The development of Italian painting in the years around the 1300 or the proto-renaissance is in some sense the rebirth of art and culture. The painters of Renaissance Italy usually attached to particular courts and with loyalties to certain cities, still explored the extensive span of Italy. Many of the Italian painters grew artistically during this time, which is noticeable in Duccio’s painting compared to Giotto’s. In the renaissance period it was highly popularized to mainly draw depictions of religious figures, which is what the concentration of Duccio’s artwork mainly was. Before the painting of the Betrayal of Christ, Duccio’s paintings were highly composed and reliant upon the ancient tradition of icon painting. In the time around 1300 Duccio took steps toward depicting images in a more naturalistic form; Whereas, Giotto, in the 1300’s, was already established as painting more three-dimensional and naturalistic forms. In the two different depictions of the scene Betrayal of Christ, Duccio and Giotto show their different styles on how they compose their paintings. The first decision into the composure of the painting would be the comparison of the size of surface they chose to paint on. Duccio in comparison to Giotto chooses to work on a wooden panel no wider than a foot, and Giotto went with a plaster surface with a width of ten feet. This detail alone lets the viewer know that Giotto’s artwork is embedded in detail and visual consumption. The size difference is the factor between who see’s it and what they see; the fine details and symbolism of the narrative will be better understood if the viewer can see every detail. In addition, to the composition of the painting, the balance is also a dynamic factor. Both Ducci... ... middle of paper ... ...example, Jesus is calmly gazing upon Judas’ face with the expression of acceptance for what is to come, and Peter has a grotesque look of fury as he smites the ear off the high priest’s servant. The paintings by Duccio and Giotto firmly set in place a benchmark for where artwork in the years around 1300 began to develop. These artworks show how paintings began to evolve into more symbolic, naturalistic, and dramatic scenes, depicting events in life and religion. The paintings of Duccio and Giotto are similar in the sense that their paintings were then, in the sense of more modern words, “special effects” of their time. They show vivid colors with meaning and symbolism, atmospheric characters that exist in space, and composition that is well thought out. Overall, these two artists become a pinnacle of art that illustrates Italian paintings in the years around 1300.
Jesus’s body is centered in the middle of the altarpiece, positioned in an elegant curve as his lifeless form is removed from the cross. His body is sickly thin, ribs easily visible
Development in art often follows two tracks: development over a period of time and also differences in regional development. Both changes are seen in the comparison of Barna di Siena’s Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine and Rogier van der Weyden’s Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin and Child. Originating in Italy, the Renaissance began in the mid to late 13th century. Barna da Siena was one of the early Renaissance artists influenced by Duccio di Buoninsegna and Simone Martini. Barna di Siena’s painting is dated around 1340 and Rogier van der Weyden’s painting was painted nearly a century later around 1435. Rogier van der Weyden had the advantage of development in perspective and modeling that developed over time, but was also from the Flemish school of art, a style totally different from that of the early Italian Renaissance artists. What lends these paintings so readily to comparison is the fact that the general symmetrical composition of two main figures and the sizes of the two are approximately the same. However, it is clear that a century and a different region has created stylized differences that are very clear.
In the essay “Naturalism and the Venetian ‘Poesia’: Grafting, Metaphor, and Embodiment in Giorgione, Titian, and the Campagnolas,” Campbell explains the role of poetic painting, poesia, in Venetian artwork during the 1500s. Titian personally used the term poesia when he “[referred] to paintings he was making for [King Philip II] with subject matter derived from the ancient poets.” Poesia now refers to a type of sixteenth century Venetian painting, which Giorgione and Titian initiated and used within their works. Campbell’s main argument is that poesia is not simply aesthetic or reflective of poetry, but rather “grounded in the process of making – and in making meaning – rather than in an aesthetics of self-sufficiency or self-referentiality.” Like poetry, it is not self-contained; meaning lies outside of the work, within the interpretations of the viewers. He discusses the idea of grafting in poetry and how the same grafting model is utilized in the visual arts. Different images, such as pagan figures and contemporary figures and settings, are juxtaposed to create visual discordance and give an intrinsic meaning to the viewer. Campbell then uses many examples of writing, poetry, engravings, and paintings to explore his argument and the connections between artists during the 1500s.
