Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

Chapter 3.6

Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe (1400–1750)

Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

Introduction  Renaissance (1400–1600) 

Means “rebirth”



Refers to the time period and the style of art



A renewed interest in Classical thinking, mythology, and art

 Humanism 

Philosophical approach that stressed the intellectual and physical potential of human beings

 Religion 

Reformation and Counter-Reformation • Catholic and Protestant beliefs were reflected in the art of the Italian Renaissance and the northern Renaissance

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

Introduction  Baroque (1600–1750) 

Refers to the time period and the style of art



Increase in trade, advancements in science



Permanent split between Roman Catholics and Protestants



Baroque art tends to be full of motion and emotion

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

3.117 Map of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

3.118 Portrait of Michelangelo from Giorgio Vasari’s Lives of the Great Artists, second edition, 1568. Engraving

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

The Early Renaissance in Italy  Renewed interest in the Classical past 

Study of mathematics and science encouraged the systematic understanding of the world

 Art was a balance of the real and ideal 

Realistic depictions of three-dimensional space and perspective



Idealistic portrayal of mythological or religious subjects, and the nude figure

 The artist Giotto represents the transition between the art of the Middle Ages and the early Renaissance (see chapter 3.2)

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

3.119 Arnolfo di Cambio and others, Florence Cathedral, view from south, begun 1296

3.120 Filippo Brunelleschi, Dome of Florence Cathedral, 1417–36

3.121 Masaccio, Tribute Money, c. 1427. Fresco, 8’1” × 19’7”. Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

The High Renaissance in Italy  Beginning of the 16th century  Continued development of making art look “believable” 

Rules of perspective



Ideal and real



Religious and mythological subject matter

 Three great Italian artists dominated this period: 

Leonardo da Vinci



Michelangelo



Raphael

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

3.122 Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper, c. 1497. Refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy

3.123 Michelangelo, Detail of Creation of Adam, Sistine Chapel ceiling, 1508–12. Vatican City

3.124 Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, with view of Last Judgment (1534–41)

3.126 Michelangelo, Detail of Last Judgment showing self-portrait in St. Bartholomew’s skin, 1536–41. Sistine Chapel, Vatican City

3.125 Raphael, The School of Athens, 1510–11. Fresco, 16’8” × 25’. Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican City

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

The Renaissance in Northern Europe  Northern European countries we now know as the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Belgium  During the fifteenth century, artists in northern Europe: 

Continued using methods established in the Middle Ages • Those used for illuminated manuscripts (see chapter 3.2)



Paid careful attention to texture and fine detail



Developed oil painting techniques



Depicted everyday objects with religious symbolism



Were considered the finest artists in Europe at the time

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

3.127a Jan van Eyck, Analysis of The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434. Oil on panel, 32⅜ × 23⅝”. National Gallery, London

3.127b Detail of Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait

3.128 Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Netherlandish Proverbs, 1559. Oil on oak, 3’10” × 5’2”. Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen, Berlin, Germany

3.129a Detail from Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Netherlandish Proverbs, illustrating the proverb the “world turned upside down”

3.129b Detail from Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Netherlandish Proverbs, illustrating the proverb “beating his head against a wall”

3.129c Detail from Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Netherlandish Proverbs, illustrating two women gossiping: the proverb “one winds the distaff, the other spins it”

3.130 Matthias Grünewald, Isenheim Altarpiece (closed), c. 1510–15. Oil on panel, center panel: Crucifixion, 8’9⅝” × 10’; predella: Lamentation, 29⅞” × 11’1⅞”; side panels: Saints Sebastian and Anthony 7’6⅝” × 29½” each, Musée d’Unterlinden, Colmar, France

3.131 Albrecht Dürer, The Last Supper, 1523. Woodcut, 8⅜ × 11⅞”. British Museum, London, England

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

Late Renaissance and Mannerism  c. 1530–1600  A time of historical upheaval  

1527 Sack of Rome 1530 Charles V crowned Holy Roman Emperor

 Late Renaissance art   

A reaction to the high Renaissance Dissonance instead of harmony Distortion rather than precision

 Mannerism  

From the Italian “di maniera,” which means charm, grace Exaggeration for emotional effect

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

3.132 Sofonisba Anguissola, Portrait of the Artist’s Sisters Playing Chess, 1555. Oil on canvas, 28⅜ × 38¼”. National Museum, Poznań, Poland

3.133 Paolo Veronese, Christ in the House of Levi, 1573. Oil on canvas, 7’3⅜” × 16’8⅞”. Galleria dell’Accademia, Venice, Italy

3.134 Tintoretto,The Last Supper, 1592–4. Oil on canvas, 11’11¾” × 18’7⅝”. San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, Italy

