Introduction to Renaissance Art

Prehistoric - 2.5 Mil - 3000 BC

> Before recorded history
Ancient Age - 3000 BC - 500 AD
> Beginning of writing and recorded history
> 800 BC - 500 AD Classical Antiquity (Ancient Greece and Rome)
Middle Age/Medieval Age - 500 AD - 1400 AD
> Began with the fall of Roman Empire and
ended with the beginning of Renaissance
> 1315 - 1317 Great Famine
1337-1453 Hundred years of War
1347-1351 Plague/Black Death
1378 - 1417 Turmoil in Catholic Church
Renaissance - 1400 - 1700 BC/BCE - Before common era
AD/BC - Common era
Prehistoric - 2.5 Mil - 3000 BC
> Before recorded history
Ancient Age - 3000 BC - 500 AD
> Beginning of writing and recorded history
> 800 BC - 500 AD Classical Antiquity (Ancient Greece and Rome)
Middle Age/Medieval Age - 500 AD - 1400 AD
> Began with the fall of Roman Empire and
ended with the beginning of Renaissance
> 1315 - 1317 Great Famine
1337-1453 Hundred years of War
1347-1351 Plague/Black Death BC/BCE - Before common ear
1378 - 1417 Turmoil in Catholic Church AD/BC - Common era
Renaissance - 1400 - 1700

3000 1000 500 50 1 BC 50 500 1400 2020

1 AD
 The Greek and Roman culture

The art, architecture, philosophy and literature of ancient

Greece and Rome played a foundational role in the history of
Western art, establishing numerous key concepts, techniques,
and styles that artists in the subsequent millennia have
revisited and responded to in countless ways.
 The Parthenon on top of the Acropolis

The Erechtheum is an ancient Greek temple on

the north side of the Acropolis of Athens.
 Medieval Art
• Mostly Religious and of war - purpose was to teach
religion to those who could not read
• Flat, lacks depth or
perspective
• Stiff with no movement
• Facial expressions lack
emotions, fully clothed
• Figures are elongated
and disproportionate
• Backgrounds are single
colored, often gold
• Paintings, sculpture, reliefs, metal work, tapestry,
manuscripts, stained class windows, mosaics and
fresco paintings in churches , no portrait paintings.
 The Great Plague– the
Black Death

The 100 Years War

Renaissance - A Movement that originated in Italy in the 14th
century and reached its height in Europe during the 15th and 16th
centuries. Florence was a cultural leader in the Renaissance period.
The term “Renaissance” refers to the cultural and intellectual
“rebirth” of Greek and Roman culture – Architecture – Sculpture
– Painting – Literature - Philosophy

Artists gained prestige, no longer anonymous - became

celebrities

Patrons financed & protected artists.

• Kings & Popes
• Medici Family in Florence were the most famous and wealthy
patrons of the Renaissance.
Patrons commissioned artwork and decided the themes
Characteristics of Renaissance Art
Art, architecture and science were closely linked during the
Renaissance. In fact, it was a unique time when these fields of
study fused together seamlessly.
Writer
Polymath Nicolaus Shakespeare
Artist Rafael Copernicus Artist da Vinci Patron Medici

Polymath Architect Scientist Humanist Humanist Petrarch

Michelangelo Filippo Brunelleschi Galileo Galilei de Montaigne
Renaissance artists focused on developing new techniques and
artistic methods of composition and aesthetic effect.
Characteristics of Renaissance Art:
• Classicism
• Humanism
• Emphasis on human figure
• Realism
• Perspective
• Light & shade
Classicism - This is a
movement that can be defined
by its attention to traditional
forms concentrating on
elegance and symmetry.
Artists, architects and
sculptors studied the art of
Ancient Greece and Rome and
incorporated elements of these
civilizations: – Mythological
themes – Idealized beauty
(proportion) – Classical
architectural elements
(columns, semicircular arches)
& techniques (symmetry,
proportion, simplicity).
Humanism - Renaissance
art was driven by the notion
of ‘humanism’ that
downplayed religious and
secular dogma, attaching
greater importance to
humans.  It was a cultural
and intellectual
movement that emphasized
human potential, their
values, capacities, and worth
to attain excellence and
promoted direct study of the
literature, art, and
civilization of classical
Greece and Rome
Perspective drawing or painting is such that it looks like there is three-
dimensional depth and space - It gives the illusion that some objects in the
painting are further away than others. Interestingly, all of these subjects are
combined in linear perspective, which uses geometric lines and a vanishing
point to give the illusion of depth and space to painting.
Linear perspective is a
mathematical system
used to create the
illusion of space and
distance on a flat
surface.
Vanishing point :
location on the
horizon used to
construct linear
perspective
Emphasis on human figure - The human figure became very important in
Renaissance age - Artists studied human anatomy, measuring proportions,
seeking the ideal human form. Artists rediscovered the beauty of nature & the
human body, expressing the optimism of this new age - People in the paintings
looked solid and displayed real emotions, allowing the viewer to connect with
the depicted persons.
Realism & expression -
One of the big changes in art
was to paint and sculpt subjects
realistically. This is called
realism and involves a number
of techniques that make the
subjects and background look
like they would in real life. This
also meant giving the subjects
more emotional qualities; more
expression.
Light and Shadow - The artists were interested in playing with the way
light hits objects and creates shadows. The shadows and light could be used to
draw the viewer’s eye to a particular point in the painting.
Chiaroscuro
The fine art term "chiaroscuro" (from the
Italian for "light-dark"; or the French "clair-
obscur") describes the prominent contrast
of light and shade in a painting, drawing or
print, and the skill demonstrated by the
artist in the management of shadows to
create the illusion of three-dimensional
forms.
What are the Characteristics of Renaissance Art?