With the different styles of artists’ works planned to be showcased in this exhibition I hope viewers will be able to see what sorts of artworks were being done during the Renaissance that do not consist of works done by Michelangelo, da Vinci, Donatello, or Raphael. With a topic not usually covered when studying about Renaissance artist, I hope viewers will be able to not only learn about the interesting stories of famous Martyrdoms, but also learn about some of the lesser known Renaissance artists and their styles. Paintings of angles and landscapes from the Renaissance may look pretty but with these different and shocking pieces I hope to create an exhibition that will not soon fade away from visitor’s memories after they leave the National Gallery.
As a student of Duccio di Buoninsegna who was an Italian artist and actively worked in the city of Siena, Tuscany, Simone Martini's most famous painting "The Annunciation and the Two Saints" (1333) (Fig. 1) shows influence of the Sienese style of painting at a time when Byzantine art was very popular in the 14th century (Kleiner, 2010:387). This is made evident by the expansive use of gold in the background space behind the figures and flowing throughout the panelled-painting, the attention paid particularly to decorative pattern, as well as the detail and subtle use of sinuous line and rich colours to create pattern, which are all characteristics of Sienese-styled religious iconography. The painting is considered very beautiful, executed with tight, elegant brushstrokes and bears a medieval interest in the representation of the supernatural and spiritual.
One of Raphael’s primary contributions to painting was to perfect the unison of classicizing technique with the tenets of naturalism. When composing a figure, for example, he referred to the visual evi...
Lorenzo De Medici can be considered as one of the most influential men of the 13th century. His work in political affairs and administration were renowned in all Italy and his family could count on him in every aspect. Lorenzo was also a promoter of a new period called Renaissance. He was one of the first “mecenate” to explore this new way of art. In this project, I will concentrate how he developed art in Florence, giving a clear example through an Artist of that period that was working for him: Sandro Botticelli. His work “The Spring” is a well-defined example of what we can call “art in the Renaissance”, in particular for the Italian Renaissance.
Artistic styles are constantly changing. Incidentally, most famous artists tend to be masters of a specific style of art. Every period of art is influenced by the former periods, creating a blurred line where the periods end and beginning. The artists who work in between two distinct periods create a noteworthy blend of both styles. One such artist, Giovanni di Paolo, worked with influences from both the Medieval and Renaissance periods. Medieval and Renaissance art are completely different styles, but Paolo worked to create his own style that fused the two. Medieval art describes the period spanning from Early Christian art all the way to Gothic art. With so many different styles included in this span, come different standards. Paolo focuses on perspective, which was one of the elements that began in Medieval art, but was perfected in Renaissance art. The Renaissance occurred in Europe as literally the rebirth of classical Greek and Roman ideals. Typical early Renaissance art incorporates perspective and realism (Kleiner). Paolo was born at the end of the Medieval period, and although his influences are unknown, it can be inferred that Medieval masters along with Early Renaissance learning influenced him (Damiani). The Medieval and Renaissance periods lasted a significant amount of time, and their overlap is relatively small, but this is when Paolo thrived. Artists were becoming independent artists with individual techniques instead of artisans. Throughout his career, Paolo painted book illuminations as well as panel paintings. Although Renaissance art marked a decline in sacred art, Scenes from the life of St. John the Baptist are a series of six panels that show Paolo’s developing style. Included in these is figure one, St. Joh...
