The Renaissance Period in Europe

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The Renaissance Period is widely known for the abundance of amazing portraiture that circulated around Europe. During the Renaissance, Albrecht Dürer, a German artist painted a self-portrait in 1500 that had qualities that differed from the usual style of artist in that time (Chauhan). Jean Clouet also painted a portrait for the King of France and became the official court painter. Both artists had a talent for portraiture, while their styles were quite different. King Francis I wanted to be seen as a powerful man, and appointed Clouet to paint him in a classically renaissance way that highlights his wealth and authority. Dürer, described as a cocky, self-centered man, painted himself in a light that is unique and puts him on a ‘holy’ pedestal (Stokstad 356). In this essay I will show how although both paintings have clear differences with their style, both men in the compositions are conveyed in a great and very powerful sense. Standing back, the obvious differences between the two famous paintings is the colour and detail of the subject. Covered in lavish material that is highlighted in gold, Francis I looks royally powerful. Wearing a fur-trimmed suit, Durer’s self portrait has less of an extravagant look to it, completed with a back background. Both men were powerful with either authority or talent, and they both wanted to flaunt the viewer with their own cockiness that couldn’t be ignored. The king’s body is wide with decorated cloth that is studded with gold and silk. He wears a smirk under his pearly hat that could be taken as smug while surrounded by riches (Pomarède). Dürer, however does not have the cocky look, but instead has "Thus I, Albrecht Dürer from Nuremburg, painted myself with indelible colors at th... ... middle of paper ... ... painted in an Idealistic way with the portrait of King Francis I by shifting the proportions and making his shoulders broader than normal. Filling out the frame of the painting, the king’s head and neck look too small on the full body, conveying the idea of manliness and strength. Both artists strived to paint the portraits in a realistic way, but distorted the subject and lighting to heighten the feeling of power that both portraits present. Both artists were popular in the Renaissance period because of their contrasting talents. Francis I by Jean Clouet expresses the king’s power through his vibrant and detailed garments. Albrecht Dürer’s self-portrait from 1500 expressed his own power through his manipulation of light and his strong pose. Although both paintings have clear differences with their style, both men are painted in great and very powerful sense.

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