Who Was Romanticized in Renaissance Art and Placed in Greek and Roman Backgrounds

The Italian Renaissance

Learning Objectives

The art of the Italian Renaissance was influential throughout Europe for centuries.

Key Takeaways

Cardinal Points

• The Florence school of painting became the dominant fashion during the Renaissance. Renaissance artworks depicted more secular subject matter than previous creative movements.
• Michelangelo, da Vinci, and Rafael are among the best known painters of the Loftier Renaissance.
• The High Renaissance was followed past the Mannerist move, known for elongated figures.

Key Terms

• fresco: A type of wall painting in which color pigments are mixed with water and practical to wet plaster. As the plaster and pigments dry, they fuse together and the painting becomes a part of the wall itself.
• Mannerism: A way of art developed at the end of the High Renaissance, characterized by the deliberate distortion and exaggeration of perspective, especially the elongation of figures.

The Renaissance began during the 14th century and remained the boss way in Italia, and in much of Europe, until the 16th century. The term "renaissance" was developed during the 19th century in order to depict this period of time and its accompanying artistic style. However, people who were living during the Renaissance did see themselves equally different from their Medieval predecessors. Through a multifariousness of texts that survive, we know that people living during the Renaissance saw themselves equally dissimilar largely considering they were deliberately trying to imitate the Ancients in art and architecture.

Florence and the Renaissance

When yous hear the term "Renaissance" and picture a mode of art, y'all are probably picturing the Renaissance style that was developed in Florence, which became the dominate style of fine art during the Renaissance. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Italy was divided into a number of different city states. Each urban center state had its own government, culture, economy, and artistic style. There were many different styles of art and compages that were developed in Italian republic during the Renaissance. Siena, which was a political ally of France, for example, retained a Gothic element to its art for much of the Renaissance.

Certain weather condition aided the development of the Renaissance way in Florence during this time period. In the 15th century, Florence became a major mercantile middle. The production of cloth drove their economy and a merchant form emerged. Humanism, which had developed during the 14th century, remained an important intellectual motion that impacted art production too.

Early Renaissance

During the Early Renaissance, artists began to reject the Byzantine fashion of religious painting and strove to create realism in their depiction of the human form and infinite. This aim toward realism began with Cimabue and Giotto, and reached its meridian in the art of the "Perfect" artists, such as Andrea Mantegna and Paolo Uccello, who created works that employed 1 point perspective and played with perspective for their educated, art knowledgeable viewer.

During the Early Renaissance we besides meet important developments in bailiwick matter, in improver to style. While religion was an important element in the daily life of people living during the Renaissance, and remained a driving gene backside artistic production, nosotros also see a new avenue open to panting—mythological subject matter. Many scholars signal to Botticelli'southward Birth of Venus as the very beginning panel painting of a mythological scene. While the tradition itself likely arose from cassone painting, which typically featured scenes from mythology and romantic texts, the development of mythological console painting would open a world for artistic patronage, production, and themes.

Birth of Venus: Botticelli's Nascence of Venus was amongst the most important works of the early Renaissance.

High Renaissance

The period known as the High Renaissance represents the culmination of the goals of the Early Renaissance, namely the realistic representation of figures in space rendered with apparent motion and in an appropriately decorous style. The most well known artists from this phase are Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, and Michelangelo. Their paintings and frescoes are among the most widely known works of art in the world. Da Vinci'southward Last Supper, Raphael's The School of Athens and Michelangelo'southward Sistine Chapel Ceiling paintings are the masterpieces of this period and embody the elements of the High Renaissance.

Marriage of the Virgin, past Raphael: The painting depicts a marriage ceremony between Mary and Joseph.

Mannerism

High Renaissance painting evolved into Mannerism in Florence. Mannerist artists, who consciously rebelled confronting the principles of High Renaissance, tended to represent elongated figures in illogical spaces. Modern scholarship has recognized the chapters of Mannerist art to convey strong, oft religious, emotion where the High Renaissance failed to do then. Some of the main artists of this flow are Pontormo, Bronzino, Rosso Fiorentino, Parmigianino and Raphael'south pupil, Giulio Romano.

