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Renaissance Art Characteristics

Art tied to the theory of Humanism

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Why do humans have a long history with art?

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The Rise of the Art World

  • By the end of the Middle Ages, the most important cultural centers were north of Rome in the cities of Florence, Milan and Venice.

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What was going on in the south the south (Naples and Sicily)?

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  • Much of the power and influential art patronage was in the hands of wealthy families:
  • Medicis=Florence
  • Visconti and Sforza=Milan
  • *Venice was a hub for trade and commerce which made it powerful in the art world.

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The Rise of the Art World

  • Cities grew in wealth and independence as people moved to them from the countryside in large numbers.

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Why do you think there was such an influx of people coming into the cities?

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  • Commerce brought money to the city-states which began the desire to acquire art for status.

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Why did art have a “rebirth” during the Renaissance?

Thinking back on the definition of humanism, why do you think humans had a need to revive their love of art?

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Continuing with the concept of humanism, what would you expect to see as some of the characteristics of Renaissance art based in this notion of thought?

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Pre-Renaissance/Medieval Art Characteristics

What do you notice about these works?

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Characteristics of Medieval Art

•Focused on religious subjects*

•Lacked perspective--paintings appear flat.

•There is little use of light and shadow.

•The artwork is not natural. Figures appear "placed" in the picture. Large = important

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Characteristics of Medieval Art

•Children are painted to resemble small adults.

•Colors are more subdued than in later periods.

•In the earlier paintings there is heavy use of gold.

•Religious symbols used--haloes, Biblical figures, saints, etc.

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Renaissance Art Characteristics

What do you notice about these works?

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Characteristics of Renaissance Art

  • use of perspective, light and shadow, proportion,
  • Figures--drawn from nature and based on observation of real world (objective).
  • Colors are rich, warm, and glowing.
  • Anatomically correct physiology, and emotion.
  • Use of classical topics/stories depicted in paintings

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The six main characteristics of Renaissance Art: #1- Realism and Expression

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The six main characteristics of Renaissance Art: #2 Perspective

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The six main characteristics of Renaissance Art: #3 Classicism

  • Greco-Roman Influence
  • secularism
  • humanism
  • Individualism- Free standing
  • Symmetry/Blanace

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The six main characteristics of Renaissance Art: #4 Individualism

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The six main characteristics of Renaissance Art: #5 Geometrical Arrangement of Figures

Look at the painting to the left and draw over all of the shapes you see.

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The six main characteristics of Renaissance Art: #6 Artists as Personalities