Renaissance Art

Before the Renaissance Era there were primarily 3 social

levels

•Nobility

•Churchmen

•Peasants

Dark AgesDuring the earlier times the most important cultural institution was the church and the important learning was theology (study of God). Medieval thinking held that the world was filled with evil temptations. Famine and plague ran rampant (out of control) during this era. Plague could destroy entire villages, killing thousands of people within a very short time period. The most famous plague is the Black Death; it killed 1/3 of the population in Europe. The origin of the plague is unknown, but according to many scientist, it is believed to have been carried through rats.

During the Renaissance Era, social structure was changed and a

merchant class of people developed.

Renaissance thinkers began to emphasize people’s responsibilities and duties to their society, a society

that could civilize people rather than make them wicked. The changes in thinking happened

gradually, but the influence of the Renaissance impacted and shaped the future, leading to a modern

era.

The Renaissance Era

• Between 1400 A.D. to 1600 A.D.

• Began in the city states of Italy.

• Renaissance means “rebirth” in French.

• Art is reflected back to the classical time of Rome and Greece.

• This reflection was not limited to art, but also literature, science and architecture.

Renaissance Literature

• William Shakespeare

• Sir Walter Ralegh

• Henry Howard

• Edmund Spenser

William Shakespeare

Tragedy• Romeo & Juliet• Hamlet• Macbeth• King Lear

Comedy• A midsummer Nights

Dream• Much Ado About

Nothing• The Taming of the

Shrew

Poets

• Sir Walter Ralegh

• Henry Howard

• Edmund Spenser • Farewell to the Court• Song of Myself• The Lie• Shepherds Calendar• The Fairie Queen

Renaissance Science

• Botany- plants

• Zoology- animals

• Astrology- zodiac signs

• Astronomy- outer space

• Physiological and Anatomical studies- medical

Renaissance Architecture• Classically-Style Columns

• Geometrically-Perfect Designs

• Hemispherical Domes

Paintings

• First oil painting on canvas

• Three dimensions by use of shadow and light

• Mythical subjects

• Nature scenes

• Differences in proportions (meaning size and location of one thing compared to another) of subject matter

Renaissance Artists

•Leonardo Da Vinci

•Raphael

•Michelangelo

Leonardo Da Vinci

• Last Supper • Mona Lisa

Leonardo Da Vinci

Was an architect, musician, engineer, scientist and inventor. He sketched the first parachute, first

helicopter, first aero plane, first tank, first repeating rifle, swinging bridge, paddle boat and first motor car during the late 1400’s and early 1500’s. It took him 6 years to complete the Mona Lisa. (Misty backgrounds,

used lights in the portraits). No eyebrows on his portraits. When he finished the Mona Lisa, the King of France bought it. Leonardo did not want to part with it so the King let him keep it in his studio until he died in

1519. The last supper was painted in 1495; it has become one of the most famous paintings in the world.

Raphael

• The School of Athens

• Madonna with Christ and St. John the Baptist

Raphael

Learned his techniques from Leonardo. He died on his 37th birthday in 1520. Raphael put

realistic emotions in his paintings, making people think of personality. Beauty and

serenity were his greatest emotional themes. Painted several Madonna pictures (Madonna dell Granduca, the small Cowper Madonna,

and Alba Madonna.)

Michelangelo• The Last

Judgment• Sistine Chapel

Michelangelo

Began to show interest in art and drawing at the age of 10 and became an apprentice by age 12. He became the pupil of the great sculptor, Donatello. He is the sculptor of the Statue of David. His greatest glory was painting the Sistine chapel which began in 1508

and was completed in 1516 (8 yrs). The painting is the history of the Old Testament including over 300 figures and covered 6000 square feet of the chapel (about 16 classrooms). He lay for hours at a time

on a scaffold more than 50 feet in the air with paint dripping into his eyes. 23 years later he painted The Last Judgment located over the

alter at the same church as the Sistine chapel. His paintings were all equally proportioned with very good perspective. All of his

paintings had a 3-D effect to make his figures stand out from the background.