1. The Italian Renaissance: Art

2. Medieval Painting: Major Styles
Byzantine (iconography)
Portrayed people as stiff and expressionless, with blank eyes
Flat, two dimensional figures – unrealistic
Human body was considered sinful; it had to be covered at all times
Focus wasn’t on the individual but rather the celebration of God’
Illuminated Manuscripts
Book where text is supplemented by addition of decoration (initial letters, borders, etc)
Style was based on animal imagery, combined with an intricate interlacing of geometric lines
Created and drawn by monks, priests
Illuminated Bible page (closeup)

3. Medieval Art: Religious Themes
St. Francis’ Rule Approved
Giotto ?
Tempera (egg yolk mixed with pigment) on wood and ground gold.
Questions
Glowing head?
Realistic?
Depth perception?

4. Medieval Art: Religious Themes
The Epiphany
Giotto
1320
Tempera on wood and ground gold.
Questions
Glowing head?
Depth?

5. Medieval Art: Religious Themes
The Crucifixion
Giotto (1305)
Tempera on wood and ground gold.
Questions
Realism?
Glowing heads?
Depth?

6. Characteristics of Italian Renaissance Art
1. Bright colors & oil paints
2. Concentrated on realism
Natural poses were life-like, realistic – like the GREEKS!!!
Showed personality & emotion
Expulsion from the Garden
Masaccio
1427
First nudes since classical times

7. (Della Pittura – Alberti)
Perspective
(Della Pittura – Alberti)
• Use of perspective
• Shadowing created illusion of depth
• Made distant items smaller

8. The Dead Christ, Andre Mantegna (1501)

9. Betrothal of the Virgin
Perspective!
Betrothal of the Virgin
Raphael
1504

10. Compare & Contrast Perspective

11. The “Classical Pose” Medici “Venus” (1c)
4. Classicism
Greco-Roman influence.
Secularism & Humanism.
Individualism  free standing figures.
Symmetry/Balance
The “Classical Pose” Medici “Venus” (1c)

12. 5. Emphasis on Individualism
Batista Sforza & Federico de Montefeltre: The Duke & Duchess of Urbino
Piero della Francesca,

13. 6. Geometrical Arrangement of Figures
The Dreyfus Madonna with the Pomegranate
Leonardo da Vinci
1469
The figure as architecture!

14. Raphael’s Canagiani Madonna, 1507

15. Where was the Renaissance taking place?

16. Renaissance Florence

17. Lorenzo the Magnificent
Cosimo de Medici

18. Adoration of the Magi Whole Medici family in picture Botticelli on far right looking at viewers

19. Florence Under the Medici
The Medici Palace
Medici Chapel

20. Filippo Brunelleschi 1377 - 1436
Architect
Hired to design the dome of St. Maria del Fiore (cathedral)

21. Filippo Brunelleschi Used the ancient Romans’ architectural concepts
Before starting, he travelled around Italy for inspiration
Used the ancient Romans’ architectural concepts
He studied the ancient Pantheon in Rome
Used ribs to support dome

22. Brunelleschi – Architect
Built lightweight inner
dome, then exterior dome
of wind resistant material
Dimensions: 137 feet across
Weight: 40,785 tons containing
over four million bricks
Time to construct: 16 years

23. Brunelleschi’s Dome

24. Dome Comparisons
Il Duomo St. Peter’s St. Paul’s US Capitol (Florence) (Rome) (London) (Washington)

25. Renaissance Religious Themes
Madonna and Child

26. Madonna and Child, Fra Filippo Lippi Emotion of face -she looks like a real mother - tired, worn down

27. School of Athens - Raphael

28. The School of Athens – Raphael, details
Plato: pointing to the heavens [or the IDEAL realm].
Aristotle: pointing to the earth [the here and now].

29. Details, School of Athens
Michelangelo
Details, School of Athens
Raphael

30. Euclid- Features of Bramante\
Socrates
Details, School of Athens

31. School of Athens-Raphael
Plato and Aristotle on either side of center axis
Plato points skyward to indicate his idealistic worldview
Aristotle gestures to ground to show his concern with the real world
Metaphysical philosophers on Plato’s side
Physical scientists on Aristotle’s side
Raphael on extreme right
Figures grouped and placed on purpose

32. “Study of the Gradations
Leonardo da Vinci
“Self portrait”
“Study of Hands”
“Study of the Gradations
of shadows”

33. Parachute
“Vitruvian Man”
Notebook page
(written backwards!)
Helicopter

34. Leonardo, the Scientist (Biology): Pages from his
Notebook
An example of the humanist desire to unlock the secrets of nature.

35. Leonardo, the Scientist (Anatomy): from his Notebook

36. Leonardo, the Inventor: Pages from his Notebook
Machine gun
Tank
Helicopter

37. Mona Lisa
Lisa di Antonio Maria Gherandini “Mona” - Italian version of ‘Madonna’ or ‘my lady’

38. A Macaroni Mona

39. Mona Lisa – da Vinci, ?

40. A Picasso Mona

41. An Andy Warhol Mona

42. Mona Lisa OR da Vinci??

43. The Last Supper
 Original Now
What original might have looked like 

44. The Last Supper - da Vinci, 1498
vertical
horizontal
Perspective!

45. A Da Vinci “Code”: St. John or Mary Magdalene?

46. Michelangelo

47. The Pieta

48. David

49. What a difference a century makes!

50. The Sistine Chapel

51. The Sistine Chapel Details The Creation of the Heavens

52. The Sistine Chapel Details
Creation of Man

53. The Sistine Chapel Details
The Last Judgment

54. The End