In times of darkness, there is just an absence of light that is required to illuminate an era of future brilliance. The Middle Ages was the period when a shadow was drawn over the past teachings of its ancient predecessors, the Romans and the Greeks, especially in the subject of art. The use of gold leaf in paintings, unrealistic and very stiff figures, evident religious contexts, reliefs, and more contributed to the regression of paintings and sculptures during medieval times, otherwise known as its proper title, the “Dark Ages.” Then a flame sparked a new era of greatness in human creativity, known as the Renaissance or “rebirth.” Not only did the people of the Renaissance discover and absorb Greek and Roman remnants, they also began to explore the natural world and themselves like never before. Nature was greatly expressed in artwork through its enthusiastic creators who desired to discover and develop. The great innovators of the Renaissance contributed many new characteristics and techniques to sculptures and paintings.
In the article “Conditions of Trade,” Michael Baxandall explains the interaction serving of both fifteenth- century Italian painting and text on how the interpretation of social history from the style of pictures in a historical period, pre-eminently examine the early Renaissance painting. Baxandall looks not only on the explanation of how the style of painting is reflected in a society, but also engages in the visual skills and habits that develop out of daily life. The author examines the central focus on markets, material visual practices, and the concept of the Renaissance period overlooking art as an institution. He observes a Renaissance painting, which relate the experience of activities such as preaching, dancing, and assessing. The author considers discussions of a wide variety of artistic painters, for instance, Filippo Lippi, Fra Angelico, Stefano di Giovanni, Sandro Botticelli, Luca Signorelli, and numerous others. He defines and exemplifies concepts used in contemporary critic of the painting, and in the assembled basic equipment needed to discover the fifteenth- century art. Therefore this introductory to the fifteenth- century Italian painting and arise behind the social history, argues that the two are interconnected and that the conditions of the time helped shape the distinctive elements in the artists painting style. Through the institutional authorization Baxandall looks at integration in social, cultural and visual evaluation in a way that shows not only the visual art in social construction, but how it plays a major role in social orders in many ways, from interaction to larger social structural orders.
...laced on the style and materials presented in the painting. While evaluating and comparing various paintings the author feels that at the beginning of the Renaissance era the skill level of the artist was often not acknowledged whereas materials were, but at the end of the era, skill level played a larger factor in who was chosen to complete the artwork. Therefore, fresco painting, which emerged near the end of the period, changed this so called “deposit”, along with the relationship of the artist and the patron, allowing for the talent and skill of the artist to shine.
Dunkerton, Jill, Susan Foister, Dillian Gordon, and Nicholas Penny. Giotto to Dürer: Early Renaissance Painting in the National Gallery. London: Yale UP in Association with National Gallery Pubblications, 1991. Print.
The shift between the Middle Ages and Renaissance was documented in art for future generations. It is because of the changes in art during this time that art historians today understand the historical placement and the socio-economic, political, and religious changes of the time. Art is a visual interpretation of one’s beliefs and way of life; it is through the art from these periods that we today understand exactly what was taking place and why it was happening. These shifts did not happen overnight, but instead changed gradually though years and years of art, and it is through them that we have record of some of the most important changes of historic times.
Additionally, the styles changed; from Rococo, which was meant to represent the aristocratic power and the “style that (…) and ignored the lower classes” (Cullen), to Neoclassicism, which had a special emphasis on the Roman civilization’s virtues, and also to Romanticism, which performs a celebration of the individual and of freedom. Obviously, also the subject matter that inspired the paintings has changed as wel...
The artists of the Renaissance obtained the laws of perspective and chiaroscuro, studied the proportions and anatomy. Painting ousted icon, sculpture revived the free-standing statues, such as horse statue, portrait bust, adding to them sculptural architectural tombstone, scenic terrain. The new demands faced art and caused its enrichment in the types and genres. Along with the pre-existing religious and mythological genres of painting, new genres of portrait, historical and landscape paintings found their place. The heart of Renaissance art was filled with the principle of humanity, the dignity and beauty of the real man, his mind and creative powers. Unlike the medieval times of life-affirming culture, the Renaissance artists exempted from scholasticism and church dogma by contributing to the rise of science. The painters led by passionate thirst for knowledge o...