The History Of Art From the Renaissance to today… Jonathan Szelsitowski

The Renaissance Renaissance art was based on re embracing the classic from the ancient Greeks and Romans. This style sought to replicate reality by adding marvelous detail. ( )

Although influence by classic style, Renaissance artists still employed Christian themes. Using techniques such as ciarro scuro, Renaissance artist manipulated light, darkness, form, Artist were mainly employed by the Catholic church. Some of the most famous of said artists include the TMNT. (Leonardo, Donatello, Rafael, and Michael Angelo.

The following version of David reflect the varying styles of Renaissance artists: Donatello’s David (right) is portrayed more accurately to the story as he is shown to be a young Jewish boy. Where as Michael Angelo’s sculpture (left) reflects the humanist ideals of a balanced man, and depicts David in the exemplary form all men should strive to become.

Baroque ( ) Born in Italy and spread all throughout Europe (especially France) the Baroque movement is especially characterized by it’s use of dark lighting. The dramatic illumination allows for the artist to emphasize specific aspects of the painting. Key painters of the era were Rembrandt and Vermeer.

This came at a time when Europe was divided by catholic and Protestant beliefs following the Reformation. Baroque art was especially promoted by the Catholic Church in their efforts to inspire the people into the Catholic faith. This style is also often associated with absolute monarchies that developed along the same time and so is sometimes called “the style of Absolutism.”

Romanticism Romanticism was a movement that se t out to challenge the established tenants of society such as order an Religion. As such it denounced rationalism and logic and embraced the individual, imagination, emotions, and nature. ( )

Romantic art likewise, depicted and glorified human nature and emotion. A recurring them was the glory of warfare. Other romantics emphasized the more natural lifestyle of the middle ages with paintings of medieval castles and the surrounding wilderness.

Impressionism (1860s-1890)s The impressionist movement was most predominant in France where the development of the bourgeoisie class was coming into power.

Impressionist artists were highly focused on the effect and manipulation of light. Likewise, paintings involved the observer’s ‘impression’ of what was there. New techniques like dotting embodied this. A common theme in impressionist paintings was the leisurely activities of the bourgeoisie class in contrast to the nobles an monarchs in previous art.

 (1924- ) Surrealism Surrealism highly emphasized the idea of the observer's perception of the art as dictated by their subconscious. This paralleled the new developments in psychology of the time period. Like Romanticist, Surrealists though rational thinking constrained the mind and was a tool for established powers to suppress others.

Surrealist painters like Salvador Dali embedded deep metaphorical meanings in what would seem like nonsensical drawings to those whose minds were bound by established reason.

aBSt4Ct EckspresSi0nizm (1940’s- 1960’s) Following WWII, paintings of war and contemporary life had become overused and replaced by photographs. As a result, the Abstract Expressionist movement arose, primarily in America. (Notice how the painting is similar to the polish flag, signifying how much it fails.)

Reflect deeply on the painting my sister could have made.