Art and Patronage

The Medici family used their vast fortune to control the Florentine political arrangement and sponsor a series of creative accomplishments.

Learning Objectives

Discuss the human relationship betwixt fine art, patronage, and politics during the Renaissance

Central Takeaways

Key Points

• Although the Renaissance was underway before the Medici family unit came to power in Florence, their patronage and political support of the arts helped catalyze the Renaissance into a fully fledged cultural move.
• The Medici wealth and influence initially derived from the fabric trade guided past the guild of the Arte della Lana; through fiscal superiority, the Medici dominated their city'south government.
• Medici patronage was responsible for the majority of Florentine art during their reign, every bit artists generally simply made their works when they received commissions in accelerate.
• Although none of the Medici themselves were scientists, the family is well known to have been the patrons of the famous Galileo Galilei, who tutored multiple generations of Medici children.

Cardinal Terms

• Lorenzo de' Medici: An Italian statesman and de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic, who was one of the almost powerful and enthusiastic patrons of the Renaissance.
• patronage: The support, encouragement, privilege, or financial assistance that an organization or private bestows on another, especially in the arts.

Overview

It has long been a matter of debate why the Renaissance began in Florence, and non elsewhere in Italian republic. Scholars take noted several features unique to Florentine cultural life that may take acquired such a cultural movement. Many have emphasized the role played by the Medici, a banking family and subsequently ducal ruling house, in patronizing and stimulating the arts. Lorenzo de' Medici (1449–1492) was the catalyst for an enormous amount of arts patronage, encouraging his countrymen to commission works from the leading artists of Florence, including Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Works past Neri di Bicci, Botticelli, da Vinci, and Filippino Lippi had been commissioned additionally past the convent di San Donato agli Scopeti of the Augustinians order in Florence.

The Medici Business firm Patronage

The Business firm of Medici was an Italian banking family, political dynasty, and afterwards royal house that outset began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Commonwealth of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. Their wealth and influence initially derived from the material merchandise guided by the guild of the Arte della Lana. Like other signore families, they dominated their city's government, they were able to bring Florence nether their family's power, and they created an environment where fine art and Humanism could flourish. They, along with other families of Italy, such equally the Visconti and Sforza of Milan, the Este of Ferrara, and the Gonzaga of Mantua, fostered and inspired the nascence of the Italian Renaissance.

The biggest accomplishments of the Medici were in the sponsorship of art and architecture, mainly early and High Renaissance art and architecture. The Medici were responsible for the majority of Florentine art during their reign. Their coin was meaning because during this period, artists generally only fabricated their works when they received commissions in advance. Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici, the commencement patron of the arts in the family, aided Masaccio and commissioned Brunelleschi for the reconstruction of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence, in 1419. Cosimo the Elder's notable artistic assembly were Donatello and Fra Angelico. The virtually significant addition to the list over the years was Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564), who produced work for a number of Medici, beginning with Lorenzo the Magnificent, who was said to be extremely fond of the young Michelangelo, inviting him to report the family unit collection of antiquarian sculpture. Lorenzo also served every bit patron of Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) for vii years. Indeed, Lorenzo was an artist in his own right, and an author of poetry and song; his support of the arts and letters is seen every bit a loftier signal in Medici patronage.

The Medici House: Medici family members placed allegorically in the entourage of a king from the Three Wise Men in the Tuscan countryside in a Benozzo Gozzoli fresco, c. 1459.

