NORTHERN VS ITALIAN ART
Although the Renaissance spread throughout Europe equally, some of its ideas and principles, however, didn't. For example, the North focused more on medieval themes while the Italians tended to apply classical theme.
Italian
The Italian Renaissance is similar to the Northern Renaissance is many aspects. Although they have similar traits, the Italian Renaissance possesses a plethora of several different attributes. The Italian Renaissance took place and originated in Florence, Italy. It began soon after the Middle Ages concluded and sparked a revolution of new ideas and concepts. One of the most notable beliefs that came out of the Italian Renaissance was humanism. Petrarch, often called the “Father of Humanism” developed the belief that people should enjoy their life and be educated on all things such as art, music, science, and religion. Humanism would have a big impact on how the rest of the Renaissance would unfold. Many new painting styles would also come out of the Renaissance. These styles included perspective and the use of light and dark shades. Paintings such as The Calling of Saint Matthew, by Carravagio portrays how light and shadow was used to illustrate emotions and setting. Other methods such as perspective were used in sculptures including Pietà, by Michaelangelo. Michaelangelo uses perspective in an abnormal way displaying Mary as a weirdly large person holding a grown man in her lap. Overall the Italian Renaissance was home to the more significant works of art, some even coming from the Fathers of the Renaissance consisting of Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael.
Italian Renaissance focused on the human figure and character. Italian artists sought for the skill to portray the human form in realistic settings. The Italian Renaissance promoted such movements like humanism, herectism, and secularism. Many Italian artists also promoted frescoe paintings . Many of these Italian artists' work were classical and of mythological themes. These artists included Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael.
Italian Renaissance focused on the human figure and character. Italian artists sought for the skill to portray the human form in realistic settings. The Italian Renaissance promoted such movements like humanism, herectism, and secularism. Many Italian artists also promoted frescoe paintings . Many of these Italian artists' work were classical and of mythological themes. These artists included Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael.
Title: David
Artist: Michelangelo
Date: 1504
Type of Art: Sculpting
Location: Galleria dell'Accademia
Michelangelo's David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture in marble. It is a sculptor of biblical hero David. This David is 5.16 meters in height and was made by a single block of marbel from the Quarries in Carraca in Tuscany, one of the whitest in the world. The story behind the David was him after he defeated the giant Golliath with the head by his feet. But Michelangelo decided for his David to be different than the others, so he depicted him before he fights the giant. He sculpts him standing at ease, thinking about how he's going to attack, with a rock hidden behind his right hand, and a slingshot resting at his shoulders. Michelangelo's David shows the beauty of the human body, promoting the idea of individualism.
Artist: Michelangelo
Date: 1504
Type of Art: Sculpting
Location: Galleria dell'Accademia
Michelangelo's David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture in marble. It is a sculptor of biblical hero David. This David is 5.16 meters in height and was made by a single block of marbel from the Quarries in Carraca in Tuscany, one of the whitest in the world. The story behind the David was him after he defeated the giant Golliath with the head by his feet. But Michelangelo decided for his David to be different than the others, so he depicted him before he fights the giant. He sculpts him standing at ease, thinking about how he's going to attack, with a rock hidden behind his right hand, and a slingshot resting at his shoulders. Michelangelo's David shows the beauty of the human body, promoting the idea of individualism.
Title: The Last Supper
Artist: Leonardo da Vinci
Date: 1495-98
Medium: Painting
Location: Santa Maria delle Grazie
Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" represents the last meal of Christ with his apostles before he is betrayed by Judas. This panting is filled of symbolic references, as little attributes depicted by da Vinci identify each apostle. da Vinci attempted to properly portray the human figure in realistic settings. Leonardo sought for a more vibrant painting, so he applied a double layer of dried plastic and an underlayer of lead white to brightly enhance the oil and tempera that was added on top. Because the painting was on a thin wall, the effects of humidity prevented it from properly adhering to the wall.
Artist: Leonardo da Vinci
Date: 1495-98
Medium: Painting
Location: Santa Maria delle Grazie
Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" represents the last meal of Christ with his apostles before he is betrayed by Judas. This panting is filled of symbolic references, as little attributes depicted by da Vinci identify each apostle. da Vinci attempted to properly portray the human figure in realistic settings. Leonardo sought for a more vibrant painting, so he applied a double layer of dried plastic and an underlayer of lead white to brightly enhance the oil and tempera that was added on top. Because the painting was on a thin wall, the effects of humidity prevented it from properly adhering to the wall.
Title: "School of Athens"
Artist: Raphael
Date: 1509-11
Medium: Painting
Location: Raphael Rooms
Raphael's "Schoolof Athens" is known as Raphael's masterpiece and the perfect embodiment of the classical spirit of the Higaissance. Raphael painted it as part of his commission to decorate with frescoes the Raphael Rooms. Raphael's central figures were Plato and Aristotle and worked with four branches of human knowledge theology, law, poetry, and philosophy.
