art.
Between the two periods, the High Renaissance was far more popular and well known,
artists like Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Whether you are well educated in the field of
art, or just a common onlooker, most people would recognize those two names if heard in
conversation, or if walking past one of their art pieces, they could quickly distinguish them as the
artist. On the other hand, Baroque art was not nearly as recognized as the High Renaissance art.
During the time of the Baroque, people thought it was strange. “There was once a strong
contention among many art enthusiasts that there was no work of great value during the Baroque
period. But this was later disproved by the acknowledgement of the works of artists like Bernini
1
2
"Difference Between Baroque Art and Renaissance
"Difference Between Baroque Art and Renaissance
1
and Caravaggio. One reason for the dislike of Baroque art was that many of the painters and
sculptors sought to recreate previous works of Renaissance masters.”3
The main differences between these two eras were not the art pieces themselves, but the
style used by the artist. In the High Renaissance, artists used one of the first to use perspective in
their artwork. Which allowed realism seem to be more apparent in their pieces. “However, this
focus on adding depth to their work has made paintings and sculptures seem to lack emotions
and failed to capture the emotions that it should depict.4” Unquestionably, this was a problem for
the viewers of the piece. Without emotion in the painting, what was the use in creating it in the
first place? The audience wants to relate to the piece, and without emotion, that connection does
not exist. Thanks to the Baroque artists, this problem was solved. They focused more on the
drama and emotion of the art, rather than the perspective. “This contrasting style shows the
biggest disparity between these two periods.”5
A perfect example of this is the sculpture of David. Created twice, in the High
Renaissance and in the Baroque era. Firstly created in the High Renaissance time by
Michelangelo, and sculpted again by GianLorenzo Bernini in the Baroque. When sculpted by
Michelangelo, it was lacking a great deal of emotion. It was undoubtedly sculpted in a
magnificent way, and was breathtaking, but it lacked one important, some might say essential,
factor; emotion. “Michelangelo has depicted David before the battle. David is tense, but not so
much in a physical as in a mental sense. The slingshot he carries over his shoulder is almost
invisible, emphasizing that David's victory was one of cleverness, not sheer force.”6 This was a
different interpretation of David then what most artists would create. For they would portray
3
"Difference Between Baroque Art and Renaissance
"Difference Between Baroque Art and Renaissance
5
"Difference Between Baroque Art and Renaissance
6
Michelangelo's David
4
2
David in motion of defeating Goliath, or after the fact, not when David was deciding to engage
in the fight. Perhaps, this could contribute to the reason for the lack of emotion. Furthermore,
Bernini beautifully executed the sculpture David with the accompany of much emotion. Just the
face of the sculpture exhibits an incredible amount of emotion. The biting of the lip, indicating
pure determination, and complete focus. Originally a block of marble, Bernini somehow
managed to capture the seemingly natural lines of a real person. The movement of the muscle
and lines and folds of the skin, almost make it look as if it truly is a real person posing
unbelievably still. “Both works portray physiognomy that can be interpreted in many different
ways. Bernini used his skills learned from studying Michelangelo’s David to create a
masterpiece that portrayed physical and psychological awareness.” 7 Though they may be very
different, Michelangelo and Bernini both achieved inconceivable works of art, that will forever
be remembered and applauded.
Another example of similar creations of art in the High Renaissance and the Baroque era
is the Sistine Ceiling in the Sistine Chapel in, and the Farnese Ceiling in the Palace Palazzo
Farnese both located in Rome. “The Sistine Chapel had great symbolic meaning for the papacy
as the chief consecrated space in the Vatican, used for great ceremonies such as electing and
inaugurating new popes”8. Usually a ceiling with this much artwork would come off as sloppy or
crowded looking. However, Michelangelo ingeniously managed to avoid that altogether. Though
it may seem like there architecture is accompanying his artwork on the ceiling, that is not the
case at all. Michelangelo painted an illusion that looked like columns and beams separating each
painting on the ceiling. Doing so, this allowed for him to paint all that he did without it looking
like a jumbled mess.