In architecture, the Medici are responsible for some notable features of Florence, including the Uffizi Gallery, the Boboli Gardens, the Belvedere, the Medici Chapel, and the Palazzo Medici. Later, in Rome, the Medici Popes connected in the family unit tradition by patronizing artists in Rome. Pope Leo X would chiefly commission works from Raphael. Pope Cloudless Vii commissioned Michelangelo to paint the chantry wall of the Sistine Chapel just earlier the pontiff's death in 1534. Eleanor of Toledo, princess of Spain and married woman of Cosimo I the Great, purchased the Pitti Palace from Buonaccorso Pitti in 1550. Cosimo in plow patronized Vasari, who erected the Uffizi Gallery in 1560 and founded the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno ("University of the Arts of Cartoon") in 1563. Marie de' Medici, widow of Henry IV of French republic and female parent of Louis XIII, is the field of study of a commissioned cycle of paintings known as the Marie de' Medici cycle, painted for the Grand duchy of luxembourg Palace by court painter Peter Paul Rubens in 1622–1623.

Although none of the Medici themselves were scientists, the family is well known to have been the patrons of the famous Galileo Galilei, who tutored multiple generations of Medici children and was an important figurehead for his patron's quest for power. Galileo's patronage was eventually abandoned by Ferdinando II when the Inquisition accused Galileo of heresy. Still, the Medici family did afford the scientist a prophylactic haven for many years. Galileo named the four largest moons of Jupiter afterward 4 Medici children he tutored, although the names Galileo used are non the names currently used.

Leonardo da Vinci

While Leonardo da Vinci is admired as a scientist, an academic, and an inventor, he is most famous for his achievements every bit the painter of several Renaissance masterpieces.

Learning Objectives

Describe the works of Leonardo da Vinci that demonstrate his most innovative techniques equally an artist

Key Takeaways

Cardinal Points

• Among the qualities that make da Vinci's work unique are the innovative techniques that he used in laying on the paint, his detailed knowledge of anatomy, his innovative use of the human course in figurative composition, and his use of sfumato.
• Amid the most famous works created by da Vinci is the pocket-sized portrait titled the Mona Lisa, known for the elusive smiling on the woman'south face, brought about by the fact that da Vinci subtly shadowed the corners of the mouth and eyes then that the exact nature of the grin cannot be determined.
• Despite his famous paintings, da Vinci was not a prolific painter; he was a prolific draftsman, keeping journals full of small-scale sketches and detailed drawings recording all style of things that interested him.

Key Terms

• sfumato: In painting, the application of subtle layers of translucent paint and then that there is no visible transition between colors, tones, and often objects.

While Leonardo da Vinci is greatly admired as a scientist, an academic, and an inventor, he is nigh famous for his achievements as the painter of several Renaissance masterpieces. His paintings were groundbreaking for a variety of reasons and his works have been imitated by students and discussed at slap-up length by connoisseurs and critics.

Amid the qualities that make da Vinci's work unique are the innovative techniques that he used in laying on the paint, his detailed noesis of beefcake, his apply of the human form in figurative composition, and his employ of sfumato. All of these qualities are present in his most celebrated works, the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and the Virgin of the Rocks.

The Virgin of the Rocks, Leonardo da Vinci, 1483–1486: This painting shows the Madonna and Child Jesus with the infant John the Baptist and an angel, in a rocky setting.

The Last Supper

Da Vinci's most historic painting of the 1490s is The Last Supper, which was painted for the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan. The painting depicts the last repast shared by Jesus and the 12 Apostles where he announces that 1 of the them will betray him. When finished, the painting was acclaimed every bit a masterpiece of design. This work demonstrates something that da Vinci did very well: taking a very traditional subject matter, such as the Last Supper, and completely re-inventing it.

Prior to this moment in fine art history, every representation of the Last Supper followed the aforementioned visual tradition: Jesus and the Apostles seated at a table. Judas is placed on the opposite side of the table of everyone else and is effortlessly identified by the viewer. When da Vinci painted The Last Supper he placed Judas on the same side of the tabular array every bit Christ and the Apostles, who are shown reacting to Jesus every bit he announces that one of them volition betray him. They are depicted as alarmed, upset, and trying to determine who will commit the act. The viewer also has to determine which figure is Judas, who will betray Christ. By depicting the scene in this manner, da Vinci has infused psychology into the work.

