Comparative Civilizations 12
Unit 3 - The Renaissance
Part 2 - The Hero as Artist
Pope Julius II was not only ambitious for the Catholic
Church; he was ambitious for Julius II; and in his new
temple he planned to erect the greatest tomb of any ruler
since the time of Hadrian. It was a staggering example of
superbia – what we call megalomania; and Michelangelo at
that time was not without the same characteristic. I need not
go into the question of why the tomb was never built. All
that matters is that some of the figures for it survive, and
they add something to the new European spirit – something
that neither antiquity nor the great civilizations of India and
China had ever dreamed of.
Sir Kenneth Clark
REFERENCES:
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3.
4.
Civilization by Kenneth Clark, pp. 117-138.
The Creative Impulse by Dennis Sporre, pp. 253-291.
Library Sources
Internet Sources
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Once again, a great starting off point is NM’s Creative Impulse Renaissance page at
http://history.evansville.net/renaissa.html
Excellent Renaissance Links can be found at Art History Resources on the Web" at
http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHLinks.html
An overview of the Renaissance can be found at the Webmuseum's La Renaissance at
http://www.oir.ucf.edu/wm/paint/glo/renaissance/
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Images of Renaissance and other paintings can be found at the Webmuseum's artists' page at
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/
Other great images can be found at Carol Gerten's CGFA site at http://cgfa.sunsite.dk//fineart.htm
See also Olga’s Gallery at http://www.abcgallery.com/
See the Webmuseum’s Michelangelo page at http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/michelangelo/
For Michelangelo’s sculpture, see the Italian and English language Thais – 1200 Years of Italian
Sculpture site at http://www.thais.it/scultura/michelan.htm
An excellent Sistine Chapel site is at http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/tours/sistina/index.html
MEDIA:
The Hero as Artist
The Agony and the Ecstacy
The Late Renaissance
SUGGESTED TIME:
Eight Periods
EVALUATION:
All research work except for Art Analysis items will be evaluated out of 10. The diagrams of The
Tempietto will be worth 5 marks each. Each art analysis is worth 10 marks. Total: 70 marks.
Comparative Civilizations 12
Introduction:
1. In what city does the High Renaissance begin? To where does the focus then shift? Why is
this so? (filmstrip and Clark)
2. Who was Michelangelo’s chief patron and what seems to be his goal? What were these two
people like in terms of personality? (Agony & the Ecstacy)
3. Why is it that Leonardo da Vinci is sometimes regarded as the most brilliant mind of an
incredible age? Explore the varied talents of this quintessential “Renaissance man.”
(filmstrip, Clark, Sporre & Library sources)
Painting:
1. According to legend, why was Michelangelo selected to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling,
despite his protests that he was a sculptor and not a painter?
2. Choose one scene from the Sistine Chapel Ceiling and complete an art analysis of it.
3. Select one of Leonardo’s paintings and complete an art analysis of it.
4. Complete an art analysis of the painting School of Athens.
5. What great artist became the most famous of Venice’s Renaissance artists? What is novel
about his work?
6. Complete an art analysis of one of Titian’s paintings.
Sculpture:
1. Complete an art analysis of Michelangelo’s David.
2. Compare Michelangelo’s David with Donatello’s and Verocchio’s earlier versions of the same
subject.
Architecture:
1. Sketch a floorplan and front or side elevation or section of Bramante’s small masterpiece,
The Tempietto of St. Peter in Montorio, Rome.
2. What great building project did Pope Julius II appoint Bramante to direct? Why was he
unable to complete it?