Southern Renaissance Art, part I

Artists
When people think of the Italian Renaissance, they most often focus on, or think of
the art produced during that time. Leonardo,
Michelangelo and Raphael are three names
that command star power one word names
like Adele, LeBron or Oprah. They were artistic superstars of their day, and produced
some of Europes finest masterpieces.
Raphael
Raphael was born Raffaello Sanzio in 1483,
and he only lived 37 years, yet he was enormously productive.
Many of Raphaels paintings
are of religious subject matter
he is especially known for
his madonnas (pictures of
Mary with Jesus as a child).
He was often patronized by
the Vatican, and he painted the portraits of
several Popes and prominent Cardinals.
One of the secular paintings he did was The
School of Athens. In it he pictured
prominent Greek philosophers like Socrates,
Plato and Aristotle. He was making a very
visual connection between Ancient Greece
and the new Renaissance. Please note his
extensive use of perspective.

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Renaissance Art
Southern Renaissance art was inspired in
large part by the sculpture and architecture
of Ancient Greece and Rome.
The art differed a great
deal from Medieval art.
Most Medieval artists emphasized symbolism over
realism, and depicted religious scenes and holy people in Christianity. Renaissance artists often chose religious themes, but tended to give their
paintings and figures a more secular look.
Renaissance artists tended to idealize the
human figure. That is, the human figure in
paintings and sculptures tended to represent the ideal, not necessarily the real. This
was in keeping with Greco-Roman art.
Renaissance artists utilized the Golden
Section when painting or sculpting their
human figures. The Golden Section was the
same proportion used by
Ancient Greek artists and
architects. It was thought
this proportion yielded
the most pleasing visual
appearance. It is suggested that Leonardo Da
Vincis Vitruvian Man ilVitruvian Man
lustrates the ideals of proby Da Vinci
portion in the human body.
The other way Renaissance art differed
from Medieval art was a matter of perspective. Quite literally. Renaissance artists concentrated on giving their paintings a realistic look of depth by using the rules of perspective. Medieval artists were more concerned with symbolism than realism, and
thus their work looked somewhat flat and
two dimensional.

Global History
Southern Renaissance Art, part I
1. What do people associate with the Italian
Renaissance? Which names were synonymous with this movement?

Name _____________________________________
d.

4. Who was Raphael? How long did he live?

2. What inspired Southern Renaissance art?

5. What was the typical subject matter of

Raphaels paintings?
3. In what ways did Renaissance art differ
from Medieval art? (Please fully explain each
way )
a.
6. Who patronized him?

b.

c.

7. In The School of Athens, what was pictured?

8. What was Raphaels purpose in painting

this?

Southern Renaissance Art, part II

Michelangelo
Michelangelo Buonarrotti was born in 1475,
and lived to the ripe old age of 89 !
Michelangelo considered himself to be a
sculptor, but he was pressured by the
Vatican to do some painting and
architecture. His work is among the most
recognizable in the world,
and is synonymous with
the Renaissance.
One of Michelangelos
masterpieces was his
statue of the Biblical
David. This statue stands
17 ft tall, and was carved
when Michelangelo was
only 25 years old. The block of marble from
which it was sculpted was originally
quarried for another sculptor. It was poorly
cut and no one thought it could be made
into anything valuable (perhaps that was
why they commissioned a 25 year old to
work on it). This work vaulted Michelangelo
into prominence.
He was later
commissioned by Pope
Julius II to paint the
ceiling of the Sistine
Creation
Chapel a job that
Michelangelo hated! He worked on it for 4
years in dimly lit, cold conditions. The
paintings tell the story of creation and the
fall of man, and cover the entire ceiling.
One of Michelangelos final projects was in
the area of architectural design. He was
commissioned to design the dome of the
Vatican (St. Peters Basilica) in 1546,
although he died in 1564 before it was fully
completed.

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Leonardo
Leonardo da Vinci is often considered to be
the most brilliant of the three artists and a
true Renaissance man probably because
his interests extended far beyond the fine
arts into science, math, invention, &
engineering.
Leonardo was born in 1452, and lived to
the age of 67. He initially was trained as a
painter, and it wasnt long before his talents
outstripped the master who was training
him.
Leonardo had so many
interests that he often did not
complete his paintings in time
to receive his commission. One
of his most famous paintings,
The Mona Lisa, was with him at
his death, because although it was
commissioned in 1503, he did not finish it
until 1519. The Mona Lisa famous for her
mysterious and ethereal smile.
Leonardos other painted masterpiece was
The Last Supper, which was a mural painted
on a wall in the dining hall at a monastary.
(You can see the door that was later cut
into the wall at the bottom of the painting.)

Leonardo is also known for his journals. He

sketched out designs for inventions, such as
an armored car, a helicopter, and a
submarine. He also had detailed sketches of
anatomy. His interests were truly varied!

Global History
Southern Renaissance Art, part II

Name _____________________________________

1. Who was Michelangelo? How long did he

live?

7. Describe Michelangelos final project.

2. What arts did Michelangelo practice?

8. Why is Leonardo considered the most brilliant of the famous Renaissance artists?

3. Describe the project that vaulted Michelangelo into prominence.

9. When was Leonardo born? How long did

he live?

10. Why did Leonardo have difficulty collecting his commissions?

4. What was Michelangelo commissioned to

paint?

5. Who commissioned it?

6. Why do you think he hated this commission?

11. How long did it take him to finish the

Mona Lisa? For what is this painting famous?

12. What was Leonardos other famous painting of?

13. What was contained in Leonardos journals?