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4. Revival and Rebirth in Europe: The Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo

Introduction to the Renaissance 1

  • Petrarch:
    • Italian poet and scholar of Latin in the 14th century.
    • He was able to reconcile Christianity and classical Roman and Greek culture in his writings.
    • He revived the interest in what was known as paganism in the Middle Ages.
  • Renaissance:
    • It means “rebirth”.
    • It shifted focus from God-centred to human-centered, that is, Humanism.
  • Brunelleschi:
    • He was the first architect to use linear perspective in his works.
    • The linear perspective is a technique that creates the illusion of depth on a flat surface (3D).
    • He built the dome of the Florence Cathedral.
    • He built the dome without using scaffolding, or other support structures that were common in Gothic architecture.
  • Donatello:
    • He was a sculptor.
    • He created the first freestanding nude sculpture since antiquity.
    • He created the bronze statue of David.
  • Michelangelo: most famous for the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
  • Leonardo da Vinci:
    • Most famous for the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.
  • Raphael: most famous for The School of Athens.

1400-1600: The Renaissance in Italy 2 3 4

  • The Renaissance really gets going in the early years of the 15th century in Florence.
  • Renaissance started in Florence because of:
    • The Medici family.
    • Extraordinary wealth accumulated in Florence during this period among a growing middle and upper class of merchants and bankers.
  • In 1400 Florence was engaged in a struggle with the Duke of Milan. The Florentine people feared the loss of liberty and respect for individuals who were the pride of their Republic.
  • How to recognize Early Renaissance art (1305):
    • Emotions.
    • Figures from many points of view (as opposed to the portrait view of the Middle Ages).
    • Modeling (chiaroscuro): the use of light and shadow to create the illusion of volume.
    • Revival of classical interest in anatomy and proportions.
    • The illusion of space: linear perspective.
  • How to recognize Late Renaissance art (1455):
    • Increasing patronage from wealthy individuals and families.
    • Portable art: art that could be moved from place to place, and easily sold.
    • The use of Tempura pigments: a type of paint that is mixed with egg yolk.
    • Naturalism: the representation of the world as it is.
  • The High Renaissance (1508):
    • Deeper understanding of the human body.
    • More influence from the classical world (Greek and Roman).
    • Graceful and complex movements.
    • Complex figures interactions.
  • Mannerism:
    • A style that emerged in the late Renaissance around 1537.

1400-1600: The Northern Renaissance and the Reformation 5 6 7

  • Italian art and ideas migrated North from Italy (largely because of the travels of the great German artist Albrecht Dϋrer who studied, admired, and was inspired by Italy, and carried his Italian experiences back to Germany).
  • Some of the most important changes in Northern Europe include the:
    • The invention of the printing press in 1450.
    • The advent of mechanically reproducible media such as woodcuts and engravings
    • Formation of a merchant class of art patrons that purchased works in oil on panel
    • Protestant Reformation and the translation of the Bible from the original languages into the vernacular or common languages such as German and French.
    • International trade in urban centers
  • Jan van Eyck was the first to use oil paint.

Introduction to Baroque and Rococo 8

  • In the early 1600s, the Catholic Church was in crisis. The Protestant Reformation had divided Europe, and the Catholic Church was losing followers. The Church needed to reassert its power and authority.
  • The Baroque style was the Church’s answer. The Baroque style was a way for the Church to communicate its power and authority to the people.
  • Sculptor Giovanni Bernini was the most important Baroque artist.
  • Baroque art is characterized by:
    • Theatrical effects replaced the straight lines and static figures of the Renaissance with flowing curves and elaborate domes.
    • Ornamentation like in the Chapel of St. Carlino.
    • Dark shadows: Caravaggio.
  • Rococo is a style that emerged in the 1700s. It was the art of aristocracy. Rococo art is characterized by:
    • Light, airy, and playful.
    • Pastel colors.
    • Curved lines and natural forms.
    • Rococo art is often associated with the French court of Louis XV.
  • Neoclassicism is a style that emerged in the late 1700s. It was a reaction against the excesses of Rococo art. Neoclassicism is characterized by:
    • Simplicity and order.
    • Straight lines and geometric shapes.
    • Neoclassicism is often associated with the French Revolution.
    • Examples of neoclassical buildings:
      • Buckingham Palace.
      • Arc de Triomphe: The Pantheon of Paris.
      • The Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
      • The Jefferson Memorial.