7
8
Michelangelo’s David vs Bernini’s David
Gilbert, Creighton E. "Michelangelo (Italian Artist)
3
When Pope Julius II asked Michelangelo to paint the ceiling, he asked for him “to paint
the ceiling with a geometric ornament, and place the twelve apostles in spandrels around the
decoration.”9 However, Michelangelo had another idea in mind. “Michelangelo proposed instead
to paint the Old Testament scenes now found on the vault, divided by the fictive architecture that
he uses to organize the composition.”10 A masterpiece this prodigious, remains as a piece to look
up to and live up to. “Its importance in the history of art cannot be overstated. It turned into a
veritable academy for young painters, a position that was cemented when Michelangelo returned
to the chapel twenty years later to execute the Last Judgment fresco on the altar wall.”11
The Farnese Ceiling is just as marvelous as the Sistine Ceiling. “The Farnese were a
central Italian noble family whose fiefs (feudal territories) near Rome dated back to the twelfth
century. Their political base in Rome improved considerably after Alessandro Farnese , one of
three by that name, was named Pope Paul III (1534-49).” (8) The Farnese palace was occupied
by Cardinal Odoardo Farnese at the turn of the century. Carracci was hired by the Cardinal to
decorate the large reception room and art gallery for the wedding of his brother, Ranuccio
Farnese.
Carracci created three levels of painted “reality”, with such illusionistic devices. Firstly,
“the painted architecture of the ceiling with its marble sculptural decorations and sky glimpsed
outside, in the corners”. Second, “the ‘real’ nudes sitting on the edge of the marble moulding and
the wrestling cupids seen in the four corners”, and lastly, “the ‘oil paintings’ placed against the
ceiling. (8)
The ceiling was painted and created by Annibale Carracci, in the most beautiful way.
“Annibale Carracci's decorations in the Farnese Gallery demonstrated a new grand manner of
9
Michelangelo's Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
Michelangelo's Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
11
Michelangelo's Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
10
4
monumental fresco painting.”12 During Carracci’s time, he was seen as an artist that revived the
classical style. “Annibale Carracci as solely the continuation of an inherited tradition; in his day,
his vigorous and dynamic style, and that of his studio assistants, changed the pre-eminent style of
painting in Rome. His work would have been seen as liberating for artists of his day, touching on
pagan themes with an unconstrained joy. It could be said that while Mannerism had mastered the
art of formal strained contrapposto and contortion; Annibale Carracci had depicted dance and
joy.” 13 The Farnese Ceiling is a beautiful rendition of what Carracci had first envisioned.
“Although the ceiling introduces an interesting interplay of various illusionistic elements, it
retains fundamentally the self-contained and unambiguous character of High Renaissance
decoration,. In this sense, it is directly derived from Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling” 14
Both the Sistine Ceiling and the Farnese Ceiling look similar from a distance look, they
are incredibly different. They depict different stories and were made for different purposes.But,
“Carracci's work can be seen as one of the foundations of the untrammelled stream of Baroque
illusionism still to come. Immediately identified as one of the supreme masterpieces of painting,
this room was enormously influential, not only as a pattern book of heroic figure design, but also
as a model of ambitious history painting, which was to dominate the Baroque period.”15 We are
especially blessed to be in a world where these to beautiful masterpieces exist. For what would
the world be without exquisite pieces of art? It would be a place in which I would not want to be.
Thankfully for the these immensely talented artists, we will never have to experience it.
One last example of the similarities and differences of the High Renaissance and Baroque
are two art pieces, that may not show much depth at first, but once truly analyzed, have a far
12
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
Michelangelo's Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
14
"Carracci Farnese Palace."
15
"Carracci_Farnese Palace."
