Verified Document

Renaissance And Baroque Essay

Renaissance and Baroque Periods The term Renaissance describes, not only a movement in art, but also a corresponding social and cultural movement that moved through Europe at the conclusion of the Middle Ages. The Renaissance period lasted from the 1400s to the 1600s, and spread through most of Europe, though it is probably the most heavily associated with Italy. The term "renaissance" means revival or rebirth, and the Renaissance did mark a period of significant cultural revival. In order to truly understand the Renaissance, it is important to understand that the Middle Ages, the time period preceding the Renaissance was a period of retraction largely due to political instability. However, as Europe emerged from the Middle Ages and became more stable, the surrounding social landscape became supportive of an explosion in the arts and learning. The movement began in Italy in the 1400s and spread into France, northern Europe, and Spain in the 15th and 16th centuries. It ended sometime in the 1600s, depending on the location in Europe.

While the Renaissance was known for an emphasis on learning in a broad variety of areas, it was also specifically known because of several advances in art. Beginning with the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck, Renaissance artists ushered in the technique of paining in oil directly on canvas. Giorgione and Titian were two influential artists who helped develop this oil-on-canvas technique; "this technique of oil painting allowed the artist to rework an image- as fresco painting (on plaster) did not- and it would dominate to the present day" (A & E, 2013).

Just prior to the Renaissance is a period many refer to as the proto-Renaissance, which was mainly confined to Italy. It was during this period that some of the artistic advances...

For example, earlier painters struggled with perspective and had a difficult time capturing the three dimensional human form on a two dimensional surface. However, the proto-Renaissance painter Giotto made advances in the realistic representation of the human body that were carried forward into the Renaissance period (A&E, 2013). This realistic representation of the human body is one of the hallmarks of Renaissance artwork.
Another change during the Renaissance period reflected changes in culture. Prior to the Renaissance, the Catholic Church was the most significant patron of the arts. As a result, many older works of art have religious themes or subject matter. In fact, even many older portraits worked modern images into religious themes. This began to change during the Renaissance. The Catholic Church remained a significant patron of the arts, but non-church entities, from individuals to government bodies, became increasingly more involved in patronizing the arts. This had two results. The first result was that many artists were freed to move beyond the constraints of religious subject matter. The second result was that art was found outside of the realm of the church; it became, if not an everyday occurrence, something that people were much more likely to encounter than when it was confined to the Church.

The Renaissance is remarkable for a number of different characteristics. As the term "Renaissance man" implies, one of the notable aspects of the Renaissance was that many of its better-known figures were known for being involved in multiple disciplines. Leonardo da Vinci was probably the best known of these famous Renaissance artists. Da Vinci's accomplishments are too extensive to…

Sources used in this document:
References

A&E Television Networks. (2013). Renaissance Art. Retrieved October 31, 2013 from The

History Channel website: http://www.history.com/topics/renaissance-art da Vinci, L. (1492-1498). The Last Supper. Retrieved November 1, 2013 from Encyclopaedia

Britannica website: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/331188/Last-Supper

Khan Academy. (2013). 1600-1700: The Baroque. Retrieved October 31, 2013 from The Khan
Academy Art History website: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-history/art-history-1600-1700-the-baroque
Rubens: The Complete Works website: http://www.peterpaulrubens.org/The-Fall-of-the-Damned-c.-1620.html
Zimmerman, K.A. (2013, August 13). Leonardo da Vinci: Facts & Biography. Retrieved October 31, 2013 from LiveScience website: http://www.livescience.com/39355-leonardo-da-vinci.html
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Renaissance / Baroque Comparative Analysis
Words: 1748 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

The compositional structure here is actually quite daring. Even though a viewer tends to "read" a painting left-to-right, as with a book, here the left side of the canvas seems to fade away into nothingness. It is not just the empty seascape on the left as compared with the dark richness of the forest on the right. The left half of the painting contains the subject of the painting after

Comparison of the Renaissance and Baroque Era
Words: 926 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Renaissance -- Baroque Music RENAISSANCE & BAROQUE MUSIC: A COMPARISON The music associated with the Renaissance Period, beginning circa 1450 and ending about 1600, brought about a number of significant changes as compared to its predecessor, being the Medieval Period. Musically, the Renaissance Period introduced the use of polyphony and saw the rise of the cantus firmus mass as Europe's first major musical form; in addition, there was an emergence of national schools

Baroque Art Movement in and Throughout Various European Countries...
Words: 2380 Length: 9 Document Type: Term Paper

Baroque Period Annotated Bibliography Chaffee, Kevin. "Baroque sights, sounds at the gallery." The Washington Times, The National Gallery of Art set up a spectacular exhibit of the Baroque period that included scale models of baroque-era churches, palaces, military forts and grand public buildings. They had problems getting nearly 300 guests through the enormous exhibit. The huge exhibit took up the length of two entire corridors on the main and ground floors of the

Renaissance & Reformation Discovering the
Words: 1095 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

In terms of Renaissance philosophy, Galileo Galilei is an example of a humanist who strongly defended the gradual flourishing and subsistence to the scientific revolution happening in his society during the Renaissance period. Galileo was a strong advocate for the usage of science in discovering truth and new knowledge, using the principles of mathematics and philosophy in strengthening the study of astronomy and physics in the society. Through Galileo,

Baroque Style and Culture the
Words: 730 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Imagery and metaphor were extremely important in Baroque works, and sometimes metaphors became their own metaphors yet again. This poem's images are strong, such as "the iron gates of life," and they create an elaborate and memorable work that is truly Baroque in style. Included are many natural elements common in life, like birds, gardens, and even the sun, which are also elements that point to a Baroque, romantic

Renaissance and Baroque an Analysis of Two
Words: 936 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Renaissance and Baroque An Analysis of Two Davids The humanism, nobility, and power of the Renaissance are reflected in Michelangelo's David (1504). The emphasis on drama, movement, and action is demonstrated in Bernini's David (1624). Both emphasize the heroic and favorite themes of the High Renaissance, but it is Vasari who gives the greatest compliment to Michelangelo's David, calling it more excellent than all sculpture of ancient Greece and Rome and even

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now