Renaissance Art and Architecture
Beginning of Modern Painting
Common Elements of Renaissance
throughout Europe
– Greco-Roman tradition (strongest in Italy)
– Scientific study of human body and nature
– Realistic reproduction of forms of nature
– Prestige of artists moves from craftsman to genius
– Technological breakthroughs
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Oil on stretched canvas
Perspective
Chiaroscuro—light emerging from dark, illusion 3-D
Pyramid configuration—symmetrical, balanced
composition
Early Renaissance
• Masaccio
– Realism
– Perspective
– Single source of light casting authentic shadows
The Holy Trinity
Massaccio “The Tribute Money”
Note contrapposto of figure in orange tunic, natural stance with weight on left
leg and right knee bent. Expressive faces, chiaroscuro especially in rear
Early Renaissance
• Donatello
– Sculpture
– 1st life-size freestanding nude since Roman times
– 1st freestanding equestrian statue since Roman
times
– Contrapposto, weight on one leg with body
usually turned
– Draped realistically, sense of skeletal structure
Donatello (1386-1466)
David (1430 bronze)
Gattamelata (1450 bronze)
Mary Magdalene
Botticelli
• More curvi-linear style than Masaccio or
Donatello
• Reintroduces classical mythology
Botticelli
1444-1510
Botticelli
High Renaissance
• Characteristics:
– Humanism
– Classicism
– Balanced composition
– Self contained
– Ideal beauty, realistic anatomy
– Represents technical mastery of the techniques of
the Renaissance
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
• Poster child for ADHD
• Aerial perspective…..thickness of the air…farther
away, thicker and bluer the air
– See Virgin of the Rocks
• Sfumato….smoky in Italian….use of pale blues
and soft grays to “veil” the landscape and blur
edges for blending….not dependent on
perspective….invented by Leonardo
• Chiaroscuro….used most effectively by Leo to give
3-D effect, esp. with faces
Michelangelo
The Pieta
Michelangelo
David
a
Michelangelo
Sistine Chapel: Adam
Michelangelo
Last Judgement
Michelangelo
Capitoline Hill
Raphael
Titian
Bellini
St. Francis
Giorgione
The Tempest
Architecture
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Rome
Rules
Reason
‘Rithmetic
Alberti
Santa Maria Novella
Brunelleschi
Bramante
Palladio
Northern Renaissance
• Based more on nature than Greco-Roman
tradition
• Very realistic
• Oil paint
• Atmospheric perspective
Jan Van Eyck
Hieronymous Bosch
Bruegel
German Renaissance
Hans Holbein
Albrecht Durer