Italian Renaissance Art: Quattrocento and Cinquecento

The Quattrocento: 15th Century Italian Art

Architecture

Architects sought mastery of space by introducing simple, ordered elements inspired by Greco-Roman models.

Key figures in Florence included:

• Filippo Brunelleschi
• Leon Battista Alberti

Sculpture

Sculptors were interested in representing the human body, following classical models regarding proportions and the treatment of the nude.

Painting

The great innovations of Quattrocento painters included the rational use of perspective to represent depth on a flat surface.

Masaccio, Piero della Francesca, and Sandro Botticelli are among the most representative painters of this period.

The Cinquecento: 16th Century Shift to Rome

In the 16th century (Cinquecento), the artistic capital shifted from Florence to Rome.

Architecture

During the 16th century, the Popes became great patrons of the arts. Pope Julius II initiated the construction of St. Peter's Basilica and commissioned works for the Vatican from artists like Bramante and, later, Michelangelo.

Humanism, Patrons, and the Renaissance Spirit

The new humanistic spirit spread throughout Italian cities as the bourgeoisie established their wealth and increased their power.

Individualism and the celebration of personal effort, which favored enrichment, grew alongside a process of secularization. Religion ceased to be the sole center of cultural and spiritual life.

The ideal man shifted from the medieval knight to the courtier, who was not only a warrior but also cultured and refined. This ideal figure was interested in music, literature, and art, often surrounding themselves with artists and thinkers.

Nobles and princes ruling the Italian city-states became the driving force behind the artistic renewal known as the Renaissance, acting as significant patrons.

A New Conception of Art in the Renaissance

While religious themes remained important, the Renaissance revival promoted the recovery of ancient Greco-Roman art. Painters and sculptors explored new secular subjects, often drawn from classical mythology.

Artists aimed to express the ideal of beauty in their works. They considered humans the most perfect creation by God and focused on studying nature and human anatomy.

Architects embraced the beauty of simple lines and harmonious proportions. Painters adopted perspective, while sculptors recovered the proportionality found in classical canons.

Artists ceased to be anonymous; they began signing their works and started to enjoy greater prestige and social recognition.