Italian Renaissance Art: Architecture, Painting, and Sculpture

Italian Renaissance Art

Architecture

Quattrocento Characteristics

The Quattrocento saw a return to classical elements (semicircular arches, pediments, columns, barrel vaults). Buildings were smaller and less high than Gothic structures, designed to align with human proportions. Decoration was simple and austere, emphasizing order and harmony.

Quattrocento Authors and Works

• Brunelleschi: Dome of Florence Cathedral, facade of the Pitti Palace, churches of San Lorenzo and Santo Spirito (all in Florence).
• Alberti: Rucellai Palace in Florence, Church of St. Andrew in Mantua.

Cinquecento Features

The Cinquecento continued the characteristics of the Quattrocento. Rome became a major architectural center, with magnificent Renaissance buildings constructed under the patronage of Popes Alexander VI, Julius II, Leo X, and Clement VII. Venice was another important center, known for its churches and palaces. The Venetian villa, an aristocratic country house, became a generalized building type.

Cinquecento Authors and Works

• Bramante, Michelangelo, Maderno: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
• Palladio: Villas and churches in the Venetian countryside.

Painting

Characteristics

Renaissance painting was marked by the mastery of perspective and space. Color, composition, and carefully arranged scenes created depth and dimension. Painters drew inspiration from classical antiquity, emphasizing proportional figures, idealized faces, and graceful movements. While religious scenes remained common, mythological scenes, nudes, and historical narratives also gained prominence.

Authors and Works

• Quattrocento: Masaccio and Botticelli
• Cinquecento: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian

Sculpture

Characteristics

Renaissance sculpture followed classical models, with a strong emphasis on the nude form. Portraiture and equestrian sculpture experienced significant development. Figures were idealized, with beautiful bodies and features, while also capturing the personality of the subject. Most sculptures were made of bronze or marble.

Authors and Works

• Quattrocento: Ghiberti and Donatello
• Cinquecento: Michelangelo