After completing the readings: Discuss how Renaissance ideas are expressed in the Italian art of the period, referring to specific works and artists.
Answer in your own words but also comment on what someone else said in response to this question - do you agree or diagree with someone else's comments?
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I believe that the art of the Renaissance reflected how secular Italy was becoming due to the fact that the art and sculptures strayed away from religious themes. People began to form new and unique perspectives on living and began to observe and evaluate their surroundings based on a worldly view. To be specific paintings had the tendency to demonstrate human figures in realistic backgrounds such as hills or castles and not something representing eternity which was art of the medieval ages. Sculptures revealed that the sculptors had keen knowledge of human anatomy by the way of the expression of sculpted faces and the sharp detail. A great example of a Renaissance painting was the Last Supper, skillfully painted by Leonardo da Vinci, the disciples and Christ himself is presented in the painting as men with their own individual characteristics. It is of religious theme but in a way of expressing personality rather than ordinary beings, it’s secular.
I agree with what Brendan said. During the Middle Ages Italy became more advanced and lively, therefore people grew wealthier and began spending their money in areas other than the church. The wealthy began paying artists to create more secular art, for example Leonardo da Vinci's work, The Last Supper, as Brendan mentioned. The group of men he painted each expressed different distinction rather than identical personalities. Greco-Roman designs such as the column, arch, and dome were displayed in Renassiance artichitect due to the fact it was more suitable during that time. Sculptures also become more three-dimensional and expresssed important indivuals of the past or of mythology. Humanism became the universal focus as religious themed art became less significant. The Italian art displayed humans in more detail and declared the importance of meaningful figures to Europeans.
I agree with Brendan because Renaissance ideas are expressed in the art of the period by secular views. For example, in Leonardo Da Vinci's "Last Supper," each man has his own characteristics. However, these men have some common traits, which shows that painting became less symbolic by having men of different stature possess some similarities. Overall, the art of this period became much more expressed as personalities were portrayed better.
I agree with Brendan, Erin, and Brian but I think that all the samples mentioned are mostly church and religious motives such as the Last Supper mentioned by Brendon which is obviously one of the most astonishing and mysterious works of art ever made. This historical period rebirth provides some other values which inspired creation which is not just something that has to do with religion such as Michelangelo’s David, a sculpture that still fascinates everyone on his precise way of creating the male body. Opposite to David there was Titian’s Venus of Urbino portraying the women’s body with red hair. In 1880, Mark Twain said that the Venus of Urbino was the “foulest, the vilest, the obscenest picture the world possesses.” Also there was a lot of architecture that recaptured the old Roman and Greek idea’s creating even more wonders. Out of discussion, the architecture masterpiece is the Basilica of St. Peter but opposite is the Palazzo (palace) Farnese in Rome, which is home today of the French embassy and is still today something that captures the eye of many people and represents secular architecture of the Renaissance period. It actually reunites the ancient architecture and art of the Renaissance.
I believe that the art during the Renaissance represented the feelings and emotions of the people of Italy. Art, architecture, and literature were all secular and the appearance of religious themes were rarely present. Painters would not just paint only religiously theme paintings but a variety of portraits, scenery, and landscapes. Vittore Carpaccio was an artist known for his painting, The Legend of Saint Ursula which portrayed the costums and the environment of his time. Artists also figured out how to use the effect of three dimensional figures in their artwork, and their paintings became life-like. Their paintings were detailed and they focused deeply on the expressions and attitudes of every face. In The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci, every man sitting at the table has a different expression on and none of the men look the same. Just like how during the Renaissance everyone had a mind of their own flourishing the world with their new paintings and new ideas. Painting was not the only contribute to the Renaissance but so was architecture. During the Renaissance Italy changed its look. Its main design was no longer Gothic Cathedral, but it was now the Greco-Roman style. Many of the new buildings sported the large arches and domes, just like the coliseum in ancient Greece. Filippo Brunelleschi was famous for building the Spedale degli Innocenti with the unique design of arches and its look of hospitality. Not only were the buildings following the design of the Greco-Roman tradition, the people were too. They started to follow the teachings, and practices of Socrates and Plato and learned a different way of approaching life. As the architecture changed, so did the people. During the Renaissance people weren’t talking about law or religion but they would talk about what’s on their mind, how they felt or the questions they had and all of that would be expressed through their artwork and architecture. Like they always say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
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