1 of 30

The Art of the Italian High Renaissance (1450-1600) �

Leonardo da Vinci 1452-1519

Michelangelo Buanarroti 1475-1564

Raphaello Sanzio 1483-1520

Renaissance means “Rebirth” in French and was a time of renewed interest in arts, sciences, architecture and philosophies of Ancient Greece and Rome.
This lecture will focus on 3 of the most famous Renaissance master artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael
Shown here are a few notable works in architecture, sculpture and painting.

Left: St. Peter’s Basilica (1546-1564), Michelangelo was the lead architect but died before it’s completion.

Center: The church of San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome has a statue of Moses. When Pope Julius II died in 1545, he asked for a statue of Moses to be commissioned by Michelangelo for his burial tomb, which was finished in 1545.

Right: The Aldobrandini Madonna or The Garvagh Madonna (oil on panel), c.1509-10, Raphael (as will be noted later, Raphael was renowned for painting Madonnas).

2 of 30

The Renaissance �

Goodbye-Art Academy

Ac�

3 of 30

ca. 1280

Middle Ages

ca. 1516

Renaissance

Notice how different the paintings look in 1516 vs. in 1280.
Art was transformed during the Renaissance from the Flat and mainly religious themes of the Middle Ages.
Renaissance art displayed a new sense of:

realism
balance
perspective
modeling of the form

What are some main differences you notice between these two paintings?

Late Middle Ages: Not realistic, figures look flat, stiff posture, shallow space, halos
Renaissance: Figures realistic, figures look dimensional and there is a sense of depth, a background is included, dramatic poses, details of the human form shown clearly (muscles, nudity, body parts)

Left: Virgin and Child by Cimabue, 1280

Right: Assumption of the Virgin by Titian, 1516–18, at the high altar of the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice. Titian’s painting captures the miracle of Mary’s ascent to heaven. He utilizes the common convention of defying vertical space, so that the picture grows more sacred as it rises upwards. To this end, the composition is clearly divided into three sections: the earthly realm where the apostles stand; above this the Virgin being borne aloft by sweeping clouds; above the Virgin the glowing dominion God the Father.

4 of 30

The Renaissance Masters:

Michelangelo

Buanarroti

Raphael

Sanzio

1452-1519

1475-1564

1483-1520

Leonardo da Vinci

5 of 30

Anatomy

Astronomy

From the Royal Collection,

Windsor Castle

From the Codex Leicester

Owned by Bill Gates

Leonardo da Vinci

6 of 30

Study of Hands, 1474

Vocabulary:

Chiaroscuro�

Silverpoint and white highlights on pink prepared paper, 8.43x5.91”, Royal Library, Windsor, UK

7 of 30

oil on panel 15”x14 ½” National Gallery, Washington D.C.

Ginevra de Benci, 1474

Vocabulary:

Sfumato

Atmospheric Perspective�

Let’s look at one of Leonardo da Vinci’s earliest and most famous paintings. He painted this when he was just 21 years old. This is the only work from da Vinci in the US.
Ginevra de’ Benci is one of the first known three-quarter-view portraits in Italian art. She eyes the viewer directly. Born into a wealthy Florentine family, Ginevra de’ Benci was married to Luigi Niccolini in 1474 at the age of sixteen. It was a customary practice to have a likeness painted on just such an occasion.
What is the mood of this young girl? Does she look happy?

How has Leonardo created depth?

Sfumato - meaning “turned to vapor”. This was Leonardo’s innovation and used to create depth with a background that fades into dimness and shadows.
This is also known as Atmospheric Perspective. Notice how the river seems to flow and fade deeper into the background with very faint and blurry trees in the distance.

How has Leonardo achieved realism?

Detailed curls in her hair
Individual needles on the shrubbery in the foreground

8 of 30

Mona Lisa�1503-05 oil on wood 30”x21”

The Louvre, Paris, France�

Art Elements: Shape

9 of 30

The Last Supper

1495-98 fresco 14’x30’, housed in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy

Vocabulary: one point perspective�

This painting represents the scene of the Last Supper of Jesus with the Twelve Apostles, as it is told in the Gospel of John.
It specifically portrays the moment after Jesus announces that one of his apostles (Judas) will betray him. All twelve apostles have different reactions to the news, with various degrees of anger and shock.
Its handling of space, mastery of perspective, treatment of motion and complex display of human emotion has made it one of the Western world's most recognizable paintings and among Leonardo's most celebrated works.
Due to the methods used, a variety of environmental factors, and intentional damage, little of the original painting remains today despite numerous restoration attempts, the last being completed in 1999.
How has Leonardo da Vinci created realism and depth in this painting? One point Perspective!

