What Distinguishes Renaissance Art From Medieval Period.
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ART100
First briefly explain what primarily distinguishes Renaissance art
in general from the prior Medieval period.
Generally, Renaissance art focuses on realism and uses a linear perspective in paintings.
Unlike previous medieval period, Renaissance art does not focus on religion. In addition,
Renaissance art used to depict the beauty in nature and represents everyday life (Mack, 76).
Then, trace the evolution and development of art through the periods of the Early Renaissance
to the High Renaissance.
During early Renaissance art broke away from the inflexible Byzantine as well as Gothic
practices to design natural approach to paintings and arrangement of artworks in landscapes. The basis of these transformations was focused solid rendering of Giotto style. In the High
Renaissance era art works was revived from ancient Rome and Greece to classical standards. Additionally art was based on unique skills and magnificence that enhanced the artists’ status
from artisan to intellectual plane (Bayer, 41-49). This was a period that witnessed a rebirth of
classical standards of magnificence and appearance; anatomical and systematic precision;
physical response to color and oeuvre; and recognition of classical ideals as a subject of art.
Compare and contrast the work of an Italian Renaissance artist with a work
done by a northern European Renaissance artist.
Masaccio was an Italian Renaissance artist while Master Bertram was northern European
Renaissance artist. Both the artists were influential in their respective regions; for instance their
use of style and oeuvre on future painters. Master Bertram used gothic style while used Giotto
as a main source of inspiration. Unlike, Master Bertram, Masaccio rejected gothic style that
was widely used during that era. In addition, Masaccio used vanishing effect and scientific
perspective in his artwork while Master Bertram employed smooth representation that re solid
as well as heavy (Dube, 45-46). Master Bertram’s Grabow Altarpiece that combined painting
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What Distinguishes Renaissance Art From Medieval Period.
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and sculpture has always been a main component in establishing his oeuvre while Holly Trinity
by Masaccio is regarded as the artist’s finest work of art (Diane, 3-5).
Compare and contrast two works of art done in two different eras/styles. Select from the
following pairs of eras/styles: Medieval and Renaissance
Medieval and Renaissance eras has unique cultural as well as opinions in Europe. Both periods
had social structures and art was based on religion. Nevertheless, during the renaissance
period art was predisposed to Greco-Roman style, queried the influence of Catholic Church,
and had educated society (Kean, 50-56). For instance, The Notary of Perugia Writing a
Document art of medieval period little attention is paid to detail. There is also lack of depth in
painting, and writings on the parchment lack similarity to the actual text.
On the contrary, renaissance art such as Christ the Redeemer by Titian is somewhat artistic in
the sense that detail is given attention, though the texture does not encompass much. It’s
evident that shadowing in the masterpiece and texture of the fabric is well represented
(Wolk-Simon and Linda, 15-24). Furthermore, depth is adequately depicted and focus is
highlighted on developing a good background. Both artworks during medieval and renaissance
eras used similar color since majority of visually alluring colors had not been discovered.
Moreover, artworks during these eras depicted inadequate understanding how to correctly
characterize human body because it was regarded immoral by the church; though this was
changed by Leonardo da Vinci in his arts (Wixom and Lawson, 51-56).
Works cited
Diane Cole Ahl, The Cambridge Companion to Masaccio, Cambridge, 2002, 3-5. Print.
Mack, Rosamond E. Bazaar to Piazza: Islamic Trade and Italian Art, 1300-1600, University of California Press, 2001, 76.
Dube, Elizabeth Healy: "The Grabow Altar of Master Bertram von Minden", Providence,
Brown Univ., Diss., 2009, 45-46.
Kean, Roger Michael. Forgotten Power: Byzantium: Bulwark of Christianity. Shropshire: Thalamus. 2006, 50-56
Wolk-Simon, Linda "Raphael at the Metropolitan: The Colonna Altarpiece." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 63, no. 4, 2006, 15-24
Bayer, Andrea "North of the Apennines: Sixteenth-Century Italian Painting in Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 60, no. 4, 2003, 71-75
Wixom, William D., and Margaret Lawson "Picturing the Apocalypse: Illustrated Leaves from a
Medieval Spanish Manuscript." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 59, no. 3, 2002, 51-56
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What Distinguishes Renaissance Art From Medieval Period.
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