Renaissance

What was it?

• A rebirth • the time when people began to get

interested in ancient art and ideas from the past

• especially in ancient Rome• led to many new works of art• time when people began to think for

themselves• time when people began to question beliefs

that had been taken for granted

• Huge changes in...• Art • Science• Architecture• Medicine• Literature

Starts in Italy – why?• Buildings and objects from Ancient Rome

were still in italy - Italy had been the centre of the Roman empire

• many greek manuscripts had been brought to italy for safekeeping by greek scholars in 1453 after the fall of Constantinople

• Italian merchants were richer than elsewhere in europe - they had money to spend on art

• competition between diff italian cities to outdo each other in making their city beautiful - patrons were will to spend money to get artists and architects to do this

Differences between medieval and renaissance

• 1. In middle ages only religious figures could read and write - they studied the bible

• in renaissance, many people learned how to read and write - they studied the writings of Ancient Rome, as well as bible

• 2. In middle ages people accepted the teaching of the Catholic Church, even in geography and science - they didn’t think for themselves

• in renaissance, people started to think for themselves - started to question the teachings of the Church

Humanism

• renaissance idea

• belief that humans are at the centre of everything

Patrons

• rich merchants, and popes and bishops were patrons

• they paid an artist to produce a work of art

• famous patrons - Medicis - Lorenzo de Medici

• always religious topics• no sense of humanity in the faces• 2 dimensional - no perspective• haloes around head• no sense of anatomy - ie bodies were not

realistic• the main person in the picture would be

the biggest• humans not important to the picture -

often v small

Renaissance paintings

• new techniques used• perspective - 3D - things further

away look smaller • anatomy - artists studied human

body - often dissected dead bodies to understand

• nature - nature scenes and animals began to become more realistic

• Renaissance Painting technique - sfumato

• real skin has different shades • sfumato - blurring to create different

shades• artists rubbed the paint• blurring the edges

Oils

• in middle ages, egg white used to mix paints

• dried quickly so artists had to work quickly

• now in renaissance, oil was used• dried slowly• artists had more time to be accurate

New humanism• artists still painted religious paintings• but now the characters were more human, more

like us• also, pictures of just normal people started to be

painted• in middle ages, this would not have been

considered worthwhile• these were called portraits• wealthy patrons would get themselves painted • or their wives• example, Mona Lisa is a portrait of a merchant’s

wife

Frescos

• a picture painted directly onto a wall• in ancient rome there had been

many frescos• now renaissances artists started

using them again• De Vinci’s ‘The Lat Supper’ is an

example

Da Vinci

• Born in Vinci in 1452 near Florence• Apprenticed to Florentine artist• he would often paint the smaller

objects in a painting by his master• soon became famous• his dove in * showed people his

skill

• often didn’t finish his paintings • ‘Adoration of the Magi’ is

unfinished• lost interest in them

• used the new renaissance techniques• sfumato• portraits• perspective• anatomy - he dissected many bodies• often included animals in his

paintings

Mona Lisa

• one of his most famous works • now hangs in the Louvre museum• portrait of his patron’s wife• sfumato used in her face and hands• we can see the diff shading in her

face• the creases in her dress are v lifelike

• mysterious expression in her smile...• ...shows how he perfectly captured

her human qualities• shows his knowledge of anatomy• nature in background• also perspective in background• road twists and turns; a river flows

• leaves Florence for Milan• New patron, Sforza, Duke of Milan• Paints ‘The Last Supper’ on wall of a Church• Fresco• Paint has peeled and colors faded• but still famous• although it’s religious, we still see the human qualities of

the apostles• we can see fear, confusion• perspective in background• jesus, even though he is the main focus in the middle...• ...is not bigger than the others

Notebook (1)

• Kept his ideas in a notebook• carried it with him• used mirror writing to protect it• perhaps afraid people might steal his

ideas • also afraid the Catholic Church would

not like his theories

Notebook (2)

• contained diagrams for machines• inventions of submarine and helicopter• contains the shocking line, ‘the sun

does not revolve around the earth’• invented weapons for Zforza, duke of

milan• also studied biology and made many

drawings of plants and animals in them

France

• his popularity dwindled because of younger artists such as Michelangelo

• so he moved to france• died there in 1519• that’s why ‘Mona Lisa’ is in the

Louvre

Importance of Da Vinci

• a Polymath - the typical renaissance man

• tried his hand at everything• sculpture, painting, inventions• used the new techniques• his paintings still admired today