Warm Up
Action, Feeling Setting for both
Giovanni Agostino da Lodi
Adoration of the Shepherds 1510
Jacopa di Cione
Madonna and Child in Glory 1360/65
•Which of these paintings looks the more
realistic to you?
Italians earned large profits by supplying the ships that went to the
Crusades in the Middle East. The wealthy had money to invest into the
arts and learning which is different than the time of the Middle Ages.
Wealthy cities: Florence and Venice
Led to the Renaissance- a time of
renewed interest in learning and
the arts that lasted from the 14th16th centuries.
During this time there was a new
interest in the Ancient Romans
and Greeks.
Renaissance Art Conversation
Since the Greeks and the Romans glorified the human
body how do you think that will manifest itself in the
Renaissance art?
During this time artists, writer, sculptures and a variety of other people were hired by a wealthy
family or person. This person was known as a patron and would pay the salary of the artists or
writer. Artist and writers were loyal to their patrons and would dedicate their work to the
patron. Having a patron meant that you could devote the majority of your time to your
personal talent. Wealthy individuals used their talented employee to outdo other wealthy
people in the community.
Lorenzo De Medici of Florence
Leonardo de Vinci worked for De Medici
Here it is!
And here’s
Florence!
Located on the Adriatic Sea
v Major port city
Further away from Rome
than Florence
v Secular republic during
the Renaissance
Stable, powerful, and
prosperous economy
v More incentive for
noble patrons to
support the arts.
v Alfonso d’Este.
v Guilds made sure
artists were properly
compensated.
Light and color
achieved drama
Smooth brushwork –
achieved velvety look
Subject matter
v Mostly church
themes
v Venuses
Somewhat mannerist
v Stayed away from contraposto and tortured emotions
Oil painting
v Durable in Venice’s moist climate
By 1425, Florence had a population of 60,000
A self governed,
independent state
Twelve artist guilds
regulated trade
v Bases of
commercial
success
Prosperity can from
trading of textiles (mainly wool)
Landlocked city
v Banking was the
first source of
income.
v Made patrons
wealthy.
v First supporters of
art.
v Lorenzo de Medici.
۩ Perspective
۩ Antiquity
۩ Balance/Geometry
۩ Individualism
۩ Light/Shadow
Poetry
Color
Pleasure
Beauty
Intellect
۩ Classical and
biblical
themes
Line, form,
design
Grandeur
Heroic
The Art of the
Renaissance
Chigi Chapel in the Church of Santta Maria del Popolo in Rome.
The chapel and its decorations were designed by Raphael.
Renaissance themes:
• Renaissance art was three-dimensional
• The importance of man, Humanism
• The importance of religion in art
Leonardo da Vinci was Renaissance man interested in many different
things. He was a:
•Painter - his two most famous paintings are the Mona Lisa and the Last
Supper. Only
a few of his paintings survived.
•Scientist – he was master of
anatomy. He dissected human
corpses to study human anatomy.
•Engineer - in his notebooks
he demonstrated his technological
originality. He drew a helicopter, a
tank, a calculator, and a hang
glider. Some have been
demonstrated to work through the
construction of models.
Leonardo da Vinci
Self Portrait
red chalk on paper
The Mona Lisa is the most
famous painting in the world.
It was painted by Leonard da
Vinci between 1503 and 1506.
This young woman in the
painting was the wife of a
Florence merchant. Her
clothing was the style of the
period. Behind her is a
mountainous landscape.
The Last Supper was a fresco painted for the refectory (dining room) of the Convent of Santa
Maria della Grazie in Milan. A fresco is painted directly onto a wall. Leonardo used a new
technique for his fresco that was not successful. Over the years it molded and flaked. Despite
the problems with the original, this is the most frequently reproduced work of art in the
world.
