Much like the Olympians from ancient mythology, Renaissance artists are regarded as gods. They revolutionized the art world, reviving themes and styles derived from the Ancient Greeks and Romans. The style they created completely contrasted with that of its predecessor, International Gothic. But how did this “Rebirth” come about? There are many answers to this question, but much of it lies in patriotism and civic values, especially in sculpture. One of the best examples of this is in 15th century Florence, which was virtually the birthplace of the Renaissance. It is there that sculpture reached its culmination, as a result of pride in the city, its history, and its values.
Long before Florence was even a thought, there was Rome. The center
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After devastating both the population and the economy in 1348, the Black Death finally passed over, allowing Florence to finally recover. Textile, trade, and international banking once again flourished, and boosted Florence's prestige as one of the strongest city in Italy. All of a sudden, Florence had become the powerhouse for European commerce and business. At the same time, “...the city was under siege from the Milanese”. Because of this and Florence’s growing strength, the 15th century became a period of intense patriotism and civic pride. Florence felt that it had superiority over other Italian cities, and had the strong desire to express this through the use of arts. Florentine patrons wanted the best artists and sculptures to beautify their city so that it would appear to be the most prominent of the principalities in Italy. However, there was not just a rivalry between Florence and the various city states of Italy. There was also a rivalry amongst the different guilds that dominated Florence. In the 1400s, Florence was controlled by seven main guilds, “each of which has a particular social standing and political outlook”. The more distinguished of these guilds were the Wool Merchant Guild and the Cloth Importers Guild. The guild members’ strong sense of patriotism and pride towards the organization that they belonged to, combined with their desire to outdo their competitors, led to them funding sculptures …show more content…
Viewing themselves as heirs to Ancient Rome, the Florentines spearheaded the Humanist movement, believing that they were the ideal city state to inherit Rome’s prestige. They not only wanted to be like Rome, they wanted to become Rome, a centre for the arts as well as politics. This interest in the Greco-Roman style of art is what led to the advancement in sculptural technique. Additionally, there was a surge in patriotism due to the end of the plague and a break in the war against Milan. In celebration, the Florentines decided to beautify the city, to display their growing power. Another reason for decorating Florence however, was so that the citizens could show their solidarity towards their community and give back to city which they so dearly loved. Such civic values not only inspired the citizens, but also the sculptors, especially Donatello, with his creation of David. He stood for Florence and her liberty. For triumph over tyranny. However, the fight was not over yet, as Florence would have to face off against tyranny once again in the next
Renaissance: This term refers to a period in Italian history, initially considered to have begun in the late 13th Century, where the styles of art and architecture began a transformation from the earlier Gothic or Middle Ages style of architecture, dominated by France, to a more classical representation of the early style or Greco-Roman influences. One of the most prominent examples of the transformations taking place during the Renaissance can be seen in the Nicola Pisano, pulpit of the baptistry, Pisa, Italy. The use of columns topped with Corinthian style capitals, supporting trefoil arches, which in turn create the base for deeply carved relief sculpture, reminiscent of early Etruscan and Roman sarcophagi reliefs, shows a respect for
Scientist prospered and new, and exciting inventions were beginning to emerge. Not only the scientist prospered but also artist with the help of the church because, most of the art was mainly inspired by the Church The renaissance in Italy produced extraordinary achievements in many different forms of art,
“Not what man knows, but what man feels, concerns art. All else is science." (Berenson). Sculpture, like other art forms in Italy, was swayed by the spirit of humanism during the Renaissance. In contrast to medieval sculptures, which was based on religious sentiments, Renaissance sculptures took biblical topics, but focused on the human aspect of the characters involved.
Painters such as Albrecht Dürer & Pieter Bruegel used a more realistic approach in their artwork, as the Northern Renaissance embraced realism and placed great emphasis on emotional intensity of religious feeling. Artists painted reality precisely with atmospheric perspective and produced many works solely on landscape and daily life to present a more prudent tone. Known as the “Leonardo of the North,” Dürer was renowned extensively for his woodcuts, portraits, and engravings. He was also one of the first Renaissance artists to create a self portrait which was generally unheard of during the time period. During the time of the Ancient Greeks and Romans, elements in art such as nude sculpture with statues such as Praxiteles nude “Venus” piece was used as a template to formulate other works on during the Renaissance.
