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Chapter 3.6
Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
(14001750)
Introduction
Renaissance (14001600)
Means rebirth
Refers to the time period and the style of art
A renewed interest in Classical thinking, mythology, and art
Humanism
Philosophical approach that stressed the intellectual and physical
potential of human beings
Religion
Reformation and Counter-Reformation
Catholic and Protestant beliefs were reflected in the art of the Italian
Renaissance and the northern Renaissance
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Introduction
Baroque (16001750)
Refers to the time period and the style of art
Increase in trade, advancements in science
Permanent split between Roman Catholics and Protestants
Baroque art tends to be full of motion and emotion
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.117 Map of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
3.118 Portrait of Michelangelo
from Giorgio Vasaris Lives of the
Great Artists, second edition,
1568. Engraving
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.119 Arnolfo di Cambio and others,
Florence Cathedral, view from
south, begun 1296
3.120 Filippo Brunelleschi,
Dome of Florence
Cathedral, 141736
3.121 Masaccio, Tribute Money, c. 1427. Fresco, 81 197. Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.127a Jan van Eyck, Analysis of The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434. Oil on panel, 32 23. National Gallery, London
3.127b Detail of Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait
3.128 Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Netherlandish Proverbs, 1559. Oil on oak, 310 52. Gemldegalerie, Staatliche Museen, Berlin,
Germany
3.129a Detail from Pieter
Bruegel the Elder,
Netherlandish Proverbs,
illustrating the proverb the
world turned upside down
3.129b Detail from Pieter Bruegel
the Elder, Netherlandish Proverbs,
illustrating the proverb beating his
head against a wall
3.129c Detail from Pieter Bruegel
the Elder, Netherlandish
Proverbs, illustrating two women
gossiping: the proverb one winds
the distaff, the other spins it
3.130 Matthias Grnewald, Isenheim Altarpiece (closed), c. 151015. Oil on panel, center panel: Crucifixion, 89 10; predella:
Lamentation, 29 111; side panels: Saints Sebastian and Anthony 76 29 each, Muse dUnterlinden, Colmar, France
3.131 Albrecht Drer, The Last Supper, 1523. Woodcut, 8 11. British Museum, London, England
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Mannerism
From the Italian di maniera, which means charm, grace
Exaggeration for emotional effect
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.132 Sofonisba Anguissola, Portrait of the Artists Sisters Playing Chess, 1555. Oil on canvas, 28 38. National Museum,
Pozna, Poland
3.133 Paolo Veronese, Christ in the House of Levi, 1573. Oil on canvas, 73 168. Galleria dellAccademia, Venice, Italy
3.134 Tintoretto,The Last Supper, 15924. Oil on canvas, 1111 187. San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, Italy
3.135 Jacopo da Pontormo,
Deposition, 15258. Oil on
wood, 123 75.
Capponi Chapel, Santa
Felicita, Florence, Italy
3.136 El Greco, Laocon, c. 1610/14. Oil on canvas, 54 68. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
3.137 Donatello, David, c. 1430. Bronze,
52 high. Museo Nazionale del Bargello,
Florence, Italy
3.138 Michelangelo, David, 15014.
Marble, 142 high. Galleria
dellAccademia, Florence, Italy
3.139 Gianlorenzo Bernini,
David, 1623. Marble, 57 high.
Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
The Baroque
Time of exploration and discovery
Theory that the sun was the center of the universe now accepted
Religion
Post-Reformation
Warfare
Battles throughout Europe
Artwork characteristics:
Emphasis on light
Diversity of approaches
Dramatic movement and theatrical compositions
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
3.142 Caravaggio, Judith Decapitating Holofernes, 1599. Oil on canvas, 49 64. Galleria Nazionale dArte Antica, Rome, Italy
3.143 Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernes, c. 1620. Oil on canvas, 66 53. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
3.140 Nicolas Poussin, The Funeral of Phocion, 1648. Oil on canvas, 44 68. National Museum of Wales, Cardiff
3.141 Peter Paul Rubens, center
panel from The Raising of the Cross,
161011. Oil on canvas, 51
111. Cathedral of Our Lady,
Antwerp, Belgium
3.144 Rembrandt van Rijn, The Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch (The Night Watch), 1642. Oil on
canvas, 1111 144. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3 The following videos will show you more about the art and
HISTORY AND CONTEXT architecture of the Renaissance and the Baroque:
St. Peters Basilica and the Sistine Chapel
Discussion Question
1. Find two examples of artwork in this chapter in which
linear perspective plays an important part. Point out the
parts of the composition that use linear perspective to
create the desired illusion. Discuss what the artist wants to
communicate by using linear perspective.
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields Copyright 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Discussion Question
2. From this chapter choose a northern Renaissance artwork
and an Italian Renaissance work. List the prominent
characteristics of each. Include information about both
the form and the content of the artworks in your lists.
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields Copyright 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Discussion Question
3. Select three artworks that deal with subject matter from
the Bible. Consider how they portray their biblical
themes: examine style, medium and technique, content,
and any other aspects that the artist emphasizes. You
might choose works from this chapter, or elsewhere in the
textbook. For example: 1.70, 2.148, 4.163.
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields Copyright 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Discussion Question
4. Select a Renaissance work and a Baroque work from this
chapter. List their similarities and differences. Consider
their subject matter, style, content, and emotional impact.
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields Copyright 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Discussion Question
5. Select three Renaissance artworks that draw on the
artistic and intellectual heritage of Classical Greece and
Rome. Make a list of the ways in which they use the
Classical past. Make another list of any Renaissance
innovations, either in terms of form or content. You might
choose one work from another chapter in the textbook, for
example: 4.133, 4.136.
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields Copyright 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 3.6 Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe
PART 3
HISTORY AND CONTEXT