Art and Architecture of the Middle Ages /Renaissance

Eastern and Western Empires

•The nobles who lived in the country provided the king with protection in exchange for land.

•Peasants worked the land for the nobles, for which they received protection and their own small parcels of land in which they paid rent and/or taxes.

The Feudal System of the Middle Ages

•In feudal cities, where there was a small middle-class population, life was a little easier and individuals had the freedom to pursue whatever trade or industry they liked. (joining guilds)

• With the threats of the barbarians over, eventually people returned to the cities for a better life.

Use of Art during the Middle Ages (Western Europe)

Religious and hieratical Taught religious

themes

Showed daily life

Notice the King Charles of France 1350’s being crowned by the Pope and Bishops.

Middle Age art was Hierarchal.

The most important figure is placed either farthest top or center. Proportion was not a value in art medieval

art.

Who is most important here?

Medieval art lacked proportion. Usually represented only in two dimensional space

Middle Age Art and lack of Proportion

Renaissance art was proportional and introduced the appearance of three dimensional space

Byzantine ArtEastern Christian Empire

•Byzantine art usually featured single religious figures called “Icons.”

•Byzantine art seems to radiate and glow!!!

There was a great debate and battle over the religious icons the Greek Orthodox and later Protestants viewed Icons as idol worship.

Many loved the Icons because they put a face with the beloved saint, bible personality etc. The Icons won

Protestant churches are more modest and have less religious imagery than Catholic

Justinian’s Great Byzantine Church

Was turned into a Mosque when Constantinople fell in 1453

Elaborately painted arches and vaults and domes.

Byzantine Architecture

Rounded vaulted ceilings as opposed to arched.

Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1445.This changed the lives of people in Europe and, eventually, all over the world.

In a Time magazine poll of 2000 the most important invention of the last 1000 years. Was the printing press.

Previously, bookmaking entailed copying all the words and illustrations by hand. Often the copying had been done onto parchment, animal skin that had been scraped until it was clean, smooth, and thin. The labor that went into creating them made each book very expensive.

Because Gutenberg's press could produce books quickly and with relatively little effort, bookmaking became much less expensive, allowing more people to buy reading material.

The Demand for Books Grows!!!!

Gutenberg’s Printing Press 1445.

Middle Ages vs. The RenascenceWestern Europe Stiff, no proportion - frozen

Renascence art: Lots of movement. proportional, alive elements of fun! This is Ancient Rome!!!

Byzantium art: usually featured a single figure. Essence not realism was important

Martin Luther The Reformation

1483 - 1546

Devout German Monk

Went to Rome as a Pilgrim

Saw wealth and corruption of the church

Protested the use of indulgences (Payments to erase Sin) in his 95 Theses.

Used the Printing Press to spread the word.

Risked and was excommunicated from catholic church.

Translated the Bible to German allowing all to read the word of god themselves.

New religious movement

Promoted literacy

Renaissance," French for "rebirth," perfectly describes the intellectual and economic changes that occurred in Europe from the fourteenth through the sixteenth centuries. During this era, the Renaissance was an age in which artistic, social, scientific, and political thought turned in new directions. (Back to the Ancient World)

The Renaissance

Learning and the Arts began to flourish during the Renaissance. Why????

Crusaders returned to Europe with a newfound understanding of the world and brought back books saved by the Muslims.

The invention of the printing press encouraged literacy and helped to spread new ideas.

Wealthy families and the church had amassed enough wealth to become patrons. (Pay for art)

The development of financial techniques such as bookkeeping and credit allowed merchants to prosper

Arab Scholars preserved the writings of the Ancient Greeks in their libraries

Arab scholars preserved the writings of the ancient Greeks in their libraries. When the Italian cities traded with the Arabs, ideas were exchanged along with goods.

These ideas, preserved from the ancient past, served as the basis of the Renaissance. When the Byzantine empire fell to Muslim Turks in 1453, many Christian scholars left Greece for Italy.

Learning during the Renaissance.

The Renaissance was much more than simply studying the work of ancient scholars. It influenced painting, sculpture, architecture and government.

Paintings became more realistic and focused less often on religious topics.

Artists advanced the Renaissance style of showing nature and depicting the feelings of people.

Printing spread ideas to the masses.

Adoration of the MagiWhile Mary and Jesus are top and center, look in the forefront. They are rich merchants. People who sponsored art were called Patrons.

Often patrons were included in the paintings

Renascence Art 1420 - 1600

•Proportion

•Emotion

•Realism

•Patrons as subjects

Compared with Medieval art

Renascence art alive with light and Emotion

Titian

Notice the use of light and dark. The background and women’s emotion all add to the impact of Mary being told she is the Mother of God “The Annunciation.”

What period do these figures look like?

Answer: Ancient Greek and Roman. Idealism and perfection

Michelangelo represented the “High Renaissance” Period by perfecting the ideals of the Ancient Greeks and Romans.

Michelangelo was a master of painting a sculpture

Roman pagan religion is reintroduced as fantasy.

Botticelli                          “The Birth of Venus”

Leonardo de Vinci: A Renaissance Man:

Artist

Leonardo de Vinci: A Renaissance Man

Science and Anatomy

Leonardo de Vinci: A Renaissance Man

Invention and Architect

Medieval Cathedrals

English Medieval Cathedrals

French Cathedrals

French Cathedrals

Other Worldly

French Cathedrals

Height

Detailed Vaults

Renaissance Architecture

St. Peter’s Basilica Rome

Renaissance ArchitectureFlorence Italy

Renaissance Architecture

Renaissance Architecture

St. Peter’s Basilica

Medieval Art (Western)

Byzantine Art(Eastern)

(Renaissance Art)

Medieval (Western)

Byzantine Art(Eastern)

(Renaissance Art)