RENAISSANCE ART THE EARLY RENAISSANCE STATUS OF THE

RENAISSANCE ART THE EARLY RENAISSANCE

STATUS OF THE ARTS • VISUAL ARTS CLASSED WITH CRAFTS OR MECHANICAL ARTS • “HANDIWORK” VS. THEORETICAL BASIS • VILLANI FIRST TO CLAIM A PLACE FOR THEM IN LIBERAL ARTS C. 1400

STATUS OF ARTS • ALBERTI, ON PAINTING • ADMISSION OF VISUAL ARTS TO LIBERAL ARTS CHANGED NATURE OF ARTIST’S WORK • ARTIST A MAN OF IDEAS RATHER THAN MANIPULATOR OF MATERIAL

STATUS OF ARTISTS • WORK OF ART A RECORD OF A CREATIVE MIND • ARTIST’S OUTLOOK ALSO CHANGED • IN COMPANY OF SCHOLARS AND POETS HE OFTEN BECAME A MAN OF LEARNING

ARTISTS & THIER ARTS • EARLY REN. CONCERNED WITH MASTERING TECHNIQUES TO IMITATE NATURE & CLASSICAL MODELS

• PERSPECTIVE, USE OF LIGHT AND SHADOW, SCULPTURE • MATERIALS FROM OIL PAINT TO BRONZE

SCULPTURE • SOUGHT TO TREAT THE HUMAN BODY LIKE CLASSICAL SCULPTURE • CONTRAPPOSTO • DONATELLO, 1386 -1466, AMONG FOUNDERS OF NEW STYLE

ARCHITECTURE • BRUNELLESCHI - DUOMO AND FOUNDLING HOME

ARCHITECTURE • ALBERTI - RUCELLAI PALACE

PAINTING • MASSACIO - LAWS OF PERSPECTIVE (1401 -1428) • FRA ANGELICO(1387 -1455) • PIERO DELLA FRANCESCA • UCCELLO • BOTTICELLI (1445 -1510)

HIGH RENAISSANCE • LATE 15 th-FIRST HALF 16 th • TECHNICAL PROBLEMS SOLVED • ARTISTS COULD ASPIRE TO TRANSCEND NATURE NOT JUST COPY IT

• CONTEMPORANEOUS WITH END OF DEMOCRARCY, IT WAS THE ART OF PRINCES AND POPES • ROME WAS NOW THE FOCUS

THE ARTIST IN HIGH REN. • SOVEREIGN GENIUS RATHER THAN CRAFTSMAN • SET APART FROM OTHER MORTALS : “CREATIVE” & THEREFORE DIVINE

• GRAND AMBITIONS NOT LIMITED BY NATURE OR CLASSICAL MODELS

• Subjective standards of truth and beauty • Visual effectiveness • Works immediate “classics”

HIGH REN. ARTISTS • MICHELANGELO BUONAROTTI (1475 -1564) • LEONARDO DA VINCI (1452 -1519) • RAPHAEL (1483 -1520)