Paintings of the Early and High Renaissance

In southern Europe, the beginning of the fifteenth century sparked one of the greatest art movements in history: The Renaissance. Italian artists didn’t simply conform to the “new thing”; rather there was a slow transition from the Early Renaissance to the High Renaissance. Two works of art that hold the characteristics from each period are: Portrait of a Woman and a Man by Fra Filippo Lippi of the Early Renaissance and Venus By Tiziano Vecellio (AKA Titan) of the High Renaissance.

          A few techniques that became evident in the Early Renaissance are those derived from the philosophical writings of Plato. Artists aimed for the ideal and perfection was beautiful. Portraiture became all the rage in the rising century and most were executed in profile view of the subject. In Lippi’s painting, the two figures are in profile facing each other. Lippi painted them realistically; however there is a sense of perfection with the lines used throughout the piece. For instance, the woman is painted in a way that doesn’t seem dimensional. There is one line that travels from the top of her hairline to the scrunched fabric of her dress which detracts from the illusion of dimension. Although the woman seems a bit flat, her environment implies space. Artists in the early renaissance developed ways to create depth in painting by the use of atmospheric perspective and linear perspective. Here, Lippi uses a little bit of both. For example, the ceiling of the room is lined with square panels that recede into space using linear perspective. The far wall on the other side of the woman is a window revealing the world outside the room which demonstrates atmospheric perspective.

          Artists in the high renaissance continued some of these techniques, but also utilized new ideas. Art during this time had more focus on idealism and naturalism through human anatomy. Titan’s Venus is a great example of art in the high renaissance because it illustrates popular methods of painting and anatomy. The woman painted stands out so much because of a new approach called chiaroscuro. This is the combination of light and dark used against one another to create a high contrast. This is one step that high renaissance artists took to emphasize naturalism. The contrast between the white sheets that the woman is laying on and the darkly shaded drapery behind her gives her skin a glowing affect and makes her seem more realistic. The shape of her body from her neck to her breast and down her left arm is so prominent against the almost black drapes and it really gives the viewer a sense of her anatomy and femininity.  Her arm is simply draped over her body and resting on her pelvis as she lies back, relaxed. This is so much different than the stiff perfect outline of the woman in Lippi’s portrait. Titan also utilized linear and atmospheric perspective. The lines created by the pattern of the floor in the background travel farther into space and meet a window. Because the viewer can see trees and sky through the window, the illusion of space is more believable. One thing that really stands out with this piece is that the Venus is staring right at the viewer. The use of eye contact is another thing that high renaissance art acquired, whereas, profile portraits painted before depicted the model staring straight forward, similar to the Portrait of a Woman and a Man. Lippi’s painting doesn’t seem to portray dynamic unity. However, the shape of the woman’s face is repeated with the shape created by the man’s hat. Vertical lines are also repeated with the woman’s veil and the architecture in the background. Titan’s painting however reflects a better sense of dynamic unity than Lippi’s. For example, the drapes behind the Venus as well as the sheet below her are mocking the way she is propped up on her right elbow as the rest of her body is draped along the couch. The parallel vertical lines display unity as well because they intersect with the horizontal line of the couch bringing the piece as a whole together and dynamically unifying it.   

15th Century Italy: Masaccio's Expulsion of Adam and Eve

One painting from fifteenth century Italy that I found particularly interesting is called the Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise by Masaccio. This painting immediately sparks a sense of rejection and vulnerability in the viewer from the effect of the nakedness of Adam and Eve and the body language that they possess. The elements that intensify this reaction were commonly used in Italian painting during the Early Renaissance.

With the rise of the Renaissance came naturalism. In the Expulsion, we see that the proportions of Adam and Eve are very life-like. The way Adam is hunched over while Eve tilts her head back in despair is quite naturalistic and contrasts the stiff poses that we studied in ancient art. Masaccio was building his figures off of their bone structure to get an idea of the actual body mass, instead of focusing on the details solely on the surface of the figures, like Flemish painters. For instance, the figures’ knees and Adam’s arms pulling in from his shoulders are very human-like. Another thing that stuck out to me is Adam’s hair. Southern European artists tended to stylize things like hair, in little ringlets and swirls, going back to the classical look. In this painting, however, Adam’s hair is more impressionistic. It’s natural in the way the light source is casting shadows upon his tangled locks, the viewer can get a sense of the texture and waviness of his hair. More unnaturally, line is utilized at the left side of the painting perhaps to show God’s disappointment as he shouts at them from his throne to leave The Garden of Eden because of their sinful lifestyle.

Furthermore, atmospheric perspective became a popular method of implying space in painting. Here, the viewer can see that there is space behind the two figures given by the illusion of mountains in the background. The foreground color is a bit darker and as it recedes into the background the color becomes lighter to describe that the mountains are farther away. Another technique used in this painting to emphasize depth is the foreshortening of the angel. The viewer can see the upper body of the angel, but because her lower body is farther back in space, we can only see the shape of her right leg pulled forward under the fabric of her dress.

This painting is so appealing to me specifically because of Eve. Masaccio’s modest depiction of her is appropriate for this situation because after she and Adam were kicked out of Eden, they walked away mourning and covering themselves in fear of being seen naked. This is similar to the Venus. I find the “pudica” venus of the Renaissance extremely fascinating and Eve is the epitome of her. For her sin, God bestowed her with the discomfort and embarrassment of being nude. No longer is she free to roam around top less but she feels as if she is being watched and therefore covers herself. This draws more attention to Eve’s sexuality and idealizes her body which is a frequent image created in Italian painting. Naturally, the arousal created by the image of the pudica venus, or in this case Eve, is ideal.    

