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III. The Renaissance and Art Introduction Following the barbarism of the Middle Ages, men of the 15th and 16th centuries have the impression of living an extraordinary period of renewal. Their era is called an age of individual genius.

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Key Questions In what ways is the Renaissance in the Arts a Humanist Movement? How does the Renaissance movement in the arts reflect the larger Humanists philosophy?

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The Renaissance in Art: a return to ancient sources Just as the Humanists return to ancient texts in Greek and Latin, the artists of the 15th and 16th century find inspiration in the Ancient world as a reaction against the Middle Ages. The classic influence can be seen through architecture and painting by the decoration of represented scenes (columns, cupolas, arches, etc.)

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An example of Greek temple architecture. Note the triangular pediment on top and the Greek columns below Video: The Classical Influence on Renaissance Architecture 415

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New Subject matter for Renaissance Artists Mythological and ancient scenes are once again represented Renaissance artists also paint scenes of the Old Testament which is also a focus of the Humanists

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Botticellis Birth of Venus, Uffizi Museum, Florence, Italy, 1486

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Michelangelos Detail of the Sistine Chapel, Creation of Adam 1508-1512

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IV. Italian Renaissance Art A. Patronage 1. Florence was the leader in Renaissance art especially in the quattrocento (1400s) a. Giorgio Vasari (1511-74): The Lives of the Artists Contemporary Renaissance art historian who left much valuable information about Renaissance artists and their works.

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c. Patronage also came from local churches who increasingly saw Renaissance art as a means of glorifying God. Some notable examples include Brunelleschis Il Duomo built for the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral Ghibertis two sets of doors were created for the baptistery opposite Il Duomo Ghibertis Gates of Paradise 1401 Ghibertis Gates of Paradise 1401

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View of Il Duomo in Florence from the inside Video: How an Amateur built the worlds biggest dome 349

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Michelangelos David, 1501-1504 originally commissioned for the cathedral (but was too heavy and thus placed elsewhere).

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2. Rome became the center of Renaissance art in the 1500s (cinquecento) a. With the decline of Florence in the late- 15th century, Renaissance dominance shifted to Rome. b. Pope Alexander VI (r. 1492-1503): most notorious of the Renaissance popes; spent huge sums on art patronage

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St Peters Basilica, Vatican City

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c. A few of the notable works commissioned by the Church in this period include : Michelangelos dome atop St. Peters Cathedral, his paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and the sculpture Pieta that is located within the cathedral Raphaels The School of Athens (a fresco painting inside the papal apartments) Bramantes Tempietto, a small church that is a masterpiece in classical architecture; and his floor plan for a newly rebuilt St. Peters cathedral. (Much of his plans were altered after his death)

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B. New artistic techniques 1. Painting a.perspective: 3-D effects on a 2-dimensional surface - Vanishing point Medieval works, in contrast, looked flat and two- dimensional Video: Brunelleschis experiment linear perspective 406

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Vanishing Point of Raphaels School of Athens

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Vanishing Point: Masolinis St Peter healing a Cripple

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b. Massive patronage for the arts came from wealthy merchant-families (such as the Medicis) who commissioned countless works from the great artists. In essence, the wealth of Florence was mirrored by the superb artistic output of the Renaissance A good example is Donatellos David which stood in the Medici courtyard during the wedding of Lorenzo de Medici. In Milan, the Sforzas commissioned such works as Leonardos The Last Supper Donatellos David Note that the subject is standing in Contrapposto Leonardo da Vincis Last Supper c. 1493-1498

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b. chiaroscuro: use of dark and light colors to create the illusion of depth c. Faces of subjects expressed unique individual characteristics (embodying the Renaissance ideal of individualism) Also, more emotion was shown on human faces In contrast, medieval paintings tended to be more stylized in their portrayal of human faces (i.e. more generic)

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Leonardo da Vincis portrait Lady with Ermine c. 1485

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d. sfumato developed by Leonardo; a technique of blurring or softening sharp outlines

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Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, 1503- 1506, Louvre Museum

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2. Sculpture a. Medieval sculpture often appeared on buildings and tombs, were highly detailed, and did not glorify the human body. They were relief sculptures protruding from a surface. b. Renaissance sculpture was often free-standing, designed to be seen in the round Heavily influenced by ancient Greek and Roman sculpture This was in stark contrast to medieval sculpture that largely was done in relief

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Donatellos David Bronze sculpture 1440s Contrapposto

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Michelangelos Pieta c. 1498-1500

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c. Many sculptures glorified the human body and many portrayed nude figures (like works in ancient Greece and Rome) d. Like Renaissance painting, many Renaissance sculptures glorified the individual

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3. Architecture a. The Gothic style of architecture during the Middle Ages was highly-ornamented with pointed arches, spires, flying buttresses, and a grand scale b. In contrast, Renaissance architecture utilized ancient Greek and Roman forms such as Greek temple architecture (with triangular pediments), Greek columns, Roman arches and domes (e.g. the Pantheon in Rome) c. Renaissance emphasized simplicity, symmetry and balance.

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Homework Reading: Art of the Western World Chapter 6 Early Renaissance Italy (on blog) Chapter 8 Italian High Renaissance (on blog) Videos: (links on blog) Khan Academys Brunelleschi, Ghiberti Sacrifice of Isaac, Competition Panels 1401-1402, Khan Academys Brunelleschi, Dome of Cathedral in Florence 551 Khan Academys Donatellos David in Bronze Khan Academys Leonardo da Vincis Last Supper Khan Academys Leonardo da Vincis Mona Lisa Khan Academys Michelangelos Sistine Chapels ceiling Khan Academys Raphaels The School of Athens