The Renaissance Period Defines Art

THE RENAISSANCE PERIOD DEFINES ART

DELORIS LACKEY

WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY

The Renaissance Period Defines Art

The Renaissance Period, roughly the late 13th to the early 17th century (MindEdge, slide 3.14), made tremendous advancements in the world of art. The first example being trompe l'oeil, is two-dimensional art that is so naturalistic that it appears to have depth and distance. (MindEdge, slide 8.04) Second is chiaroscuro which is the creating of depth through gradations of light and shade. (MindEdge, slide 3.14) These techniques were further perfected during the Baroque period, the 17th and 18th centuries (MindEdge, slide 3.16) However, the Renaissance Period was the time of new creative works by artists that are still famous today for their contributions.

During the Renaissance Period the art world turned from catering to the Roman Catholic Church and religious scenes. People started questioning the Catholic teachings and wanted to update the Catholic Church to be more in line with how society was changing. Individualism came to light and the paintings weren't just for the church anymore. More and more people were purchasing art to display their status. People were acquiring wealth and wanting portraits of themselves and families. It became customary for men to go abroad to study various artists and forms of art, to become more well rounded and knowledgeable. Art became simpler and moved away from religious scenes. More attention was being paid to details and the fine tuning has carried on today.

In 1517 the Protestant Reformation brought humanism into play and education in all forms of the humanities was being sought. "Historians mark the start of the Reformation as 1517, when German theologian Martin Luther issued his Ninety-Five Theses, which expressed the growing dissent of many Roman Catholics against what they deemed to be church malpractices and false doctrines." (MindEdge, slide 1.16) "This movement began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and would culminate in the birth of Protestantism." (MindEdge, slide 1.16)

Michaelangelo Buonarroti, born in March of 1475 in Italy, began his studies at age 13 with Domenico Ghirlandrio. (Michaelangelo, 2014) The Sistine Chapel is one of his most famous works and is an acute example of trompe l'oeil. By using the clouds and shells as backgrounds it appears the figures are floating below the sky, hence the illusion of there being no ceiling.

Leonardo da Vinci, born in April of 1452 in Italy, began apprenticing with the artist Verrocchio. (Leonardo da Vinci, 2014) The Last Supper and The Mona Lisa thoroughly demonstrate his understanding of chiaroscuro with the use of lighting. There are many other great artists from the Renaissance Period, but these two, with the above mentioned art works, were and are a couple of the most well known.

[A2]By the time the 17th century rolled around the Roman Catholic Church tried reviving its teachings during the Baroque Period with The Counter-Reformation to the rise of Protestantism. "The Baroque style was marked by a number of distinctive artistic characteristics, including an emphasis on harmony and unity complemented by a religious fervor, often drawing on Biblical stories and themes." (MindEdge, slide 8.05) The Baroque Period used details with a colorful style to inspire wonder and awe. Once again art returned to biblical scenes but demonstrated more emotions while emphasizing the unity with the church. "The Spanish colony of Naples (in 1600, the second largest city in the whole of Europe) was an important centre of Counter-Reformation