Unfortunately, this masterpiece of the Renaissance began to deteriorate immediately after da Vinci finished painting, due largely to the painting technique that he had chosen. Instead of using the technique of fresco, da Vinci had used tempera over a ground that was mainly gesso in an attempt to bring the subtle effects of oil pigment to fresco. His new technique was not successful, and resulted in a surface that was field of study to mold and flaking.

The Final Supper: Leonardo da Vinci's Terminal Supper, although much deteriorated, demonstrates the painter'southward mastery of the human form in figurative limerick.

Mona Lisa

Among the works created by da Vinci in the 16th century is the minor portrait known equally the Mona Lisa, or La Gioconda, "the laughing one." In the nowadays era information technology is arguably the almost famous painting in the earth. Its fame rests, in particular, on the elusive grinning on the adult female's face—its mysterious quality brought about perhaps by the fact that the artist has subtly shadowed the corners of the mouth and eyes and so that the verbal nature of the grin cannot exist determined.

The shadowy quality for which the work is renowned came to be called sfumato, the application of subtle layers of translucent paint so that there is no visible transition between colors, tones, and often objects. Other characteristics found in this work are the unadorned dress, in which the optics and hands have no competition from other details; the dramatic landscape background, in which the globe seems to exist in a land of flux; the subdued coloring; and the extremely smooth nature of the painterly technique, employing oils, but practical much like tempera and blended on the surface and then that the brushstrokes are indistinguishable. And again, da Vinci is innovating upon a type of painting here. Portraits were very common in the Renaissance. Still, portraits of women were always in profile, which was seen equally proper and modest. Here, da Vinci present a portrait of a adult female who non simply faces the viewer but follows them with her eyes.

Mona Lisa: In the Mona Lisa, da Vinci incorporates his sfumato technique to create a shadowy quality.

Virgin and Child with St. Anne

In the painting Virgin and Kid with St. Anne, da Vinci's composition again picks up the theme of figures in a landscape. What makes this painting unusual is that at that place are two obliquely set figures superimposed. Mary is seated on the genu of her female parent, St. Anne. She leans forrard to restrain the Christ Child as he plays roughly with a lamb, the sign of his ain impending sacrifice. This painting influenced many contemporaries, including Michelangelo, Raphael, and Andrea del Sarto. The trends in its composition were adopted in detail by the Venetian painters Tintoretto and Veronese.

Virgin and Child with Saint Anne: Virgin and Kid with St. Anne (c. 1510) by Leonardo da Vinci, Louvre Museum.

Michelangelo

Michelangelo was a 16th century Florentine creative person renowned for his masterpieces in sculpture, painting, and architectural design.

Learning Objectives

Talk over Michelangelo's achievements in sculpture, painting, and architecture

Primal Takeaways

Key Points

• Michelangelo created his colossal marble statue, the David, out of a unmarried cake of marble, which established his prominence as a sculptor of extraordinary technical skill and strength of symbolic imagination.
• In painting, Michelangelo is renowned for the ceiling and The Final Judgement of the Sistine Chapel, where he depicted a complex scheme representing Creation, the Downfall of Man, the Salvation of Human being, and the Genealogy of Christ.
• Michelangelo's main contribution to Saint Peter'southward Basilica was the use of a Greek Cross form and an external masonry of massive proportions, with every corner filled in by a stairwell or small vestry. The event is a continuous wall-surface that appears fractured or folded at unlike angles.

Key Terms

• contrapposto: The continuing position of a man figure where virtually of the weight is placed on one foot, and the other leg is relaxed.  The issue of contrapposto in art makes figures look very naturalistic.
• Sistine Chapel: The best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace.

Michelangelo was a 16th century Florentine artist renowned for his masterpieces in sculpture, painting, and architectural design. His most well known works are the David, the Last Judgment, and the Basilica of Saint Peter's in the Vatican.