                The first thing that caught my attention in this painting was the visible sections of variations of blue in the sky. This leads me to believe that this is a wet fresco painting because most artists used this format often. The sections of blues indicate that Masaccio had to paint quickly in different sections one at a time.    

                All in all, Masaccio’s painting is a great example of some of the most commonly used formal elements in Italian painting in the fifteenth century. The viewer sees evidence of the religion and culture through the narrative.  We see the illusion of space created through atmospheric perspective and light and most prominently, naturalism coupled with idealism to duplicate nature and create the ideal in celebration of the human form. 

15th Century Europe: The Renaissance

The fifteenth century brought forth brilliant artists in Northern Europe who created astounding pieces of work that is still praised to this day. This was the Renaissance period. These Northern European artists were inspired by Aristotle’s ideas presented on practicality, which led them to mainly focus on naturalism. Artists wanted to translate a sense of reality in their paintings directly from the world we live in. For years before this time, artists had focused on the stylization of characters and their subject matter, but in the fifteenth century it was quite the opposite. Artists recreated exactly what they saw and kept images true to their real-life forms.

                Other highly valued ideas during the Renaissance were Catholicism, portraiture, humanism, and the invention of the printing press. Catholicism played an important role in northern Europe during this time and it is shown through most of the works created. For example, the great altarpieces of Ghent and Portinairi were painted by Jan van Eyck and Hugo van der Goes, two of the greatest artists of this time. Although graven images and idolatry were frowned upon by Catholics, Eyck was accepted by the courts for his personal skill and fame. Also, people believed in sacred space in that objects of sacred representation would enter the soul when they saw them.

                Portraits were all the rage in fifteenth century Europe and were thought to reveal deep spiritual desires. Jan van Eyck was regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time and was the artists of several portraits. In fact, it was special to be painted by Eyck himself. (More about Eyck later) Eyck especially, expressed exact details of whom he was painting. Every wrinkle, every follicle of hair, every reflection was painted with the most extreme focus on detail, which is the main reason why the Renaissance is so artistically valued.

                Artistic status was also a crucial element during the Renaissance. Most artists relied on the help from joining a guild. The guild system allowed artists to find work and gain more recognition. The only downside was that those fine artists were put in the same group as craftsmen an were therefore referred to as such. Because of this, a sort of tension developed between artists wanting to be recognized and not be associated as craftsmen. For example, if an artist achieved a high status in a guild, that artist was still in a lower status outside of the guild because he was a craftsman. To become a “master,” or great artist in the guild, one must create his/her masterpiece, in which it meets the standard of quality. Few artists, however, were able to build a reputation on their own without the help of a guild. One artist in particular, was Jan van Eyck. He was the court painter for Phillip the Good, a Duke of Burgundy. Eyck supposedly went on secret missions as ambassador for the Duke and painted portraits of prospective spouses for him. Eyck was so skillful that his clients were not based on the court’s decision and was free to work for whomever he wished. Jan van Eyck was aware of his greatness and often celebrated his achievements in several paintings. For instance, his own self portrait is a representation of his self-awareness and the red turban around his head is a symbol seen in other works he has done. Also, Eyck includes signatures in his paintings, also dates, personal mottos and even reflections of himself.      

                During the Renaissance, art became somewhat of a luxury object. Works were shared internationally and artists were appointed to the courts of royalty. Because of this, some art seemed to have the same expensive look and elegant style. This repetition of style consisted of using thin layers of oil paint, the placement of hidden symbols, perspective and careful attention to detail. Most importantly, though, was the lack of stylization and idealistic qualities with more focus on naturalistic qualities. For example, the Northern artist Claus Sleuter sculpted a work that is today called the Well of Moses. In this piece, Moses appears to be very life-like and real. Sleuter carved his face with deep wrinkles and thick skin. In contrast to this, southern artist Michelangelo’s version of Moses is much more idealistic and has great muscles implied underneath his clothing which seems much less natural.

                I find the Renaissance extremely interesting and I am very impressed with Jan van Eyck’s work. Examining his paintings make me realize how much time it must have taken him to paint these wonderful pieces and why they are so prized!       

  

My Thoughts on the Renaissance

The Renaissance was a period of incredible growth in Europe that rose in the fifteenth century. After the middle, or “dark” ages Europeans thought of this era as the rebirth of humanity full of art and literature that grew from classical elements from their ancestors and Christianity to pull them from decline.

The majority of Renaissance art appear to be based on religion, science or self devotion. The Virgin Mary and her child Jesus Christ seem to be the star models in hundreds of paintings from this time. The exquisite portraiture, which became a huge part of the Renaissance, is due to the wealthy families able to show off their prized portraits. Every detail in every portrait was executed with an almost unattractive realistic quality. One big thing I noticed about art in the Renaissance was the use of background. Italian artists wanted to portray realistic qualities in their art not only with objects and people, but with space. With the advancements in science and education, the mathematical system of linear perspective became the best invention. Space was not solely implied by overlap at this point; artists used foreshortening, placement and change in scale to express a three dimensional space. Art had become so realistic and accurately depicted that our culture today still praises it. During the Renaissance, education and scientific discoveries were all the rage. Artist and inventor, Leonardo Da Vinci, has gone down in history for many things. For example, his fascination with the human body led him to create a proportion scale for the human body that was used in art. I am extremely captivated by human anatomy as well and Da Vinci has always been an inspiration to me. I am looking forward to learning more about this time period!