3.135 Jacopo da Pontormo, Deposition, 1525–8. Oil on wood, 123¼ × 75⅝”. Capponi Chapel, Santa Felicita, Florence, Italy

3.136 El Greco, Laocoön, c. 1610/14. Oil on canvas, 54⅛ × 68”. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

3.137 Donatello, David, c. 1430. Bronze, 5’2¼” high. Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence, Italy

3.138 Michelangelo, David, 1501–4. Marble, 14’2⅞” high. Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence, Italy

3.139 Gianlorenzo Bernini, David, 1623. Marble, 5’7” high. Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

The Baroque  Time of exploration and discovery 

Theory that the sun was the center of the universe now accepted

 Religion 

Post-Reformation

 Warfare 

Battles throughout Europe

 Artwork characteristics: 

Emphasis on light



Diversity of approaches



Dramatic movement and theatrical compositions

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

3.142 Caravaggio, Judith Decapitating Holofernes, 1599. Oil on canvas, 4’9” × 6’4¾”. Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Rome, Italy

3.143 Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernes, c. 1620. Oil on canvas, 6’6⅜” × 5’3¾”. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

3.140 Nicolas Poussin, The Funeral of Phocion, 1648. Oil on canvas, 44⅞” × 68⅞”. National Museum of Wales, Cardiff

3.141 Peter Paul Rubens, center panel from The Raising of the Cross, 1610–11. Oil on canvas, 5’1⅛” × 11’1⅞”. Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp, Belgium

3.144 Rembrandt van Rijn, The Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch (The Night Watch), 1642. Oil on canvas, 11’11” × 14’4”. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

The following videos will show you more about the art and architecture of the Renaissance and the Baroque:

St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel

Click the image above to launch the video Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

Gianlorenzo Bernini: The Ecstasy of St. Teresa

Click the image above to launch the video Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

Sandro Botticelli: The Birth of Venus

Click the image above to launch the video Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

Diego Velázquez: Las Meninas

Click the image above to launch the video Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

Discussion Question 1. Find two examples of artwork in this chapter in which linear perspective plays an important part. Point out the parts of the composition that use linear perspective to create the desired illusion. Discuss what the artist wants to communicate by using linear perspective.

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

Discussion Question 2. From this chapter choose a northern Renaissance artwork and an Italian Renaissance work. List the prominent characteristics of each. Include information about both the form and the content of the artworks in your lists.

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

Discussion Question 3. Select three artworks that deal with subject matter from the Bible. Consider how they portray their biblical themes: examine style, medium and technique, content, and any other aspects that the artist emphasizes. You might choose works from this chapter, or elsewhere in the textbook. For example: 1.70, 2.148, 4.163.

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

Discussion Question 4. Select a Renaissance work and a Baroque work from this chapter. List their similarities and differences. Consider their subject matter, style, content, and emotional impact.

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

Discussion Question 5. Select three Renaissance artworks that draw on the artistic and intellectual heritage of Classical Greece and Rome. Make a list of the ways in which they use the Classical past. Make another list of any Renaissance innovations, either in terms of form or content. You might choose one work from another chapter in the textbook, for example: 4.133, 4.136.

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

This concludes the PowerPoint slide set for Chapter 3.6

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts By Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson

PowerPoints developed by CreativeMyndz Multimedia Studios

Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe

PART 3 HISTORY AND CONTEXT

Picture Credits for Chapter 3.6 3.117 Drazen Tomic 3.118 From Vasari, G., Lives of the Great Artists, 1568 3.119 © Michael S. Yamashita/Corbis 3.120 Libreria dello Stato, Rome 3.121 Brancacci Chapel, Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence 3.122 Refectory of Sta Maria delle Grazie, Milan 3.123, 3.124 Vatican Museums, Rome 3.125 Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican Museums, Rome 3.126 Vatican Museums, Rome 3.127a, 3.127b National Gallery, London/Scala, Florence 3.128, 3.129a, 3.129b, 3.129c Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen, Berlin 3.130 Musée d’Unterlinden, Colmar 3.131 British Museum, London 3.132 Museum Narodowe, Poznan´/Bridgeman Art Library 3.133 Galleria dell’Accademia, Venice 3.134 Cameraphoto/Scala, Florence 3.135 Capponi Chapel, Church of Santa Felicità, Florence 3.136 National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1946.18.1 3.137 Photo Scala, Florence, courtesy Ministero Beni e Att. Culturali 3.138 © nagelestock.com/Alamy 3.139 Photo Scala, Florence, courtesy Ministero Beni e Att. Culturali 3.140 The Earl of Plymouth. On loan to the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff 3.141 Royal Institute for the Study and Conservation of Belgium’s Artistic Heritage 3.142 Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Rome 3.143 Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence 3.144 Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam PowerPoints developed by CreativeMyndz Multimedia Studios