One point perspective is based on the concept that the lines and shapes in a drawing can be located in reference to a single line, called the horizon line, and a single point, called the vanishing point.
What makes up the horizon line? The Apostles
Where is the vanishing point? Jesus’s head

Interesting details and storytelling incorporated into the painting: Judas, Peter, and John are in a grouping of 3 seated to the right of Jesus, who is at the center of the painting. Judas is wearing red, blue, and green and is in shadow, looking withdrawn and taken aback by the sudden revelation of his plan. He is clutching a small bag, perhaps signifying the silver given to him as payment to betray Jesus, or perhaps a reference to his role as a treasurer. He is also tipping over the salt cellar, which may be related to the near-Eastern expression to "betray the salt" meaning to betray one's master. He is the only person to have his elbow on the table and his head is also vertically the lowest of anyone in the painting. Peter wears an expression of anger and appears to be holding a knife, foreshadowing his violent reaction in Gethsemane during the arrest of Jesus. Peter is leaning towards John and touching him on the shoulder, in reference to John's Gospel where he signals the "beloved disciple" to ask Jesus who is to betray him. The youngest apostle, John, appears to swoon and lean towards Peter.

10 of 30

Michelangelo Buonarroto

11 of 30

The Pieta

Idealized beauty
Realism
Scale
Composition

The Pietà, Michelangelo�1499, marble 5 ¾’ St. Peter’s Cathedral

Michelangelo created The Pieta in 1499, at the young age of 24
The sculpture is of Mary holding her son Jesus after his death.
This work of idealized beauty, serenity and incredible realism in hard marble amazed the Renaissance world.
The Scale of the piece is interesting: Although Christ is the size of an average man, Mary is larger than life in order to:

Avoid being visually dwarfed by his size
Support the physical weight of the body in the sculpture

If Mary were to stand up, she would be 7 feet tall! But Michelangelo has disguised this by keeping her head normal size and concealing the size of her lap with the many folds of her garment.
Question: What geometric shape describes the overall form of his composition? <<Click to reveal>> Triangle
This triangle composition is a feature of Renaissance art. Where have we seen this before? (The Mona Lisa)
Notice that the limp body of Christ’s makes an S shape through the center of the sculpture <<Click to reveal>>
This organic shape contrasts with the more geometric shape of the seated Mary.

12 of 30

David, 1501-4 marble 17’ tall �Florence, Italy

David�

Marble, 17 feet tall
Contrapposto pose
Balance
Contrast

Michelangelo's Pieta made him famous, but it was his David that defined him as a master sculptor.
David is a remarkable marble statue that is 17 feet tall – about 3 times the height of an average person. It was carved out of a single piece of marble that had been discarded previously by two other artists.
David stands in the Contrapposto pose, with all of his weight placed on his right leg and with his right arm hanging straight down next to it. This creates a relaxed S-Curve, conveying movement and life.
The sculpture has great balance – is it an example of symmetrical or asymmetrical balance? Asymmetrical

According to most scholars, David is depicted before his battle with Goliath. Instead of being shown victorious over a foe much larger than he, David looks tense and ready for battle after he has made the decision to fight Goliath. His brow is drawn, his neck tense, and the veins bulge out of his lowered right hand. His left hand holds a sling that is draped over his shoulder and down to his right hand, which holds the handle of the sling. The nudity reflects the story of David as stated in the Bible.

13 of 30

Detail and Precision of Anatomy

14 of 30

Proportion

15 of 30

16 of 30

1^st Location & Replica:

Piazza della Signoria

It was supposed to be placed 40 feet above street level – as high as a four story building
Michelangelo knew that a life-sized sculpture would look tiny when viewed from the ground level, so he made it about 3 x life-size
This may explain some of the proportions - looking at statue from below, the head would be the furthest part away from the viewer. By making the head larger, it would counter-act this distortion.
When sculpture was finished, it was decided that it was too stunning (and too heavy!) to be hoisted up to the rooftop. Instead, in 1504, it was placed the busy Piazza della Signoria where everybody could admire the masterpiece up close.
In 1873 it was transferred to an indoor museum, the Accademia Gallery, for protection, but a replica of the sculpture remains in the original Piazza location.

________________

Image Sources

Left: Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris, "Michelangelo, David," in Smarthistory, December 6, 2020, https://smarthistory.org/michelangelo-david/.

Right: Public domain

17 of 30

The Sistine Chapel

Ceiling

9 central panels depicting scenes from the Old Testament
Surrounded by famous prophets telling of the coming of Jesus Christ

Back Wall

The Last Judgement

fresco 1508-12 132’ x 44’w x 68’h St. Peter’s Cathedral, The Vatican, Rome

Four years later, in 1508, Michelangelo would begin work on his greatest painting achievement in the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel ceiling is a masterpiece at the Vatican in Rome.
But it is a job that Michelango never wanted! He saw himself as a sculptor, and that is how he wanted to spend his time. But Pope Julius II wanted Michelango for the job and would not take no for an answer. Michelangelo and the Pope respected each other, but they did not get along. They had many disagreements about the design and content of the project. Ultimately, Michelangelo was given great artistic freedom and he did not allow the Pope to view the work in progress.
Michelangelo first painted the ceiling, which is about 131 feet long by 43 ft wide (almost the size of two tennis courts) and contains over 300 figures. It took him four years to complete.
The celing’s center is made up of nine panels depicting scenes from the Old Testament. It is divided into three sections:
Noah and the Great Flood
The Creation of Adam and Eve (Humankind)
The Creation of the Heavens and Earth
He returned years later to create The Last Judgement on the back wall above the alter.

