italian renaissance
- Believed to be a major turning point in the history of western painting by many scholars.
- Art historian and critic Giorgio Visari’s belief partly originated in his writing of “The Lines of the Artsits” published in 1550.
- Visari described changes in the skills of depicting physical appearances – details of artists from 15th century masters to artists of Visari’s time (Giotto, Masaccio, Michelangelo)
- New emphasis on space, light, perspective, preparation and anatomy. (space and light – visual elements. Perspective and proportions – organisational elements)
- New changes related to the needs of public art (frescos on walls)
- High renaissance associated with many famous artists – considered definitive period of Western painting and sculpture (Raphael, Titian, Leonardo, Michelangelo)
- Sixteenth century art mainly served Christian purposes.
- Iconic works of the period: St Peters – Michelangelo’s ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, Leonardo’s Last Supper, Raphael – Transfiguration.
- Classical art of the sixteenth century : Titian – Venus of Urbino, Correggio – Denae
- Religious and classical art shared the same qualities and compositions.
fresco painting
- Technique that uses pigment applied to wet plaster
- Pigment penetrates wet plaster, dries and hardens with the plaster
- Requires careful planning – minimal room for error
- Requires quick working
- Preliminary drawings are usually done on the plaster
- Pigment applied to already dried plaster – asecco
- Frescoes took the place of byzantine mosaics
linear perspective
Technique allows an illusion of space and depth to be created on flat paper
Represents a scene as it would be seen with the human eye
Developed by Italian artists in the fifteenth century
Prior to linear perspective artists drew items in the foreground larger than those in the background
Represents a scene as it would be seen with the human eye
Developed by Italian artists in the fifteenth century
Prior to linear perspective artists drew items in the foreground larger than those in the background
arial perspective
Also known as atmospherical perspective
Different way of depicting receding space
Generally used in landscape paintings
Refers to objects appearing lighter, less detailed, more muted and blue in colour, the further into the distance they are.
Different way of depicting receding space
Generally used in landscape paintings
Refers to objects appearing lighter, less detailed, more muted and blue in colour, the further into the distance they are.
allegory
- Characters, figures or events used as a narrative to depict abstract ideas and principles (e.g Raphael uses a group of Greek thinkers to represent philospophy)
- Iconography (study of the meaning of art) can be conveyed via symbol or allegory.