Italian and High Renaissance

Italian Renaissance 1400 - 1520

Influences that shaped the Renaissance The 15th century was a time of great growth and discovery. At this time we saw the spread of: Commerce Wealth Knowledge The arts We also saw an interest develop in the arts and literature of ancient Greece and Rome called humanism. These scholars believed that each individual has dignity and worth.

Influences that shaped the Renaissance Artists focused on the: Lifelike appearance Realism Study of nature Study of surviving classical sculptures We also saw the development of the printing press! Which allowed mass-production to occur for the first time in books.

Masaccio (1401 - 1428) The first important artist of the Italian Renaissance Massacio brought about a revolution as a young painter in Florence, Italy. He developed a technique that inspired the fresco style. It quickly became popular throughout all of Italy at this time.

The Holy Trinity (1428) Masaccio Medium: Fresco Location: Santa Maria Novella Church In this piece A small chapel Holy Trinity, St. John the Baptist, Virgin Mary Addition of two figures from the wealthy family that commissioned this piece Techniques Ignored unnecessary detail Focus on mass and depth Solid figures that look real Strong use of light and shadow Linear perspective (overlapping) Holy figures are small Two other figures are life-size and outside of the chapel (enhancing perspective)

Linear Perspective Prior to the Holy Trinity, a man named Filippo Brunelleschi discovered linear perspective. Linear Perspective: A graphic system that shows artists how to create the illusion of depth and volume on a flat surface. This is accomplished by: Slanting lines to a vanishing point Making the size of objects get smaller as they recede further into the background overlapping

The Tribute Money (1427) Masaccio Medium: Fresco Location: Brancacci Chapel, Florence, Italy Illusion of endless space In this piece Tells the story of St. Peter 3 scenes of people Christ, telling Peter how to pay the tax collector Tax collector on left of Christ

Aerial Perspective Definition: Uses hue, value and intensity to show distance in a painting. Overlapping Slanting lines of buildings (leads eyes deep into the image) Distance objects are bluer, lighter and duller

Gothic in the Renaissance Not all artists excepted the innovations made by Masaccio. Many chose to use some of his ideas and ignore others. Italian art at this time was a blend of the progressive ideas of the Early Renaissance and the conservative ideas of the Gothic period. This included sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti.

Lorenzo Ghiberti Best known for the Baptistery of the Florence Cathedral. In 1401 the Florence City Council sponsored a contest to find an artist to decorate the north doors of the Baptistery of the cathedral. This Baptistery, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, was one of the most important buildings in the city. Children were officially brought into the church through Baptism here. In 1330 artist Andrea Pisano decorated the south doors with scenes from St. John’s life using bronze relief's.

Lorenzo Ghiberti To decorate the north doors, the city offered a challenge to its leading artists. Sculptors were asked to design a sample relief panel in bronze. The subject was the sacrifice of Isaac because it was a religious scene with great dramatic interest. Entries were submitted and carefully examined and Ghiberti was declared the winner. It took him 21 years to complete the panels used on the doors.

The Gates of Paradise (1425 - 1452) Bronze, Baptistery of Florence, Italy For this project Ghiberti abandoned the Gothic frame he used in his winning panel. He introduced the feeling of space by using linear perspective. Buildings extend back into the work. Figures were modelled so they stand out from the surface and are almost fully rounded.

High Renaissance 1495 - 1527

High Renaissance One of the most remarkable things about the Renaissance was its great wealth of artistic talent. During this time, Master artists like Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael created their timeless masterpieces. All three lived in Italy and were commissioned by the popes of Rome to create ambitious artworks that glorified religious themes. Never before had such a concentrated surge of creative energy occurred simultaneously on three fronts. Like all artists before them, these masters dreamed of achieving new levels of excellence.

Leonardo Da Vinci Even when he was a child people saw that Leonardo was blessed with remarkable powers. He had gracious manners, a fine sense of humour, and great physical strength. His curiosity drove him to explore everything studying architecture, mathematics, sculpture, painting, anatomy, poetry, literature, music, geology, botany and hydraulics. It is estimated he created over 120 notebooks full of drawings. He also dissected cadavers at a time when the practice was outlawed. This enabled him to learn how arms and legs bend and how muscles shift. Furthermore he was interested in the head, how the eyes see and how the mind reasons.

