A Visual Analysis of Four Art Works

The Early Renaissance was founded in Florence, Italy in the 15th century. It probably flousrished in Florence because of its location, being that it is in the center of Italy. This period was called Renaissance because it means â€Å"rebirth† There was a revival of interest in the classical art, targeted especially towards the ideas of Ancient Greece and Rome.Artists during the period of they Early Renaissance tried to depict the human figure with elements like proportion, gestures and expressions, and realistic objects and clothing as well.They also used other techniques like modeling, which gives volume to rounder elements, and perspective. These artists also tried to establish new methods to portray three dimensionality, giving forms a more real and life like quality. They did so by observing humans and animals so that they could gain a better understanding of Artists of the Easty Renaissance tried to create consistent forms with the relevance to the world along with what p eople experienced on a daily basis. The content of paintings changed as they progressed into Early Renaissance.The subject of art was used based on Roman history and and from myths, as it slowly pointed and leaned more towards religion. Even though artists had the vast freedom of developing and exploring of using new materials and techniques to apply to their works, many times they were only encouraged to create works with relevance to the Bible with the flexibility to choose their own sucject matter. Some of the main characteristics of the art period of the Early Renaissance include: harmony, proportion, realistic gestures andexpressions, rational posture, light, and color.Although the Italian Renaissance first bloomed and blossomed in the city of Florence, it soon spread to the city and capital of Italy, Rome. Rome was always known for its high living and its fine arts. By the beginning of the 1500s, there seemed to be a rapid growth of artistic creations that totally changed the city.The period of art and in history known to be as the High Renaissance, saw the bang of creative geniuses and their masterful and talented use of techniques and ideas that were first used in Florence. Many Europeans were drawn to this city, where the church offered enormous opportunities that could help artists achieve and become well known by a larger public. Due to the fact that the church had so much control and say over the Italian population and because of their contribution to art, many of the themes in art embodied religious themes.At this particular time, painting especially reached its highest point of technicality with magnificent artistic imagination and incredible heroic composition.Renaissance encompassed many Classical elements that extracted the details and showed the world as it really was. Nonetheless, the artworks of the High Renaissance explored and seeked for a more broad and unified architectural outlook and pictorial represententation.There was an explosion of dramatic force in art forms that took in strong energy and created a more controlled equilibrium. Some of the main characteristics of artworks in the High Renaissance are: unity, balance, spatial harmony, light, colors, proportions, chiaroscuro (the use of lighting and shading effects), composition, and perspective.Artists of the Early Renaissance broke away from older styles and introduced new elements as well as techinques. However, it was those artists in the High Renaissance who not only mastered, but perfected these tchniques.The most obvious differences between the Early and the High Renaissaince is the shape of figures and the use of chiaroscuro. Painters of the Early Renaissance strongly leaned towards using three dimensionality, but the new technique still did not look quite right. For instance, in Fra Angelico's Lamentation Over Dead Christ, there is a sense of three dimensionality, but at the same time if the viewer looks at it longer, it does not make sense.The figure s look almost flat. Not to mention, the halos on the figures' head has absolutely no sense of three dimensionality. Although he attempts to create the illusion, it does not quite add up together. In Michelagelo Buonarroti's The Creation of Man, it is evident to see that Adam is not a flat figure.   