Renaissance Art

Known as the Renaissance, the period immediately following the Middle Ages in
Europe saw a great revival of interest in the classical learning and values of
ancient Greece and Rome. Against a backdrop of political stability and growing
prosperity, the development of new technologies–including the printing press, a
new system of astronomy and the discovery and exploration of new continents–
was accompanied by a flowering of philosophy, literature and especially art. The
style of painting, sculpture and decorative arts identified with the Renaissance
emerged in Italy in the late 14th century; it reached its zenith in the late 15th and
early 16th centuries, in the work of Italian masters such as Leonardo da Vinci,
Michelangelo and Raphael. In addition to its expression of classical Greco-Roman
traditions, Renaissance art sought to capture the experience of the individual and
the beauty and mystery of the natural world.

Origins of Renaissance Art

The origins of Renaissance art can be traced to Italy in the late 13th and early
14th centuries. During this so-called “proto-Renaissance” period (1280-1400),
Italian scholars and artists saw themselves as reawakening to the ideals and
achievements of classical Roman culture. Writers such as Petrarch (1304-1374)
and Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) looked back to ancient Greece and Rome
and sought to revive the languages, values and intellectual traditions of those
cultures after the long period of stagnation that had followed the fall of the Roman
Empire in the sixth century.

Early Renaissance Art (1401-1490s)

In the later 14th century, the proto-Renaissance was stifled by plague and war,
and its influences did not emerge again until the first years of the next century. In
1401, the sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti (c. 1378-1455) won a major competition to
design a new set of bronze doors for the Baptistery of the cathedral of Florence,
beating out contemporaries such as the architect Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446)
and the young Donatello (c. 1386- 1466), who would later emerge as the master
of early Renaissance sculpture.

The other major artist working during this period was the painter Masaccio (1401-
1428), known for his frescoes of the Trinity in the Church of Santa Maria Novella
(c. 1426) and in the Brancacci Chapel of the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine
(c. 1427), both in Florence. Masaccio painted for less than six years but was
highly influential in the early Renaissance for the intellectual nature of his work,
as well as its degree of naturalism.
Florence in the Renaissance

Though the Catholic Church remained a major patron of the arts during the
Renaissance–from popes and other prelates to convents, monasteries and other
religious organizations–works of art were increasingly commissioned by civil
government, courts and wealthy individuals. Much of the art produced during the
early Renaissance was commissioned by the wealthy merchant families of
Florence, most notably the Medici family .

From 1434 until 1492, when Lorenzo de’ Medici–known as “the Magnificent” for
his strong leadership as well as his support of the arts–died, the powerful family
presided over a golden age for the city of Florence. Pushed from power by a
republican coalition in 1494, the Medici family spent years in exile but returned in
1512 to preside over another flowering of Florentine art, including the array of
sculptures that now decorates the city’s Piazza della Signoria.

High Renaissance Art (1490s-1527)

By the end of the 15th century, Rome had displaced Florence as the principal
center of Renaissance art, reaching a high point under the powerful and ambitious
Pope Leo X (a son of Lorenzo de’ Medici). Three great masters–Leonardo da
Vinci , Michelangelo  and Raphael–dominated the period known as the High
Renaissance, which lasted roughly from the early 1490s until the sack of Rome by
the troops of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V of Spain in 1527. Leonardo
(1452-1519) was the ultimate “Renaissance man” for the breadth of his intellect,
interest and talent and his expression of humanist and classical values.
Leonardo’s best-known works, including the “Mona Lisa” (1503-05), “The Virgin of
the Rocks” (1485) and the fresco “The Last Supper” (1495-98), showcase his
unparalleled ability to portray light and shadow, as well as the physical
relationship between figures–humans, animals and objects alike–and the
landscape around them.

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) drew on the human body for inspiration and
created works on a vast scale. He was the dominant sculptor of the High
Renaissance, producing pieces such as the Pietà in St. Peter’s Cathedral (1499)
and the David in his native Florence (1501-04). He carved the latter by hand from
an enormous marble block; the famous statue measures five meters high
including its base. Though Michelangelo considered himself a sculptor first and
foremost, he achieved greatness as a painter as well, notably with his giant fresco
covering the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, completed over four years (1508-12)
and depicting various scenes from Genesis.
Raphael Sanzio, the youngest of the three great High Renaissance masters,
learned from both da Vinci and Michelangelo. His paintings–most notably “The
School of Athens” (1508-11), painted in the Vatican at the same time that
Michelangelo was working on the Sistine Chapel –skillfully expressed the classical
ideals of beauty, serenity and harmony. Among the other great Italian artists
working during this period were Sandro Botticelli, Bramante, Giorgione, Titian and
Correggio.