Additional Information

The side walls were painted by late 15th century artists, including Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Pietro Perugino.
Raphael created large tapestries (1515–1516) to cover the lower portion of the walls.

18 of 30

The Sistine Chapel�

CNN - Inside the Sistine Chapel on 500 yr Anniversary

Ac�

19 of 30

All of these massive murals in the Cistine chapel are Frescos.

Question: Can anyone tell me how the process of painting in fresco is different than painting on a canvas? Fresco is a mural painting technique that involves painting with water-based paint directly onto wet plaster so that the paint becomes permanent part of the plaster.

Fresco is a very unforgiving technique – you must work fast while the plaster is still wet, and you can’t just paint over mistakes like you could with paint on a canvas.
It was important to start with sketches to work out the design. This is one of Michelangelo’s sketches for the The Libyan Sybil, one of the many prophets adorning the ceiling.
Fun fact: He used a male model to study and sketch the body for this female figure – notice the detailed muscles on the arms and back and his detailed anatomy of the toe.

__________

Images

Christine Zappella, "Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel," in Smarthistory, August 9, 2015

https://smarthistory.org/michelangelo-ceiling-of-the-sistine-chapel/

20 of 30

Vocabulary: Fresco / Cartoon / Pouncing

21 of 30

The first scene Michelangelo painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was the “Noah Fresco” which depicts images of the great flood from the Old Testament.
There is a lot going on, with over 60 figures and many small details.

Questions

What do you think of when I mention Noah and the flood? What did he build? The Ark.
Where is the Ark in this composition? Way in the background – interesting, not the focus of the “story” told here
What did Michelangelo choose to place in the foreground and the center, rather than the Ark? The People left behind.
What are the people doing? Desperately trying to get to higher ground, seek shelter in a cave, flee in a boat that looks like it is about ready to capsize…

Photo: Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16022575

22 of 30

23 of 30

24 of 30

25 of 30

26 of 30

The Marriage of the Virgin�1504 oil on wood 67” x 46 ½” Milan, Italy

Self-Portrait, c. 1506 oil on wood 12” x 10” Florence, Italy

Raffaello Sanzio (Raphael)

27 of 30

Madonna of the Chair�c. 1514 oil on wood 28” Florence, Italy

28 of 30

Sistine Madonna�c. 1513 oil on canvas

8 ½’ x 6 ½’

Sistine Chapel, Vatican

Grandest of Raphael’s Madonnas
Simplicity of design and beautiful jewel tones
Soft sfumato (cloud like background)
Triangular arrangement

The painting showing the Madonna holding the Christ child was commissioned by Pope Julius II in honor of his late uncle, Pope Sixtus IV, as an altarpiece for the basilica church of the Benedictine Monastery of San Sisto in Piacenza. The commission required that the painting depict both Saints Sixtus and Barbara, who are standing to the left and right of the Madonna.

< click for detail of angels >

A prominent element within the painting, the winged angels beneath Mary are famous in their own right. The angels of this nature are known as putti. These putti, commonly called cherubs, have been heavily marketed; they have been featured in stamps, postcards, T-shirts, socks, and wrapping paper.
A story is told that while Raphael was painting this Madonna, children would come by to watch and he was struck by their postures, so he added them to the painting exactly as he saw them.
Does the demeanor and expression of these cherubs match this story?

29 of 30

Leonardo as Plato

Michelangelo as Heraclitus

Raphael as himself

The School of Athens, 1509-11, fresco 19’ x 27’, Apostolic Palace, The Vatican

The School of Athens is regarded as one of Raphael’s best know works and a masterpiece embodying the classical Renaissance spirit.
The painting notably features accurate one point perspective, a defining characteristic of the Renaissance era. One feels as if they could step right into the room, through the grand arch, and participate in the philosophical debates of the times.
The fresco was painted between 1509 and 1511 as a part of Raphael's commission to decorate the rooms now known as the Stanze di Raffaello in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. Michelangelo was working on the Sistine Chapel during this same time period.
It depicts a congregation of philosophers, mathematicians, and scientists from Ancient Greece, including Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras, Archimedes, and Heraclitus. The Italian artists Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo are also featured in the painting, shown as Plato and Heraclitus respectively.
It was meant to inspire greatness in decisions made by the Pope.

30 of 30

Project

Watercolor Painting on Tile