Sculpture: David

In 1504, Michelangelo was commissioned to create a jumbo marble statue portraying David as a symbol of Florentine liberty. The subsequent masterpiece, David, established the creative person's prominence as a sculptor of boggling technical skill and strength of symbolic imagination. David was created out of a unmarried marble cake, and stands larger than life, equally it was originally intended to adorn the Florence Cathedral. The piece of work differs from previous representations in that the Biblical hero is not depicted with the head of the slain Goliath, as he is in Donatello's and Verrocchio's statues; both had represented the hero standing victorious over the head of Goliath. No earlier Florentine creative person had omitted the behemothic altogether. Instead of actualization victorious over a foe, David's face looks tense and set for combat. The tendons in his neck stand out tautly, his brow is furrowed, and his eyes seem to focus attentively on something in the altitude. Veins burl out of his lowered right hand, only his body is in a relaxed contrapposto pose, and he carries his sling casually thrown over his left shoulder. In the Renaissance, contrapposto poses were thought of equally a distinctive characteristic of antique sculpture.

The David by Michelangelo, 1504: Michelangelo's David stands in contrapposto pose.

The sculpture was intended to exist placed on the exterior of the Duomo, and has become i of the nigh recognized works of Renaissance sculpture.

Painting: The Final Sentence

In painting, Michelangelo is renowned for his piece of work in the Sistine Chapel. He was originally commissioned to pigment tromp-50'oeil coffers after the original ceiling developed a crevice. Michelangelo lobbied for a different and more complex scheme, representing Creation, the Downfall of Human, the Promise of Salvation through the prophets, and the Genealogy of Christ. The work is function of a larger scheme of decoration within the chapel that represents much of the doctrine of the Catholic Church.

The limerick eventually independent over 300 figures, and had at its heart nine episodes from the Volume of Genesis, divided into iii groups: God's Creation of the Earth, God'south Creation of Humankind, and their fall from God'south grace, and lastly, the state of Humanity as represented by Noah and his family. Twelve men and women who prophesied the coming of the Jesus are painted on the pendentives supporting the ceiling. Among the most famous paintings on the ceiling are The Creation of Adam, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the Neat Flood, the Prophet Isaiah and the Cumaean Sibyl. The ancestors of Christ  are painted effectually the windows.

The fresco of The Last Judgment on the chantry wall of the Sistine Chapel was commissioned past Pope Cloudless VII, and Michelangelo labored on the project from 1536–1541. The piece of work is located on the chantry wall of the Sistine Chapel, which is not a traditional placement for the subject. Typically, last judgement scenes were placed on the exit wall of churches as a mode to remind the viewer of eternal punishments every bit they left worship. The Final Judgment is a delineation of the second coming of Christ and the apocalypse; where the souls of humanity ascension and are assigned to their diverse fates, as judged by Christ, surrounded by the Saints. In contrast to the earlier figures Michelangelo painted on the ceiling, the figures in The Last Sentence are heavily muscled and are in much more artificial poses, demonstrating how this work is in the Mannerist style.

In this work Michelangelo has rejected the orderly depiction of the final judgement as established by Medieval tradition in favor of a swirling scene of chaos as each soul is judged. When the painting was revealed information technology was heavily criticized for its inclusion of classical imagery also as for the amount of nude figures in somewhat suggestive poses. The ill reception that the work received may be tied to the Counter Reformation and the Council of Trent, which lead to a preference for more than conservative religious art devoid of classical references. Although a number of figures were made more modest with the addition of drapery, the changes were non fabricated until afterwards the death of Michelangelo, demonstrating the respect and adoration that was afforded to him during his lifetime.

The Terminal Judgement: The fresco of The Concluding Judgment on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel was commissioned by Pope Cloudless VII. Michelangelo worked on the projection from 1534–1541.