Renaissance Art in Practice

Many works of Renaissance art depicted religious images, including subjects such
as the Virgin Mary, or Madonna, and were encountered by contemporary
audiences of the period in the context of religious rituals. Today, they are viewed
as great works of art, but at the time they were seen and used mostly as
devotional objects. Many Renaissance works were painted as altarpieces for
incorporation into rituals associated with Catholic Mass and donated by patrons
who sponsored the Mass itself.

Renaissance artists came from all strata of society; they usually studied as
apprentices before being admitted to a professional guild and working under the
tutelage of an older master. Far from being starving bohemians, these artists
worked on commission and were hired by patrons of the arts because they were
steady and reliable. Italy’s rising middle class sought to imitate the aristocracy
and elevate their own status by purchasing art for their homes. In addition to
sacred images, many of these works portrayed domestic themes such as
marriage, birth and the everyday life of the family.
Characteristics of Renaissance Art
1. Realism
Renaissance artists introduced realism into their art. In other words, different techniques
to make their subjects look as they do in real life. Most of the art works prior to this
period used to focus primarily on religion and Christianity. While many Renaissance
artists also painted religious scenes, they moved more towards humanistic themes. In
other words, they began to paint the power and the identity of a person as an individual.
Renaissance sculptures and paintings brought a more realistic approach to their
mythical figures, usually in the midst of a movement or an activity. Realism downplayed
secular and religious dogma and attached greater significance to the worth and dignity
of individuals.

2. Humanism
Renaissance humanism was a revival in the
study of classical antiquity. This movement
first began in Italy and then spread across
Western Europe. Renaissance humanism
also influenced the arts by elevating the
concepts of aesthetic beauty and geometric
proportions. Human bodies and faces
became more real, and kids looked more like
kids rather than miniature forms of human
adults. Many of the Renaissance paintings
included uplifting messages, motivating
people to rise and act. These art works also
made an attempt to examine human evil. This is because the humanism movement
gave more emphasis on men having more control over their destiny, rather than God
and fate.

3. Anatomically Approved Bodies

Leonardo da Vinci was a Renaissance artist
from Italy who set higher standards for
painting and drawing bodies. He started
painting bodies that were anatomically
correct. To be able to do this, he performed
around 20 autopsies to learn about the
human muscles, organ placement and bone
structure. We can see his dedication to the study by simply observing his drawings,
paintings and even his sculptures.
Some of the art works that show anatomically correct bodies are Mona Lisa, David,
Frescoes, Birth of Venus and many more. Renaissance sculpture and architecture
primarily reflected the human figure too. However, it mainly showcases the nude male
body. Artists like Michelangelo and Donatello heavily depicted human body in nude
form, but never used it for vulgarity. Instead, they would use the nude male body for
deep spirituality.
Renaissance artists incorporated more figures to make complex scenes, allowing a
broader perspective to peep into the lives of the rich and the wealthy. Shadows,
different perspectives and light were efficiently used to bring attention to certain figures
in the paintings.

4. Perspective
Another characteristic of renaissance art is
that painters of that era rediscovered the
ideas of horizon line, vanishing point, linear
perspective and others. They incorporated
this in their works with the aim to add 3-D
space and depth to their art.
Linear perspective was rendered by drawing
in such a way that someone is looking out of
a window and drawing exactly what is seen
from that perspective. All the objects in the
painting were sized depending on how close
or far they were. The objects that were farther
away were painted smaller, and the objects that were closer were painted bigger. The
Horizontal line is the line dividing the earth from the sky. In the renaissance it was
placed near the top rather than at eye level, as this is how we see it from in real life. The
Vanishing point is a spot on the horizon line to which the receding parallel lines
diminish. This kind of effect can be experienced by standing in the middle of a road and
looking at the edges receding into the distance.
'The Last Supper' by Leonardo da Vinci is a perfect example of how Renaissance artists
drew their viewers into their painting by showcasing a scene filled with emotion and
psychology. Different reactions of the apostles are shown and the head of Jesus is
situated at a vanishing point.
 5. Light and Shadows
Renaissance art works played with how light
creates shadows and hits the objects in their
path. Renaissance artists used light and
shadows to draw a person’s attention to a
specific point in the drawing. Renaissance art
was significantly characterized by
representation of light via space, and its
shadows and reflection on various surfaces.
It aimed at achieving the perfect realism we
can see in real life. This was made possible
with the use of oil paints by Renaissance
artists. Richer colors could be laid out using
oil painting. As they took longer time to dry, the artists had more time to keep reworking
on the painting, and achieving finer details with greater realism.
Famous Paintings of the Renaissance

1. Mona Lisa
The painting Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the
most famous and recognized paintings in history. Unarguably it
is the most discussed painting because of the enigmatic smile.
There have been many discussions about the smile of Mona
Lisa, whether she is smiling or not. The major feature of this
painting is that Da Vinci has painted her eyes in such a way that
even when you change the angle of the view, the eyes of Mona
Lisa seems to always follow you. The painting is done in oil on
wood and is presently under the ownership of the Government
of France. Mona Lisa is exhibited in Louvre, Paris and it
belongs to the public, which means that it cannot be bought or
sold.

