Classical, Medieval,
and Renaissance Art
• Special Thanks to
• Ms. Stewart for the PowerPoint
Why are we learning about art?
Art is…
• Important in every society
• P.E.R.S.I.A.
• Portrays the daily lives of the people in that
culture
• Shows what the people think is important,
beautiful, and valid
• Expresses the emotions that the artists feel.
• Provides decoration
Rediscovering the
Classical Tradition
Through Art
Lesson 4 Objectives
SWBAT cite artistic, literary, and philosophical
creativity, as contrasted with the medieval
period, by:
1. Learning about the elements of classical,
medieval, and Renaissance art
2. Identifying the period – classical, medieval, or
Renaissance – in which six artworks were
created
Classical art showed the importance of
people and leaders, as well as gods
and goddesses
Medieval art and literature focused on
the Church and salvation
Renaissance art and literature focused
on the importance of people and nature,
along with religion
Classical
Copy of Myron's Discobolus Roman Marble Sculpture 450 BCE
•Shows a man throwing a
discus-a real life activity
•Pose is balanced
•Features are calm with
no emotion
•Body is perfect and
idealized
•Little sense of
background
Medieval
•Subjects are mostly religious
•Figures are flat/stiff looking
•Saints in paintings wore halos
around their heads
•Hieratic scale: representing
the sizes of things according to
their importance, rather than
how they would appear in the
real world.
•Little emotion
•No background or perspective
Narthex Tympanum, AD. 1120, sculpture
This sculpture was made to fit into
an arching space, called a
tympanum, over the entrance doors
to a church in France in about A.D.
1120.
Bodies were not important for their
own sakes to this artist, and the
figures do not try to look like real
bodies. The artist wanted to make
a beautiful pattern on the flat stone
that would also fit the space of the
arch, and he wanted to convey a
religious meaning.
Renaissance
The School of Athens
Raphael, fresco, 1510
Vatican City
•Perspective
•Subjects are mainly
secular, but can be
religious
•Figures look
idealized, but can also
look like everyday
ordinary people
•Bodies are active
•Clothed or unclothed
•Faces are expressive
•Detail
Plato:
looks to the heavens
-or the IDEAL
realm.
Painted as da Vinci
Aristotle:
looks to this
earth-the
here and
now.
Today you will act in the role of art
expert to decipher the differences in
Classical, Medieval, or Renaissance art.
Instructions:
1. You will examine each piece of art.
2. Using the handout that refers to the
characteristics of each art period you will select
the correct style of art.
3. Circle the correct time period
4. List all of the reasons you chose this time periodthere should be a minimum of three reasons.
5. Select one person from your group to record the
answer next to the picture on the board and one to
present your answer to the class-one group per art
piece will be selected randomly to present why
you chose the time period.
Title: Madonna and Child
with Two Angels
Artist: Filippo Lippi
Date: 1406 CE
Time Period: Renaissance
Although the theme is
religious, the Madonna is
painted as a real woman.
Clothing and furniture is
‘modern’.
“Hey! Look what I have!”
Title: Bathing Venus
Artist: Unnamed Roman Artist
Date: 3rd Century BCE
Time Period: Classical
No emotion.
Title: Venus and Adonis
Artist: Titian
Date: 1550 CE
Time Period: Renaissance
Pagan theme.
Perspective.
Modern techniques.
Emotion
Title: Madonna and Child
Enthroned
Artist: Cimabue
Date: 1280 CE
Time Period: Medieval
Influenced by the
Byzantine style
Hierarchical scale
Halos
Flat
Title:
Artist:
Date:
Style:
Grave Stele of Hegeso
Unknown Greek Artist
400 BCE
Classical
Lack of background.
Classic Greek clothing.
Greek architecture.
Title: Bayeux Tapestry
Artist: Unknown Artist
Date: 1082 CE
Time Period: Medieval
Tells a story.
Dressed in Medieval
clothing.
Title: Pieta
Artist: Michelangelo
Date: 1475 CE
Time Period: Renaissance
Mary is a real woman.
Wrought with emotion.
Give an example of how our objectives
were met:
SWBAT cite artistic, literary, and philosophical
creativity, as contrasted with the medieval period,
by:
1. Learning about the elements of classical, medieval,
and Renaissance art
2. Identifying the period – classical, medieval, or
Renaissance – in which six artworks were created
Reflection