The Last Supper (1495 - 98) - fresco, Santa Maria delle Grazie, Italy Because he was never pleased and eager to move on, his experiments often failed and paintings were left unfinished. The Last Supper is one of those failures. The original painting began to flake off the wall shortly after it was applied because he used an experimental painting technique.

The Last Supper Techniques Linear perspective to create an extended dining hall All convergence lines lead to Christ Christ is the only one calm All others are in a flurry having just heard of the news that Judas will betray Him Apostles are grouped in threes Judas is starring at Christ (3rd figure on right) Judas’ expression is anger and the only one in shadow

The Last Supper Even though there are glasses containing drinks on the table, there is no chalice that stands out as being synonymous with the tale of the last supper (that was used to drink the blood of Christ and is also known as the Holy Grail). St Peter is drawn as a feminine figure or more likely a woman. There is a possibility that she represents Mary Magdalene (of which the Gnostic Gospels found earlier in our century show her to have been Jesus’ foremost disciple and not the prostitute she was previously thought to be).When the figure of Mary Magdalene is superimposed to Jesus’ left side, she slots neatly as if lying on his shoulder as ones romantic partner may do. Many believe she was married to Jesus.The large gap shaped as a 'V' on Jesus’ right hand side between himself and the feminine figure is believed by some scholars to denote a symbol of the female and also the missing chalice of the Holy Grail.

Mona Lisa (1503 - 06) - Louvre, France As a perfectionist, Da Vinci was never entirely satisfied with his efforts. When he died, he still had in his possession the Mona Lisa portrait. He had been working on it for 16 years yet claimed it was still unfinished. Ironically it is now one of the most popular works of art ever created.

Mona Lisa Mona Lisa is known for the sfumato technique. Sfumato: There are no harsh outlines present. Areas blend into each other using miniscule brush strokes, creating a hazy, smoky, realistic depiction of light and colour. Scientists discovered Da Vinci achieved his trademark smoky effect by applying up to 40 layers of extremely thin glaze thought to have been smeared on with his fingers. The glaze, of subtly different pigments, creates blurring and shadows around the mouth which creates the “Mona Lisa Smile.” With the drying times for the glaze taking months, such effects would have taken years to achieve.

Michelangelo Ranked alongside Leonardo as one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance. Similarly, he was gifted in many fields including sculpture, painting and poetry.

Pieta (1500) Marble, St. Peter’s Basilica, Italy Carved while in his early twenties Shows Mary mourning over the body of Christ Oversized: wanted the viewer to focus on the religious meaning not Mary struggling to support Christ’s body Mary shows simple gestures and expressionless face Mary’s face looks small compared to her body

Sistine Chapel Ceiling (1508 - 12) Fresco, Sistine Chapel, Italy 40 ft wide, 133 ft long and rounded, 68 ft high Angered Michelangelo because he thought of himself as a sculptor not a painter, and because ceilings were of less importance than walls of cathedrals Painted laying on his back on a large scaffold Divided into 9 sections Tells the story of humanity from the Creation to the Flood Looks more like a sculpture than a painting Strong values show solid forms Constant moving, twisting and turning Took over 4 years

Sistine Chapel Ceiling (1508 - 12) - Sistine Chapel, Italy It was very difficult for him to view while laying so close on his back and claimed to never be able to walk in an upright position again. It includes over 145 pictures and 300 figures.

Raphael Successful, wealthy and admired. As a child he apprenticed with a respected artist learning how to use soft colours, circular forms and landscapes. As he grew he studied Leonardo’s and Michelangelo’s works and combined their styles.

The Alba Madonna (1510) oil, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Typical image that was being painted at the peak of the High Renaissance. Halos and cross connect to religious theme Unclothed child is Christ Second child is St. John the Baptist Camel hair garment worn by St. John fits the description of one worn later in his life while preaching Cross is a symbol of salvation Christ's twisted body suggests he wants St. John to represent all people Faces show tension: all looking at the cross This representing its strong purpose

Review Linear perspective: perfected during the Renaissance, creates sense of reality Aerial Perspective: Creates feeling of endless space Massacio Ghiberti Leonardo Michelangelo Raphael