Renaissance Architecture, Painting, Sculpture, and Influence in Europe

Renaissance Architecture

Stone was the main material for building. Greek and Roman architecture orders in the columns, flat and vaulted. Churches with a Latin or Greek cross ground plan.

Quattrocento: Florence was the main city. Brunelleschi's dome of Florence Cathedral covered the space of 417 meters by building a double dome. Leon Battista Alberti: Santa Maria Novella and Rucellai Palace and Sant'Andrea. Block of stone, several floors, windows are formed by Greek columns.

Cinquecento: Rome was the main city. The popes commissioned lots of buildings.

Renaissance Painting

Quattrocento: Influenced by classical art. They were interested in the human body. Main subjects were mythology, religion, and portraits. Boticelli: Mythological paintings with movements.

Cinquecento: Michelangelo: Nudes, movements, and several topics. Importance drawings and volume. His most important work is the set of paintings to decorate the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Raphael: Great in drawing, composition, and color. His famous work is "The School of Athens." Leonardo da Vinci: Few works, sfumato technique blurring images. He wanted human proportion. He was an inventor.

Renaissance Sculpture

Quattrocento: Ghiberti applied the laws of perspective. Donatello: The greatest sculpture of the Quattrocento. He captured the Renaissance ideal of beauty. Cinquecento: Michelangelo: Sculptures made of marble. He achieved sculptures that showed anatomical perfection.

Renaissance in Europe

It spread especially in the 16th century, although Gothic style predominated until the 17th. In Germany: Albrecht Durer introduced Renaissance in his country and portrait painting. In France: Renaissance started during Francis I. He built several castles along the River Loire. In Spain: Architecture. The Gothic style predominated until the 17th. Few buildings: Palace of Charles V in the Alhambra in Granada by Pedro Machuca and Cathedral of Granada.

Own Styles:

Herrerian style: Austerity and solemnity. Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial by Juan de Herrera. This building is said to show the king's personality, Felipe II.

Plateresque style: Abundant and delicate ornamentation. It is called "plateresque" as it looks like "silver works."

Purist style: Less decorated and more sober than plateresque. Painting: El Greco religious paintings and portraits. Original dramatic style full of movement. Very characteristic use of light and colors.

Unique style: Pieces were usually made of wood that was later painted.

Realism religious motifs sculpture for altarpieces and chopped. Alonso Berruguete: The Sacrifice of Isaac. Juan de Juni painting: Not El Greco, Italian influence. Pedro Berruguete: Vicente Masip, Juan de Juanes, Luis de Morales, and El Greco.

In the Low Countries: Renaissance paintings developed a lot in the Low Countries. The wealthy middle class was very keen on art, and they commissioned paintings to decorate their homes. The most important painters: Jan and Hubert van Eyck. They initiated the Flemish school. They painted the "Ghent Altarpieces," and Jan Eyck painted the Arnolfini Portrait. Roger van der Weyden. Pieter Bruegel the Elder: He painted peasants rather than pieces. Hieronymus Bosch.