Michelangelo uses elements of chiaroscuro to create Adam as a full, voluptuous, and three dimensional figure.Michelangelo created many sculptures. Two singnificant sculptures, one created during the Early Renaissance and the other created during the High Renaissance, caught my attention. Even though both sculptures were created by the same artists, it is interesting to see that they are both very similar, yet at the very same time, they show significant changes and differences.David was created in the Early Renaissance. He is shown as an ideal human standing in a contraposto position, which are traces of Ancient Roman and Greek sculptures.David encompasses features of a perfect human be ing such as strength, shown by the details of his muscles. Nonetheless, it seems that Michelangelo's proportions are not quite right. His upper body, expecially his hands, seem larger. It is later on that Michelangelo shows us how he has evolved as an artists by creating Moses in the High Renaissance.I personally think that this is one of Michelagelo's most life like and realistic sculptures. Moses encompasses so much intricate details that bring the sculpture to life. Unlike David, Moses portrays enormous amount of strengh, energy, and movement.The sculpture itself tells its own story through details such as muscles bulging out, thich swelling veins, his strong legs, and his tangled up beard. Michelangelo also shows better representation of proportion in this later sculpture of Moses. A Visual Analysis of Four Art Works The Renaissance, meaning rebirth or revival, was a revolutionary period that made a great impact on arts and culture. The Italian Renaissance is divided into three major phases: Early, High, and Late Renaissance (Rzepinska, 1994).Though centered in Florence, Italy slightly before the turn of the 1500, its profound intellectual and economic changes influenced entire Europe for the next few hundred years (Rzepinska, 1994).   Tired of the restricted secular teachings of the Catholic Church, people began to turn towards humanistic philosophy (Hollingsworth, 2003).There was a renewed, heightened appreciation for great craftsmanship, literature and high culture.   Spiritual matters became a concern after Martin Luther questioned the Church in their selling of indulgences and usage of Latin in Scriptures that were only accessible to the rich and noble but not the poor (Hollingsworth, 2003). This ultimately led to the germination of Protestant Reformation that transformed the spiritual l andscapes forever as proven in many great works of art.The Early Renaissance was lead by sculptor Donatello, architect Filippo Brunelleschi, and painter Masaccio (Bailey, 2003). They began the movement on the foundations that development and progress was integral to the evolution and survival of the arts.They found their inspiration form antiquity, creating realistic figures that portrayed personality and behavior (Woods, Franklin and Richardson 2007). Their work also greatly emphasized the laws of proportion for architecture, the human body, and space (Hollingsworth, 2003).The High Renaissance moved to a generalized style of art that focused on drama, physical presence, and balance. Major artists of this period included Leonardo Da Vinci, Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian (Woods, Franklin and Richardson 2007). The period lasted only from 1495 to 1520 as it was taken over by the Late Renaissance.This movement was put into motion by the sack of Rome in 1527, forcing artists to relocate to other artistic centers in Italy, France, and Spain and later paved way to a new wave of thought known as the Mannerist movement (Hollingsworth, 2003).For the purpose of this assignment, I will analyze Fra Angelico's Lamentation over Dead Christ (1436-1441), Masaccio's The Tribute Money, Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini and His Bride, and Edouard Manet’s The Bar at the Folies Bergere.Lamentation over Dead Christ by Fra Angelico (1436-1441)The most obvious differences between Early and High Renaissance is the shape of figures and the use of chiaroscuro – an element in art defined as a bold contrast between light and dark (Bailey, 2003). Painters of the Early Renaissance strongly leaned towards using perspective: a system for creating an illusion of depth or three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface (Bailey, 2003).However, the technique seemed fraught with problems. For instance, in Fra Angelico's Lamentation over Dead Christ, there is the sense of denied aerial perspective, but if the viewer looks at it longer, the figures and their halos appear flat. The artist fails in his attempts to create a vivid and alive mythical illusion.The usage of halos are significant at it deconstructs the visual perspective of lines softening the image especially against the predominant angular crucifix. The arrangement of the halos also provide a soft and rhythmic motion of a wave that helps to distract the viewer from an emotionally hardened image of Christ dying.The artist utilizes a vivid color of the robes that personally, seems to as if represent the blood that is supposed to flow out of Christ. On the crucifix, there is minimal trace of blood in what would should have been a dramatic and tragic part of Christ’s life. Also notice the surrounding figures and their lack of emotional expression on their face and no trace of tears.Their robe seems to express more motions than anything else in the artwork. Lighting-wise, the ha los are to create a luminous setting for what is supposed to be a fabulous, surreal moment in Christianity. Note to customer: Need more detail here to balance out the other analyses you have done so this won’t come out uneven.