Renaissance Art and Architecture in Italy and Flanders

Renaissance Sculpture

Influence of Classical Sculpture

Renaissance sculpture was heavily influenced by classical Greek and Roman art. Artists studied and replicated the forms and ideals of ancient sculptures.

Characteristics

• Use of various materials: marble, bronze, ceramic, and wood.
• Expansion of themes: Mythological, historical, and portraiture subjects were introduced alongside traditional religious themes.
• Two main forms:
  1. Sculptures in the round: Freestanding sculptures viewable from all angles.
  2. Reliefs: Sculptures carved on flat surfaces.
• Pursuit of ideal beauty: Artists emphasized anatomical accuracy and harmonious proportions based on the study of the human body.

The Quattrocento (15th Century)

• Florence as the leading center.
• Notable artists:
  • Ghiberti: Known for his masterful use of perspective and multi-dimensional figures in the reliefs of the Florence Baptistery doors, known as the "Gates of Paradise".
  • Donatello: Celebrated for his anatomical precision and balanced compositions, creating serene nude sculptures. Example: "David".

The Cinquecento (16th Century)

• Florence and Rome as major centers.
• Dominant artist: Michelangelo, a renowned sculptor, architect, and painter. His iconic works include "David" and "Moses".
• Key characteristics:
  • Terribilità: An expression of restrained power or intense emotion.
  • Monumentality: Use of imposing scale and proportions.
  • Emphasis on strong musculature.

Renaissance Architecture and Painting in Italy

Architecture

• 15th Century:
  • Brunelleschi: Architect of the Florence Cathedral dome.
  • Alberti: Architectural theorist and author of influential treatises.
• 16th Century:
  • Bramante: Designed St. Peter's Basilica and the Tempietto (San Pietro in Montorio) in the Vatican.

Painting

• 15th Century:
  • Masaccio: Known for his fresco "The Holy Trinity".
  • Mantegna: Noted for his painting "Lamentation over the Dead Christ".
  • Botticelli: Famous for his works "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera".
• 16th Century:
  • Leonardo da Vinci: Pioneer of the sfumato technique, exemplified in the "Mona Lisa".
  • Raphael: Known for his harmonious compositions and serene depictions, such as "The School of Athens".
  • Michelangelo: His figures, including women and infants, possess powerful musculature, as seen in the Sistine Chapel frescoes.
  • Titian: Emphasized color over drawing, as seen in his painting "Charles V at Mühlberg".

Renaissance Painting in Flanders

• 15th Century:
  • Jan van Eyck: Known for his masterpiece "The Arnolfini Portrait".
  • Rogier van der Weyden: Famous for his painting "The Descent from the Cross".
• 16th Century:
  • Hieronymus Bosch: Known for his fantastical and allegorical triptych, "The Garden of Earthly Delights".
  • Albrecht Dürer: Celebrated for his innovative self-portraits.
  • Hans Holbein the Younger: Renowned for his portraits, including those of King Henry VIII of England.

Humanism

The Renaissance witnessed a revival of classical learning and philosophy known as Humanism. Humanists studied ancient Greek and Roman texts, emphasizing human potential and achievement.

Important Humanists

• Marsilio Ficino
• Pico della Mirandola
• Erasmus of Rotterdam
• Thomas More
• Cardinal Cisneros
• Antonio de Nebrija