FREE ESSAY ON THE EVOLUTION FO RENAISSANCE ART

THE EVOLUTION FO RENAISSANCE ART

The Renaissance was an era of beautiful artwork and structures that flourished all over
Western Europe. The artists began to be more expressive and creative in their designs.
Art evolved by way of subject matter, technique, influences, and of course the artists.
Some of the most noted artists, architects, and sculptors of the High Renaissance include
Giotto, Donato Bramante, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. It was one of the
high points of humanism and the expression of creativity and beauty of life.
During the period between 1350 to 1550, art changed and evolved through its subject
matter. The subject matter of painting before the Renaissance was primarily religious; it
was concerned not with the naturalistic portrayal of human life, but with the purpose of
provoking a religious reaction of the viewer. Painters were not interested in making a
picture look realistic. During the Renaissance, all that changed. Suddenly artwork began
to put emphasis on human beings and the environment. 
Giotto was one of the first masters to put these ideas on canvas. He turned away from the
symbolic art of the Middle Ages and went more towards art that dealed directly with
people and things. People were painted as to mimic social situations, and settings were
painted in attempt to look real. Giotto along with Michelangelo helped catalyze this
movement in which Italian artists moved from the unrealistic and symbolic art of the
Middle Ages to a mastery of illusion. Art began to give the impression that it was an
accurate representation of real life. As time moved on, figures began to look more
realistic. For example, Giotto's work looks much more realistic than earlier art, but
when compared to Raphael's two hundred years later, it is hardly representative. 
Although there was an intense drive toward realism, artists did not want to make a copy
of nature. They began to play around with perspective and manipulate what they actually
saw. Reality was contorted to give figures an inner expressiveness. The earlier masters
were able to convey emotions, but this practice became more advanced in the Renaissance.
There was a broader range of personality and artists like Leonardo Da Vinci found new
ways to show human feelings. The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa best illustrate Da Vinci's
mastery of human depth. They both portray great psychological depth and a sense of inner
life. 
Much of the subject matter of Renaissance artists continued to be religious. As with the
Middle Ages, there was a consistent infatuation with Christianity and biblical scenes.
However, one thing that did change was the use of symbols. Medieval art persistently used
symbols to comment on or explain the meaning of a painting. In Renaissance painting,
symbols were used more accurately and more often because of the painters' ability to copy
nature correctly. Human beings were also portrayed more commonly and anatomy was
constructed more precisely. In short, subject matter of art in the Renaissance became
much more advanced and realistic.
In order to evolve artistically, artists in the Renaissance had to use new and more
advanced techniques. Some of these methods were based on mathematics like perspective and
geometric arrangements. The 15th century underwent intense technical development, which
allowed artists to take advantage of sciences and technology. Leonardo da Vinci was the
first Renaissance painter to master the use of mechanical perspective. This element
guides the painter in drawing the relative size of objects correctly. Also in use was
aerial perspective, which uses progressively paler colors on receding objects to obtain a
sense of depth. Another effect was sfumato, a blurring or hazing of the outline of an
object to blend it into its surroundings. Along with chiaroscuro, a way of painting
shadows to give definition to the forms they fall across. Painters also had to manipulate
light and shade to obtain a more realistic look. Furthermore, manipulation of light and
shadow is also apparent in architecture in the Tempietto. 
Besides painting devices, artists also had to study their material in order to acquire a
realistic appearance. Leonardo da Vinci wrote that "the painter will produce pictures of
small merit if he takes for his standard the pictures of others, but if he will study
from natural objects he will bear good fruit." He also said that Giotto "being born in
the mountains and in solitude inhabited only by goats and such beasts, and being guided
by nature to his art, began by drawing on rocks the movements of the goats which he was
keeper." If a painter wanted to paint the human form, they would have to study human
anatomy. These artistic techniques had to be formed in order to keep up with the growing
evolution of art.
As ideas and events shifted in the Renaissance, they became highly influential upon
artwork. When life is calm and prosperous, life and religion is portrayed as friendly,
virtuous, and noble. However when times are troubled, people think of death and this goes
into their art. That is why during the Black Death in the 14th century, Giotto and his
followers did not emphasize the humanity of saints and biblical characters. Instead, they
placed figures such as Christ and the Virgin Mary on a pedestal above them, superior to
mortal men. In time of need, the artists were looking toward religion to save them from
distress. In 1380 the crisis ended and artists turned back to realism, human emotions,
and representational accuracy at the century's close. 
Ideas like humanism and neoplatonic philosophy were also influential to the arts.
Humanism greatly supported the arts because it emphasized people and man's activities. It
is one of the main reasons why the human body was so extensively studied. Accurate
anatomy in art is essential to maintain the humanist mentality. Neoplatonic philosophy,
which traces the evolution of man, goes hand in hand with humanism. This philosophy is
best displayed by Michelangelo in the Laurentian Library. In this arch design, a flight
of stairs swirls back on each side as though symbolizing the upward descent of man. The
influence of ideas and events helped art grow and develop in the Renaissance.
As art grew and changed, artists' place in society changed with it. Most artists were
known for their reputation. Leonardo da Vinci was known as a great artist and sculptor.
Michelangelo was honored by placing the David on the porch of the town hall in Florence.
David became a symbol not only of the Renaissance, but the Florentines' pride in their
city. Raphael was associated with affection. He had the admiration of his fellow artists
as a painter, and their love for him as a man. Raphael, known for his charm and kindness,
could be considered the most universally popular artist. Bramante appointed him to become
the next chief architect on St. Peter's at his deathbed. All painters were looked well
upon, even if they did not have a personality to match their skills. Benvenuto Cellini
was known to have a violent temper, be vengeful, make many enemies, be involved in brawls
and murders, and flee from the law. Nevertheless, because he was a good artist, he was
often excused for his bad behavior. Pope Paul III said that "Men like Benvenuto, unique
in their profession, stand above the law." Therefore, as art evolved and became more
significant to society, artists were looked upon favorably and their positions changed.
In conclusion, the Renaissance was a period of great development and change, especially
in the arts. Art was brought to another level by new techniques, influences, subjects,
and the artists. Art became a thing of great admiration. As Paul Gauguin once said, In
art, all who have done something other than their predecessors have merited the epithet
of revolutionary; and it is they alone who are masters. It is these masters in the
Renaissance that revolutionized the meaning of art.
Bibliography
None, sorry this was a textbook essay!