The Renaissance in Italy: Art

• Italy organized into small city-states

• city-states ruled by wealthy and powerful merchant class

• political and economic

• merchant class

• interest in art

• emphasis on personal achievement

Who are the Medici?• one of richest merchant families emerging in time period

• from the city of Florence, Italy

• Importance: Medici transformed Florence, made it center

of Italian Renaissance because of support of art

• one of first families to win power through commerce

• gained control of Florentine government, maintained

• most well known as being patrons of the arts

• Lorenzo “the Magnificent” biggest supporter

Growth of Renaissance Art• mostly paintings, sculptures, architecture

• wealthy patrons, popes, princes played major role;

commission• ordinary people began to play larger role

• de-emphasis of church, appreciate human experience

• art and humanism connection

• combined religious themes with Greek/Roman

background

• reflected interest in individual achievement

• revival of many classic forms not seen since

Greek/Rome“School of Athens” by Raphael

Some famous Renaissance Artists• Leonardo da Vinci: “The Last Supper,” “The Mona Lisa”

• sculptor, engineer, painter, architect, poet, etc.

• dissected corpses

• experimented with paint

• Michelangelo Buonarrotti: “David,” “Pieta” • multi-talented like Leonardo

• works reflect life struggles with art and religion

• painted mural on Sistine Chapel ceiling

• Raphael: “School of Athens,” portrayals of the Madonna• sweet and gracious nature

• unique style of painting, blended Christian and classic

styles

Art Techniques

• Use of PERPSECTIVE to show 3-D using a foreground and background and a vanishing point

• Sfumato – blurring of lines to show depth

• Chiaroscuro – contrast bold colors to show depth

• Balance and geometry• Knowledge of anatomy and biology

Perspective

“The Last Supper,” by Leonardo da Vinci

Smufato

“The Mona Lisa,” by Leonardo da Vinci

“The Birth of Venus,” by Botticellin

Chiaroscuro

Balance and Geometry

“The Last Supper,” by Leonardo da Vinci

Anatomy and Biology

“The Fall,” by Michelangelo

Medieval or Renaissance?