Renaissance Art

Background…

• Video

• Sister Wendy Renaissance

Things to take notes on (this will help you later on):Difference from Medieval to RenaissanceWhat are artists influenced by

Some differences between Italian & Northern Renaissance

Why were they different?

• Classical mythology, religious scenes

• Symmetrical, balanced, good sense of mass, linear perspective

• Figures with mass and volume, knowledge of underlying anatomy

• Fresco, tempera, oil

• Domestic interiors, portraits, religious scenes

• Attention to surface detail, naturalism

• Minute surface detail

• Oil on panel

Include in your notes

• Copy down information from the slides

• Answer the questions on subject, using the art pieces given (Two versions of David, two versions of Judith slaying Holofernes)

• Answer the questions on inventory using the Arnolfini marriage

Looking at paintingsStep one: Subject

1. Know your subject matter

–Research the story: biblical, myth, saint

2. What does your artist do with the subject?

–Contrast with other paintings on the same topic

–The artists’ life, themes in other paintings may give a clue

David, as sculpted by Donatello and MichaelangeloLet’s hear a comparison…

Judith beheading Holofernes by Caravaggio

Judith slaying Holofernes by Gentileschi

Looking at paintingsStep two: Inventory

• Take an inventory and list everything you see in the painting

• Consider

– Colors

– Symbols

– Ask questions – why is this here?

– Do clothes, furnishings, etc. show wealth? Frivolity? Disorder?

Jan Van Eyck “The Arnolfini Marriage”

Looking at paintingsStep three: Technique

• Materials

–What is it painted with (oil/fresco/other) –significance? (Research)

–What is it painted on? (wooden tabletop? Is it an altarpiece with an inside and outside? canvas?)

– Size of painting & its impact

Looking at paintingsStep four: space and light

• Where is your eye drawn to first?

• How does the artist do that?

• Consider: – Contrast – light and dark

– Foreground/background

– Lines that draw your attention towards something

– Rule of thirds

– Repetition of elements

Step 5: Personal response

• Your honest impression as a viewer of art is important. Some of your ideas and opinions will need to change as you learn important details about the culture, style of painting, etc. but take time to experience the art aesthetically, not just as a scholar.

Step 6: Research other interpretations

All of these paintings are significant and have been the subject of scholarship by art historians. Sometimes you can find those interpretations online, or you can visit the Portland Art Museum library, which has over 35,000 volumes of art history, 300 DVDs and videos, as well as current periodicals and journals about art. Sometimes there are alternate names to the paintings due to translations, so be aware of that.

Step 7: Prepare your presentation

You will learn advanced techniques in powerpoint to present your analysis. A clear, easy to follow, professional presentation will be the culmination of your project.