Artist: Raphael
Date: 1509-11
Medium: Painting
Location: Raphael Rooms
Raphael's "Schoolof Athens" is known as Raphael's masterpiece and the perfect embodiment of the classical spirit of the Higaissance. Raphael painted it as part of his commission to decorate with frescoes the Raphael Rooms. Raphael's central figures were Plato and Aristotle and worked with four branches of human knowledge theology, law, poetry, and philosophy.
Title: "School of Athens"
Artist: Raphael
Date: 1509-11
Medium: Painting
Location: Raphael Rooms
Raphael's "Schoolof Athens" is known as Raphael's masterpiece and the perfect embodiment of the classical spirit of the Higaissance. Raphael painted it as part of his commission to decorate with frescoes the Raphael Rooms. Raphael's central figures were Plato and Aristotle and worked with four branches of human knowledge theology, law, poetry, and philosophy.
Artist: Raphael
Date: 1509-11
Medium: Painting
Location: Raphael Rooms
Raphael's "Schoolof Athens" is known as Raphael's masterpiece and the perfect embodiment of the classical spirit of the Higaissance. Raphael painted it as part of his commission to decorate with frescoes the Raphael Rooms. Raphael's central figures were Plato and Aristotle and worked with four branches of human knowledge theology, law, poetry, and philosophy.
Northern Europe (High and Venetians)
The Northern Renaissance shared many similarities with Renaissance Italy like the use of classical literature, religious themes among the art, and the importance of extreme detail and emotion. But the Northern Renaissance also had lots of differences including its focus on human nature rather than religion, mannerism, use of oil paints and lighting in paintings, and monarch patronage rather than the Church. Such artists like Albrecht Durer, Pieter Bruegel, and Jan Van eyck became famous among Northern Europe through their work. Artists like Giovanni Bellini became especially famous through their Venetian style of painting which heavily used strong vibrant colors, complex form of lighting, and emphasized its patterns of symmetry and equity.
Title: San Giobbe Altarpiece
Artist: Giovanni Belinni
Date: c.1487
Medium: Painting
Location: Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice
Belinni's San Giobbe Altarpiece really emphasizes the beauty of using bright colors in a painting. Belinni used such vibrant and rich colors. The painting allows for the different tones to contrast eachother, how the top part of the painting is dark and of grey color, compred to the bottom, which is a lot brighter. Later, the technique to blend these colors together and in effect, show a sort of hazy look, will be used and come to be called sfumato. Belinni used the church's windows as his source of light in the painting, adding to the painting's realism. Mary is the only who is actually hit with the light, which might suggest this light was sort of a source for spiritual strength for her. The image depicted by Belinni seems to nearly symmetrical. The fact that he drew all the figures in the shape of a triangle, with the Virgin Mary in the middle, might suggest the Holy Trinity.
Artist: Giovanni Belinni
Date: c.1487
Medium: Painting
Location: Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice
Belinni's San Giobbe Altarpiece really emphasizes the beauty of using bright colors in a painting. Belinni used such vibrant and rich colors. The painting allows for the different tones to contrast eachother, how the top part of the painting is dark and of grey color, compred to the bottom, which is a lot brighter. Later, the technique to blend these colors together and in effect, show a sort of hazy look, will be used and come to be called sfumato. Belinni used the church's windows as his source of light in the painting, adding to the painting's realism. Mary is the only who is actually hit with the light, which might suggest this light was sort of a source for spiritual strength for her. The image depicted by Belinni seems to nearly symmetrical. The fact that he drew all the figures in the shape of a triangle, with the Virgin Mary in the middle, might suggest the Holy Trinity.
Title: Self-Portrait At The Age Of Twenty-Eight
Artist: Albrecht Durer
Date: 1500
Medium: Painting (oil on panel)
Location: Alte Pinakothek
Durer painted three self-portraits in total. The one above is considered to be his most famous self portrait as well one of his most famous paintings to date. It can be seen that Durer focused on the lighting when painting this. He made sort of a majestic feel using the different shades of lighting, going from bright on the left to a darker shade on the right. The use of mannerism was implemented in this painting as the self portrait makes a symmetrical triangular shape. The eyes, hair, and even the shoulders are symmetrical causing it to form visible triangle of Durer. It is not common for artists to make self portraits in their work making it hard to know that some of these artist look like in real life, except for Durer.
Artist: Albrecht Durer
Date: 1500
Medium: Painting (oil on panel)
Location: Alte Pinakothek
Durer painted three self-portraits in total. The one above is considered to be his most famous self portrait as well one of his most famous paintings to date. It can be seen that Durer focused on the lighting when painting this. He made sort of a majestic feel using the different shades of lighting, going from bright on the left to a darker shade on the right. The use of mannerism was implemented in this painting as the self portrait makes a symmetrical triangular shape. The eyes, hair, and even the shoulders are symmetrical causing it to form visible triangle of Durer. It is not common for artists to make self portraits in their work making it hard to know that some of these artist look like in real life, except for Durer.