1600-1700: The Baroque in Italy and the North 9 10 11 12

1700s: The Rococo 13 14

Optional Resources 15 16 17

References

  1. Renaissance art [Video]. (n.d.). Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/approaches-to-art-history/very-beginner/renaissance-to-modern-art/v/renaissance-art-introduction ↩

  2. Harris, B. and Zucker, S. (n.d.). Florence in the Early Renaissance. Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/early-renaissance1/beginners-renaissance-florence/a/florence-in-the-early-renaissance ↩

  3. How to recognize Italian Renaissance art [Video]. (n.d.). Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/early-renaissance1/beginners-renaissance-florence/v/recognize-renaissance-art ↩

  4. Harris, B. and Zucker, S. (n.d.). Toward the High Renaissance, an introduction. Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/high-ren-florence-rome/beginners-guide-high-ren/a/toward-the-high-renaissance-an-introduction ↩

  5. Noble, B. J. (n.d.). The Northern Renaissance in the fifteenth century. Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/northern-renaissance1/beginners-guide-northern-renaissance/a/an-introduction-to-the-northern-renaissance-in-the-fifteenth-century ↩

  6. Noble, B. J. (n.d.). An introduction to the Northern Renaissance in the sixteenth century. Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/northern/northern-ren-16c/a/an-introduction-to-the-northern-renaissance-in-the-sixteenth-century ↩

  7. Dürer, Self-portrait (1500) [Video]. (n.d.). Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/northern/durer/v/albrecht-d-rer-self-portrait-1500 ↩

  8. Baroque and Rococo [Video]. (n.d.). Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/approaches-to-art-history/very-beginner/renaissance-to-modern-art/v/baroque-rococo-introduction ↩

  9. Esperança, C. (n.d.). Baroque Art in Europe, an introduction. Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/baroque-art1/beginners-guide-baroque1/a/baroque-art-in-europe-an-introduction ↩

  10. Benay, Erin. (n.d.). Khan Academy. Caravaggio and Caravaggisti in 17th-Century Europe. Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/baroque-art1/baroque-italy/a/caravaggio-and-caravaggisti-in-17th-century-europe ↩

  11. Gentileschi, Judith and Holofernes [Video]. (n.d.). Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/baroque-art1/baroque-italy/v/gentileschi-judith ↩

  12. Rembrandt, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp [Video]. (n.d.). Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/baroque-art1/holland/v/rembrandt-tulp ↩

  13. Harris, B. and Zucker, S. (n.d.). A beginner’s guide to Rococo art. Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/rococo-neoclassicism/rococo/a/a-beginners-guide-to-rococo-art ↩

  14. Mida, Ingrid E. (n.d.). Vigée Le Brun, Self-Portrait with her Daughter. Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/rococo-neoclassicism/rococo/a/vigee-le-brun-self-portrait-with-her-daughter ↩

  15. How one-point linear perspective works [Video]. (n.d.). Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/start-here-apah/language-of-art-history-apah/v/how-one-point-linear-perspective-works ↩

  16. How to recognize Baroque art [Video]. (n.d.). Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/baroque-art1/beginners-guide-baroque1/v/how-to-recognize-baroque-art ↩

  17. Unlocking an 18th-century French mechanical table [Video]. (n.d.). Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/rococo-neoclassicism/rococo/v/unlocking-18th-c-french-mechanical-table ↩