Leonardo the Inventor
Filecutting
Machine
Observations and
sketches on how the body
works and new
inventions
The Vitruvian Man (c. 1485) Accademis, Venice
Michelangelo was a Renaissance man. His work included:
•Sculpture – His earliest works were sculptures. Among his most famous was
an 17 foot marble statue of David preparing for his battle with Goliath.
•Paintings – His most famous painting is a fresco which covers the ceiling of
the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. It was painted directly onto wet plaster so
that the painting became part of the wall. The fresco on the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel was commissioned by Pope Julius II.
•Architecture – Pope Paul III hired Michelangelo to oversee the completion of
the building of St. Peter’s Basilica. He combined two earlier plans with his
own to design the building as it looks
today.
•Poetry – His early poetry was of
courtly love. In later life his poetry
centered on religious themes.
Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
It is:
131 feet long. Compare
that to the length of a
football field.
46 feet wide. Compare
that to the width of a
basketball court.
65 feet from the floor.
The design of the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel depicts
nine scenes from the book of Genesis in the Bible.
Sistine Chapel Website
http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/in
dex.html
Moses was carved from marble by
Michelangelo. It is part of the
decoration for the tomb of Pope Julius
II.
This representation of Moses with
horns on his head was based on a
description of Moses found in the
Vulgate, a Latin translation of the
Bible that was in use during the
Renaissance.
Donatello (1386-1466) was born
in Florence. His work included:
Born in Florence
Worked in Ghiberti’s shop
Three periods of work:
Ø Before 1425 (influenced by
gothic work, but also
classical and realist)
Ø St. Mark
Ø 1443-1466
(realism, focus on
character)
Ø David
Ø 1425-1443
(Mostly with
antiquity)
Ø Gattamelata
Raphael was a Renaissance man. His work included:
Painting – He was primarily a painter. Pope Julius II called Raphael to Rome
in 1508 and hired him to complete the fresco decoration of a number of rooms in
the Vatican. The best known of these works is The School of Athens, which
honors the classical philosophers. Raphael is most famous for the Madonnas
that he painted throughout his life. His earliest Madonnas are very sweet. The
later works show a more polished look.
Architect – He helped to redesign
St. Peter’s Basilica after the original
architect was dismissed.
In Florence,
taught by
Michelangelo and
da Vinci.
v Lighting
techniques
and figure
shaping.
Marriage of the
Virgin
(1504).
Entombment
(1507).
In 1510, Raphael was commissioned by
Pope Julius II to paint the Pope’s personal
library. There were four frescoes based on
the themes of philosophy, law, poetry, and
theology. The most recognized was The
School of Athens, which represented
Philosophy. Many well-known people were
incorporated in the painting, including
Michelangelo. In the center was Plato and
Aristotle, Athena was on the right,
Michelangelo, the crouching figure in the
front.
St. Peter’s Basilica is an outstanding example of Renaissance architecture.
Bernini - Throne of St. Peter in Glory
Throne of St. Peter designed by Bernini at the west end of the basilica.
Real name: Alessandro
Filipepi
Member of the Medici
family
Adoration of the Magi
• 1481-1482
Birth of
Venus
• 1484
Florence’s favorite
artist
Primavera 1482
۩ Studied
architecture after
lost a competition
to Ghiberti.
۩ Was asked to help
raised the cupola of
S. Maria del Fiore
(1420-1436)
۩ When the council
heard his
suggestion, they
thought he was
crazy
Literature
• Literature (e.g.,
Dante Divine Comedy)
• Printing press invented by Johannes Gutenberg in
1455
• Renaissance – printers could mass-produce copies of
books at one time. Books were now cheap enough so
that larger numbers of people could buy them. Travel
books and medical journals spread new ideas and led to
the Scientific Revolution. Literacy rose as more people
began to read. Printing in vernacular languages made
it easier for people who did not have a classical
education to read.
Closing Task:
•How were paintings of the Renaissance different from paintings of the
Middle Ages?
•Who were the three greatest Renaissance artists?
•Identify a work of art produced by each one.