2. Primavera
The word means spring in Italian. Primavera
is a painting of Sandro Botticelli whose
original name was Alessandro di Mariano
Filipepi. The painting is also known as
'Allegory of Spring'. It is believed that
Botticelli is created this piece of art around
1482 and is said to be one of the prime
examples of Renaissance art. Many have
attempted to interpret the painting and many
have come up with explanations. Some say it
is a mythical allegory while some say it is
about the change of season into spring. This painting is popular because of the use of
color and different explanations attached to it. Primavera is believed to be the most
controversial painting in the world.
 3. The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo Buonarroti
Created in 1512, this is one of the iconic
paintings of Michelangelo. The creation of
Adam is the painting on the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel. Even though this is one of the
most replicated paintings of all time, it is only
second in popularity to Mona Lisa. The
painting has become a symbol of humanity
as the image depicts the hand of both God
and Adam on the verge of touching.

4. The Last Supper

Considered to be the best artwork by
Leonardo Da Vinci in 1498, the Last Supper
is an important painting of the Renaissance
period. The image shows Jesus with his
disciples for his last supper. The painting is
noted for its clever use of color, light, and
anatomy. The painting is also a subject of
many discussions and conjectures. Many
have proposed that the disciple sitting to the
right of Jesus is Mary Magdalene and many have also wondered the significance or
meaning of the V shape between Jesus and the person on the right. Despite all the
conjectures, the Last Supper is one of the masterpieces by Leonardo Da Vinci.

5. The School of Athens by Raphael

Painted in 1511, it stands one among the four main
frescos on the walls of Apostolic Palace in the
Vatican. The four frescos symbolize Philosophy,
Poetry, Theology, and Law. The painting
symbolizes philosophy because it is said the
painting is a representation of the finest period of
Greek Philosophy as one can find Aristotle and
Plato in the center of the painting. This painting has
perfectly captured the classical spirit of the
Renaissance.
 6. The Kiss of Judas
Painted in the year 1306 by Giotto di Bondone, this
painting depicts the moment of betrayal of Jesus by
Judas Iscariot who identifies Jesus to the Roman
soldiers by kissing him. The Scrovegni Chapel is
home to the fresco cycle by Giotto di Bondone, and
the Kiss of Judas is the most famous painting in the
cycle. Many critics believe that Giotto is a genius
and no artist has been able to surpass his work. His
mastery is evident in the way he captured the
expression of Jesus and Judas at that scene of
betrayal.

7. The Last Judgment

This painting by Michelangelo Buonarroti
completed in the year 1541 is found on the altar
wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. The
painting is about the second coming of Jesus, the
day when God shall judge all humanity.
Michelangelo has painted Jesus in the center
surrounded by saints. The top portion of the
painting shows the resurrection of the dead to
heaven and the bottom portion shows the descent
of sinners into hell. The use of colors and excellent
brushwork make this painting of the most revered painting in the world.
 8. Sistine Madonna
Raffaello Sanzio popularly known as Raphael painted the
Sistine Madonna in 1512. The painting shows Mother Mary
holding baby Jesus in her hands with Saint Barbara and Saint
Sixtus on both her sides and two cherubs beneath her. This is
one of the most famous works of Raphael and important
painting of the Renaissance.

9. Assumption of the Virgin

The high altar in the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari,
is where this painting by Tiziano Vecellio, also known as Titian
is found. This painting was done by Titian in his early years and
he has used vivid colors in this painting. Assumption of the
Virgin is a painting about the rise of Mother Mary into heaven.
Titian has painted Mother Mary in a red dress who is raised to
heaven to where God is gazing down in Mary while apostles bid
her farewell from the ground.

10. The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli

Created in 1485, the painting shows Goddess
Venus arriving on the island of Cyprus. She is
depicted as a pure and mature woman standing on
a seashell. Botticelli had given much attention to
every detail of Venus. This painting was done in a
period where nudity was a subject in paintings and
thus makes this one an important painting of the
Renaissance.