The
word “Renaissance” literally means “rebirth” or “born anew” in French. The name
came about as a result of La Renaissance – a famous volume of history written
by historian Jules Michelet (1798-1874). The Renaissance is considered the
bridge between the Middle Ages and Modern history, the era that spans from the
14th to the 17th century. Starting as a cultural movement
in Italy in the late medieval period and which spread to the rest of Europe,
the Renaissance boasts of a period full of great creative and intellectual
activities. The scholars and artists began investigating what they believe to
be a revival of classical learning, literature and art.
During the Renaissance period,
artists wanted to capture the experience of the individual as well as the beauty
and mystery of the natural world. New ideas and attitudes were markedly
portrayed in art. Various elements were studied to help enhance and improve the
quality and humanism of art such as perspective, balance and proportion, the
use of light and dark and many more. The artists of the Renaissance era strove
to portray lifelike human forms with correct proportions and realistic clothing
and expressions. They also developed new techniques that give paintings a
lifelike quality and a three-dimensional effect. To better understand their
subjects, the artists exerted efforts to study in detail the human and animal
anatomy.
Renaissance art is divided into two
periods: the Early Renaissance and the High Renaissance. During the Early
Renaissance, artists tried to emulate classical artists by focusing on symmetry
and develop the flawless form. This era featured artists such as Giotto,
Masaccio and Donatello. Giotto di Bondone was the first important painter of
the Early Renaissance. Giotto profoundly studied nature to instill reality
within his paintings, an effort most remarkable in his particularly realistic
facial expressions. His innovations in the depiction of perspectives were later
further developed by another painter named Tommaso Guidi, also known as Masaccio.
Masaccio was the first Renaissance artist to paint models in the nude by using
both light and shadow to define the shape of his models instead of using clear
lines. Another great artist from this age was Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi
or better known as Donatello. He was regarded as the greatest sculptor of the
Early Renaissance and the most significant individual artist of the 15th
century in Italy.
The increasing interest in
perspective and space was established during the High Renaissance, which gave
art even more realism. Artists including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and
Rafael dominated this period. Leonardo da Vinci was dubbed the ultimate “Renaissance
man” for his intellect, interest, talent and his expression of classical and
humanist values. He was a scientist, an inventor as well as an artist. Like
Leonardo, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni or Michelangelo, was a
“Renaissance man” of many talents. He was a sculptor, a painter and an
architect. He drew on the human body for inspiration and created works on a
vast scale. The youngest of the three great High Renaissance masters, Raphael
Sanzio, learned from both da Vinci and Michelangelo. His paintings skillfully
expressed the classical ideas of beauty, serenity and harmony.
The most notable thing about the art
of the Renaissance is the continuous evolution of techniques and materials.
Each new generation of artists build upon the accomplishments of the last. While
technique, style, and materials stayed relatively constant throughout much of
the Middle Ages, the Renaissance was an age of rapid change and development. This
rapid evolution and the continuing advance of artistic techniques and talent
was one of the main reasons why the Renaissance still represent the highest of
achievements in the history of art.
In my own opinion, Renaissance art
is the prime era in which the artists and their artworks have substantially grown
and evolved. I consider this era to be the “finest” compared to the previous
ones as it showcases unparalleled use of technique and incomparable quality of
art. Also, some of my favorite artists came from this period like Leonardo da
Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti. I admire their mastery of diverse skills
that initiated a huge impact throughout history. Someday, I want to create
artworks that would also bring significance to the world of art with the same excellence
and vision from the Renaissance.
References:
Esaak, S. (n.d.). The Renaissance. arthistory.about.com. Retrieved February 20, 2015, from http://arthistory.about.com/cs/arthistory10one/a/gen_ren.htm
Italian Renaissance Art. (n.d.). Visual Arts Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 20, 2015, from http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/renaissance-art.htm
The Renaissance. (n.d.). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 20, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Renaissance
Artists by Movement: The Early Renaissance. (n.d.). Artcyclopedia. Retrieved February 20, 2015, from http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/early-renaissance.html
Renaissance Art and Architecture. (n.d.). oxfordartonline.com. Retrieved February 20, 2015, from http://www.oxfordartonline.com/public/page/themes/renaissanceartandarchitecture
Renaissance Art. (n.d.). history.com. Retrieved February 21, 2015, from http://www.history.com/topics/renaissance-art
History: Renaissance Art for Kids. (n.d.). Ducksters. Retrieved February 21, 2015, from http://www.ducksters.com/history/renaissance_art.php
Art in the Early Renaissance. (n.d.). SparkNotes. Retrieved February 21, 2015, from http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/renaissance1/section6.rhtml
Renaissance art. (2014, November 6). Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved February 21, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/497788/Renaissance-art
Dowling, M. (2014, December 30). Renaissance Art. mrdowling.com. Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.mrdowling.com/704-art.html
Donatello. (n.d.). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donatello
Donatello Biography. (n.d.). Encyclopedia of World Biography. Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/De-Du/Donatello.html
Images from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Creation_of_Adam