The Renaissance was marked by prosperity with works of religious service, holy deities, meticulous, and beautifully perfected paintings. These works have re-produced the golden glow of ancient Greece - Rome. However, the historical flow is a non-stop movement, in which its fluctuations lie in viewpoints and sentiment of human beings. Likewise, art is not separable from history. Art is often influenced by history.
The renaissance began. Inspired by Greek and Roman values, a spur of humanism flooded urban areas. People and their capabilities became the center of attention once again. Art stopped focusing only on Religion, but rather on the capabilities of man. Along with the Roman Catholic Church’s decline a secular air developed.
Because the Medici family played a major role in Florentine Renaissance, it is difficult to fully understand the family’s relevance without having basic knowledge on Florence and the Renaissance. After the chaos in Europe that consisted of several factors including the Great Schism and the Bubonic Plague, European life was given a light and resurrection of culture and spirit in a period we now know was the Renaissance; to the Italians la Rinascita, Rebirth. Will Durant wrote in The Renaissance: The Story of Civilization V, “The sunshine of the Italian spirit would break through the northern mists; men and women would escape from the prison of medieval fear; they would worship beauty in all its forms, and fill the air with the joy of resurrection.
there were numerous differences between art in the Italian renaissance and the Northern Europe renaissance. While Italian artists were known for their cultural achievements, Northern artists were known more for their rapid development in the arts. Italian artists created detailed human figures that were symmetrical, balanced, and maintain a linear perspective, whereas Northern artists created landscapes and paid more attention to surface detail. Italian artists focused their work mainly around classic mythology and scenes from the bible. Northern artists also worked on religious scenes, but they also incorporated detailed domestic interiors and portraits.
Michelangelo once said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free”. If Michelangelo actually did this with every sculptor could modern artist be doing the same thing to follow in his footsteps. Michelangelo’s artwork affects modern society by influencing many modern-day artists to become sculptors, painters and more. He also influenced types of art such as frescoes and ceiling paintings. To add to this his sculptures are discussed in today’s conversations.
Many times, throughout history old ideas or past cultural aspects are often used again and are improved to mould current needs. The Renaissance is a prime example of how past ideas were used once again to create a better and more cultured society. There was once a time in ancient Greece and Rome where art, architecture, philosophy and writing flourished, but were later supressed due to a greed of power and male dominance. Right before the Renaissance however, the medieval ages were a time dedicated to religion and revolved around feudal aristocracies. Art was something only reserved for religious institutions and left the rest of society dull especially during the black plaque.
The family used their political and finical power to fund art through Italy. They held this power for the majority of the time from the 13th century until the 18th although the bulk of the family’s came with Cosimo the Elder in 1434. Through the years the family
The Renaissance or Rebirth of the European cultural scene spanned the period between the fourteenth and the seventeenth century and it collectively refers to the collection of paintings, murals, sculptures and other works that were created as part of the revival of the classical past of Europe. During this period artists created various works and masterpieces including art, literature and learning ideas, which in turn gave Europe a new cultural foundation to begin with. The work created during this period had a very distinguished style influenced by the remnants of the Middle Ages. Italian artists and writers wanted to bring back the values, teachings and the civilized culture and tradition left by the Greco-Roman era.
The French Revolution began to abolish privileged, high class society as people rose up against the authority and monarchy in France. As a result of this political upheaval almost all of Europe was shaken by social changes, revolutions, and wars (“French Revolution”). Artists and artwork began to reflect this new sense of change and nationalism with a movement called Neoclassicism. Neoclassicism is characterized by strong drawing, rationality, and better moral ideology. Artists began to no longer show their brush strokes and paint more about nationalism and patriotism in society.
Donatello’s David (Fig 1) could be classified as a sculpture of Florentine early Renaissance. In that era, art followed a rejuvenation of classical subjects, forms and principles. Sculpture kept its roots in the Greek or Etruscan and Roman models, yet simultaneously, evolved with influences of German, Lombard and Frankish origins. The poised but provocative demeanor and the sensual surface sheen of the bronze emit an image of being physically delicate and effeminate, reminiscent of the sensuous beauty of gods in Greek sculpture.
The Renaissance period is retained as one of the most influential times throughout history as society gained interest in the invention of art and literature. The Renaissance saw the rebirth in European culture among the Middle Ages and through the Modern Times. The rebirth of the arts, paintings, sculptures, and music, during the Classical Period, referring to the influence of Greece and Rome. In Italy, the city was wealthy enough to support the upturn in art that allowed artists to receive patrons that sponsored them to produce specific work. The Renaissance was filled with different types of artists who have become widely known due to their skilled exquisite work.