13
5
more touching story to tell. In the High Renaissance era, the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is
known as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the
most parodied work of art in the world"16. But what is it that makes it so great? Afterall, it is just
a painting of a woman. Some might say that “The reason everyone cites for the Mona Lisa's
popularity is her smile. Often described as enigmatic, her half-smile has puzzled people from
Sigmund Freud and Harvard professors to countless observers.” 17 In Leonardo da Vinci’s essay
he wrote,
“ Hers is the head upon which all “the ends of the world are come,” and the eyelids are a
little weary. It is a beauty wrought out from within upon the flesh, the deposit, little cell
by cell, of strange thoughts and fantastic reveries and exquisite passions... She is older
than the rocks among which she sits; like the vampire, she has been dead many times, and
learned the secrets of the grave; and has been a diver in deep seas, and keeps their fallen
day about her; and trafficked for strange webs with Eastern merchants: and, as Leda, was
the mother of Helen of Troy, and, as Saint Anne, the mother of Mary; and all this has
been to her but as the sound of lyres and flutes, and lives only in the delicacy with which
it has moulded the changing lineaments, and tinged the eyelids and the hands.”18
Though the Mona Lisa is popularly known by the world to be one of the most famous
paintings, it could be said that it is not Leonardo da Vinci best work. Often people get caught up
in the rush of popularity, and do not take the time to really look at the work of art. Behind every
work of art is a story. Whether it may be several lines drawn on a piece of paper, or a brilliant
16
"Mona Lisa."
"Why Is the Mona Lisa so Famous?"
18
"Why Is the Mona Lisa so Famous?"
17
6
work of art like the Mona Lisa, it always begins with a thought and an intention. No matter the
experience level of the artist, or how talented they are, a work of art is a work of art.
In the Baroque era, another beautiful portrait was done by Rembrandt van Rijn called
Self-Portrait. Rembrandt had created several portraits throughout his years, “he painted, drew,
and etched so many self-portraits in his lifetime that changes in his appearance invite us to gauge
his moods by comparing one image to another. Such a biographical reading is encouraged by the
way in which the artist confronts the viewer directly” 19 Though just as beautifully crafted, it is
easy to say that it does not hold the same rank in popularity as the Mona Lisa. With this painting
in particular, it is easy to look at it and not think much of it, besides the talent of the artist.
However, far more emotion is painted into that picture than you could ever see with just one
glance. The Self- Portrait “has been noted as a self-portrayal of subtle and somber qualities, a
work in which may be seen "the stresses and strains of a life compounded of creative triumphs
and personal and financial reverses"20. This painting is actually a self portrait of Rembrandt
himself. What stands out most in the painting, is the lighting. It looks almost as if the light is
coming from inside Rembrandt. This allows so much more emotion to fill the painting, rather
than just a typical lighting source. It shows that he is filled with emotion, and that we can relate
to what we feel in the painting. “The most luminous area, the artist's face, is framed by a large
beret and the high collar that flatteringly hides his jowls. The skin of the face is modeled with
thick, tactile pigment, painted with rich and varied colors suggesting both the artist's physical
aging and the emotional effects of life experience”21
19
"Self-Portrait."
"Self-Portrait."
21
"Self-Portrait."
20
7
This painting also excludes any of Rembrandt’s possessions, which sends a loud message
of priorities. Speaking in regards of my personal opinion, this painting is stripped down to pure
emotion. Through Rembrandt’s eyes in the painting you can see and feel what he must have been
feeling when painting the portrait. Personally I agree with my fellow classmates and feel my self
that he is exuding, humble confidence, wisdom, compassion, understanding, personal security
and lastly and most importantly, concern for us as the viewer. Without his way of creating art, he
is worried what art may end up turning it to. The fact that it could end up without any emotion
altogether, or just not doing it for the right reason.
Through Rembrandt’s paintings, and self portraits in particular, he teaches us how to look
closely, and how to look at one’s self with honesty and directness. Another aspect that makes this
painting seem so personal is the absent foreground. Without it we feel like we are with him in the
room on a whole different level. Rather than a regular portrait where there is a foreground, it is
common to feel like you are distant from the subject in the painting. Or feel like there is a sense
of hierarchy. 22Rembrandt's biographer, Arnold Houbraken wrote that “Rembrandt's motto was
'that a work is finished when the master has achieved his intention in it”.23
Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait had a massive effect on
their viewers. The effects that they had may have been different, but they both executed what
they had primarily intended to do. Both the High Renaissance and the Baroque era were filled
with incredible artwork accompanied by even more incredible artists.