Compages: St. Peter'south Basilica

Finally, although other architects were involved, Michelangelo is given credit for designing St. Peter's Basilica. Michelangelo's principal contribution was the use of a symmetrical plan of a Greek Cantankerous form and an external masonry of massive proportions, with every corner filled in by a stairwell or small vestry. The effect is of a continuous wall surface that is folded or fractured at unlike angles, lacking the right angles that unremarkably define change of direction at the corners of a building. This outside is surrounded by a behemothic order of Corinthian pilasters all prepare at slightly dissimilar angles to each other, in keeping with the ever-irresolute angles of the wall'south surface. Above them the huge cornice ripples in a continuous band, giving the appearance of keeping the whole building in a country of compression.

St. Peter's Basillica: Michelangelo designed the dome of St. Peter'due south Basilica on or before 1564, although information technology was unfinished when he died.

Mannerism

Mannerist artists began to reject the harmony and ideal proportions of the Renaissance in favor of irrational settings, bogus colors, unclear discipline matters, and elongated forms.

Learning Objectives

Describe the Mannerist style, how information technology differs from the Renaissance, and reasons why it emerged.

Central Takeaways

Key Points

• Mannerism came later on the High Renaissance and before the Bizarre.
• The artists who came a generation after Raphael and Michelangelo had a dilemma. They could not surpass the neat works that had already been created by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo. This is when nosotros kickoff to see Mannerism sally.
• Jacopo da Pontormo (1494–1557) represents the shift from the Renaissance to the Mannerist style.

Key Terms

• Mannerism: Fashion of art in Europe from c. 1520–1600. Mannerism came later the Loftier Renaissance and before the Baroque. Not every artist painting during this period is considered a Mannerist creative person.

Mannerism is the name given to a manner of art in Europe from c. 1520–1600. Mannerism came afterward the High Renaissance and earlier the Bizarre. Not every artist painting during this menses is considered a Mannerist artist, however, and there is much debate among scholars over whether Mannerism should be considered a separate movement from the High Renaissance, or a stylistic phase of the High Renaissance. Mannerism volition exist treated as a separate art movement here equally there are many differences between the High Renaissance and the Mannerist styles.

Style

What makes a work of fine art Mannerist? Beginning we must empathize the ideals and goals of the Renaissance. During the Renaissance artists were engaging with classical antiquity in a new way. In addition, they developed theories on perspective, and in all ways strived to create works of art that were perfect, harmonious, and showed ideal depictions of the natural world. Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo are considered the artists who reached the greatest achievements in art during the Renaissance.

The Renaissance stressed harmony and beauty and no one could create more beautiful works than the great three artists listed above. The artists who came a generation after had a dilemma; they could non surpass the dandy works that had already been created past da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo. This is when we beginning to meet Mannerism sally. Younger artists trying to do something new and unlike began to reject harmony and platonic proportions in favor of irrational settings, artificial colors, unclear subject field matters, and elongated forms.

Jacopo da Pontormo

Jacopo da Pontormo (1494–1557) represents the shift from the Renaissance to the Mannerist style. Accept for example his Deposition from the Cantankerous, an altarpiece that was painted for a chapel in the Church of Santa Felicita, Florence. The figures of Mary and Jesus announced to be a direct reference to Michelangelo'due south Pieta. Although the work is called a "Deposition," at that place is no cross. Scholars also refer to this work as the "Entombment" but there is no tomb. This lack of clarity on subject matter is a authentication of Mannerist painting. In improver, the setting is irrational, almost as if information technology is not in this world, and the colors are far from naturalistic. This work could not have been produced by a Renaissance creative person. The Mannerist movement stresses dissimilar goals and this work of art past Pontormo demonstrates this new, and unlike style.

Pontormo, Deposition from the Cross, 1525-1528, Church building of Santa Felicita, Florence: This work of art by Pontormo demonstrates the hallmarks of the Mannerist style: unclear subject thing, irrational setting, and artificial colors.

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Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-worldhistory/chapter/art-in-the-renaissance/

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