Objectives:
•Understand the characteristics of
classical, medieval, and Renaissance
art.
•Learn from which period
Renaissance artists were inspired.
•Draw connections between Classical
and Renaissance art and observe a
complete dismissal of medieval art.
Why are we learning about art?
• Art is…
• Important in every society.
• 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
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
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 period-there should be a minimum
of three reasons.
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.
Not much emotion.
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 objective
was met:
•Understand the characteristics of
classical, medieval, and Renaissance art.
•Learn from which period Renaissance
artists were inspired.
•Draw connections between Classical and
Renaissance art and observe a complete
dismissal of medieval art.
Reflection