The High Renaissance era had similarities and differences with the Baroque era but also
with the time of Mannerism. The time of mannerism is hard to depict exactly what was
established, every person has their own opinion. Generally, the term Mannerism is used to
22
23
"Rembrandt's Self-Portrait (1659)."
"Rembrandt- Self Portrait with Beret and Turned-Up Collar (right)."
8
describe the art that was established in Italy which immediately succeeded the time of the High
Renaissance and the time of the Baroque. “Its first widespread use, in the 17th century, was
pejorative, implying an over-elaborate distortion, an imbalance, and a neurosis first discerned in
the later work of Michelangelo and in the followers of Raphael.”24
One of the art pieces created by Parmigianino during the time of the Italian Mannerism is
called Madonna with the Long Neck. “The painting depicts the Virgin Mary seated on a high
pedestal in luxurious robes, holding a rather large baby Jesus on her lap. Six angels crowded
together on the Madonna's right, adore the Christ-child.”25 The painting is called Madonna and
the Long Neck because "the painter, in his eagerness to make the Holy Virgin look graceful and
elegant, has given her a neck like that of a swan."26 With one glimpse at the painting, it looks
quite odd and out of proportion. Mary and baby Jesus look rather large, and it also looks like
baby Jesus is about to fall off of his mother’s lap. On the unusual arrangement of figures,
Austrian-British art historian E. H. Gombrich writes:
“Instead of distributing his figures in equal pairs on both sides of the Madonna, he
crammed a jostling crowd of angels into a narrow corner, and left the other side wide
open to show the tall figure of the prophet, so reduced in size through the distance that he
hardly reaches the Madonna's knee. There can be no doubt, then, that if this be madness
there is method in it. The painter wanted to be unorthodox. He wanted to show that the
classical solution of perfect harmony is not the only solution conceivable ... Parmigianino
and all the artists of his time who deliberately sought to create something new and
24
"Rembrandt- Self Portrait with Beret and Turned-Up Collar (right)."
"Madonna with the Long Neck."
26
"Madonna with the Long Neck."
25
9
unexpected, even at the expense of the 'natural' beauty established by the great masters,
were perhaps the first 'modern' artists.”27
In the High Renaissance era, another beautiful painting was rendered by the artist
Ambrogio Lorenzetti called Effects of Good and Bad Government. Unlike most other art pieces
of the time, this one is not a religious, but civic work of art. This reflects the political aspect of
the High Renaissance culture. This painting is also apart of a series of paintings. “The aim of the
frescos was to acclaim the political doctrine of the government of the Nove, who retained power
in Siena until 1355.”28 During this time, it was uncommon for artists to commision series
paintings. Both of these paintings from the time of Italian Mannerism and High Renaissance
represent important time in the specific era. Through these paintings, we can reflect and
experience the life and culture during the time they were so beautifully created.
27
28
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation
10
Works Cited
"Carracci_Farnese Palace." Carracci_Farnese Palace. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
"Difference Between Baroque Art and Renaissance | Difference Between | Baroque Art vs
Renaissance." Difference Between Baroque Art and Renaissance | Difference Between |
Baroque Art vs Renaissance. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
Gilbert, Creighton E. "Michelangelo (Italian Artist)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
"Madonna with the Long Neck." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Jan. 2014. Web. 02 Nov.
2014.
"Michelangelo's Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel." Sistine Chapel Ceiling. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov.
2014.
"Michelangelo's David." Michelangelo's David. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
"Michelangelo’s David vs Bernini’s David." Bernini 2013. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
"Mona Lisa." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Jan. 2014. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
11
"Rembrandt- Self Portrait with Beret and Turned-Up Collar (right)." Rembrandt- Self Portrait
with Beret and Turned-Up Collar (right). N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
"Rembrandt's Self-Portrait (1659)." - Smarthistory. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
"Self-Portrait." Art Object Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
"Why Is the Mona Lisa so Famous?" International Business Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov.
2014.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
12
13