Romanesque to the Renaissance

Assignment

Watch “Art of the Western World” @ learner.org and write a response to each part.

1. A White Garment of Churches (due week 6 and 7)Part I: Church as patron of Romanesque architecture and sculpture. Part II: Gothic architecture and High Gothic style.

2. The Early Renaissance. (due week 8 and 9)Part I: The rebirth of classical themes.Part II: Glowing color—Oil Paint

What do you see?(not what do you interpret)

What is valued?

What to look for in artsubject matternaturalism (realism) vs. abstraction materials and technologysize and numberparticular practices, media, or genres

Premisesliterature : ideas :: art : culture

Cultural ideas and values exist across pieces and media

Art originates in religious and social rituals and in the expertise of a craft

Art becomes instructive and entertaining and a sign of prosperity

Only recently has art become a means of personal expression (Romanticism)

arts and ideasPre-Hellenic Hellenic Hellenistic Roman

[Divinism] Humanism Individualism [Cosmopolitanism]

mysticalhierarchical

Idealism Realism [Stoicism/Epicureanism][conservatism]

symbolism Rationalism Empiricism emotional technique

Utilitarianism organization copying

awe restraint, nobility engagement, emotional response

didactic, functional, pious

naturalist vs abstractperiod, cultural idea, dominant mode, technique, effect

Early Christian and ByzantineHellenic Roman Early Christian Byzantine

Humanism [Cosmopolitanism] [Divinism] [Divinism]

Idealism [Stoicism/Epicureanism][conservatism]

mysticism, inheritance of Greece and Rome

mysticism, [inheritance of the East]

Rationalism Utilitarianism organization copying

symbolism, [natural and common]

symbolism, abstract and hierarchical

restraint, nobility didactic, functional, pious

devout, active, inclusive

obedient, passive, subordinate

Columns descend in the following categories: period, cultural idea, dominant mode, technique, effect

naturalist (the representation is the artistic focus) vsabstract (the referent is the artistic focus)

Classical TimesPeriod Hellenic Hellenistic Roman

Cultural Ideal Humanism Humanism [Humanism]

Cultural Emphasis, dominant mode

Idealism Individualism [Cosmopolitanism][Stoicism/Epicureanism][conservatism]

Technical method Rationalism RealismEmpiricism emotional technique

Utilitarianism organization copying

Effect on audience restraint, nobility engagement, emotional response

didactic, functional, pious

Culture, Art, and IdeasPeriod Early

ChristianRomanesque Gothic International

GothicRenaissance

Cultural Ideal

Divinism Divinism Divinism Divinism Humanism

Cultural Emphasis, dominant mode

mysticism, inheritance of Greece and Rome

Duality and Hierarchy: Contemplative or Active Life

Opposition and Synthesis:

materialism and sophistication

classicism, individualism, “uomo universale”

Technical method

symbolism, natural and common

abstraction, emblems, parables

totalization, dynamism

ornamentation, naturalism

perspectivism, naturalism, rationalism

Effect on audience

devout, active, inclusive

Faith or fealty intellectuality and chivalry

sensualism nobility, engagement

practices catacombs pilgrimages trade, public religious patronage

antiquarianism science, history, private patronage

Romanesque to Gothic

• interior vs. exterior• abbey vs. town• judgment vs. majesty and Mary• endowments vs. donations (guilds)

Gothic to Renaissance

Beauvais Cathedral

Ulm Cathedral

Milan Cathedral