ARTS Q2

ARTS OF RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE PERIODS

Objectives:
1. Analyze art elements and principles in the production of work following a specific art style;
A9EL-iia-2
2. Identify distinct characteristics of arts during the Renaissance and Baroque periods; A9EL-iia-3
3. Identify representative artists from Renaissance and Baroque periods. A9EL-iih-1

INTRODUCTION
Arts of the Renaissance Period cover artworks produced during the 14 th, 15th, and 16th
centuries in Europe. The word “renaissance” comes from the word, “renaitre,” which means
“rebirth”. It pertains to arts, particularly in Italy such as sculptures, paintings, music, architecture,
and literature. The most common subject in this period is human philosophy.

The arts of the Baroque period were more elaborate and full of emotion. This type of art form
was highly encouraged by the Catholic Church to propagate its dogma.

RENAISSANCE PERIOD (1400-1600)

Renaissance was the period of
economic progress. The period steered
enthusiasm for the study of ancient
philosophy and artistic values.
Renaissance art was characterized by
accurate anatomy, scientific perspective, and
deeper landscape. Renaissance painters
depicted real-life figures and their sculptures
were naturalistic portraits of human beings.
Architecture during this period was
characterized by its symmetry and balance.

FOUR FAMOUS RENAISSANCE ARTISTS AND SOME OF THEIR ARTWORKS

MICHAELANGELO DI LODOVICO BUONAROTI SIMONI

He was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect and poet. He was
considered the greatest living artist in his lifetime, and since then he was
considered as one of the greatest artists of all time.

Among his outstanding works as sculptor were the following: Pieta,

Bacchus, Moses, David, Dying Slave, Dawn and Dusk. The Pieta and
David were two of his best known works that were sculpted before he
turned thirty. He also created two of the most influential works in fresco
in the history of Western art: the scenes from the Genesis on the ceiling
and the Last Judgment on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

Pieta
In Pieta, Michelangelo approached the subject which until then had
been given form from north of the Alps, where the portrayal of pain
had always been connected with the idea of redemption as represented
by the seated Madonna holding Christ’s body in her arms.

LEONARDO DI SER PIERO DA

VINCI (1452-1519)
 He was a painter, architect, scientist, and mathematician. He was popularized in present times
through the novel and movie, “ Da Vinci code.” HE was known as the ultimate “Renaissance man”
because of his intellect, interest, talent and his expression of humanist and classical values. He was
also considered one of the greatest painters of all time and perhaps the most diversely talented person
to have ever lived.

His well known works were: The Last Supper (the most reproduced religious panting of all
time), and the Mona Lisa (the most famous and most parodied portrait) His works were: The
Virtruvian Mar, The Adoration of the Magi, and the Virgin of the Rocks.

Mona lisa
Mona Lisa stems from a description by Renaissance art historian Giorgio
Vasari, who wrote, “Leonardo undertook to paint for Francesco del Giocondo
the portrait of Mona Lisa, his wife.” Mona, in Italian, is a polite form of address
originating as Madonna – similar to Ma’am, madamme, or My Lady in English.
This became Madonna and its contraction Mona.

RAFFAELLO SANZIO DA URBINO

(RAPHAEL, 1483-1520)
Raphael was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance
period. His work was admired for its clarity of form and ease of
composition and for its visual achievement of interpreting the Divine
and incorporating Christian doctrines. Together with Michelangelo and
Da Vinci, he formed the traditional trinity of great masters of that
period.

His main contributions to art were his unique draftsmanship and

compositional skills. His famous works were: The Sistine Madonna,
The School of Athens, and The Transfiguration.

The Transfiguration
This was Raphael’s last painting which he worked on up to his death.
Commissioned by Cardinal Giulio de Medici, the late Pope Clement VII,
the painting was conceived as an altarpiece for the Narbonne Cathedral in
France. The painting exemplifies Raphale’s development as an artist and
the culmination of his career. The subject was combined with an additional
episode from the gospel in the lower part of the painting.

DONATO DI NICCOLO DI BETTO

BARDI (DONATELLO, 1386-1466)
He was one of the Italian great artists of the period. He was an
early Renaissance Italian sculptor from Florence. He is known for his
work in bas-relief, a form of shallow relief sculpture.

His works include the following statues and relief: David,

Statue of St. George, Equestrian Monument of Gattamelata,
Prophet Habacuc, and The Feast of Herod.
David by Donatello
Renaissance art is the art of calm and beauty. Its creations are perfect-they
reveal nothing forced or inhibited, uneasy, or agitated. Each form has been
born easily, free, and complete. Everything breathes satisfaction, and we are
surely not mistaken in seeing in this heavenly calm and content the highest
artistic expression and spirit of that age.

BAROQUE ART (1600-1800)

The term Baroque was derived from the
Portuguese word barocco which means irregularly
shaped pearl or stone. It describes a fairly complex
idiom and focuses on painting, sculptures, as well as
architecture.

Baroque was a period of artistic styles in

exaggerated motion, drama, tension, and grandeur. The
Roman Catholic Church highly encouraged the Baroque
style to propagate Christianity while the aristocracy used
Baroque style architecture and arts to impress visitors,
express triumph, power and control.

FAMOUS BAROQUE ARTISTS AND SOME OF THEIR ARTWORKS

MICHELANGELO MERISI OR AMERIGHI

DA CARAVAGGIO (1571-1610)
He was better known as Caravagio. He was
an Italian artist who wanted to deviate from the
classical masters of the Renaissance. He was an
outcast in his society because of his own actions
and the lack of modesty and reverence for
religious subjects in his own paintings. Perhaps
he started out as a specialist in his paintings of
still life, especially of fruits.

He’s models at this period were wither

himself or young persons who have an air of being promising but wicked.
Among his famous paintings were: Supper at Emmaus, Conversion of St.
Paul, and Entombment of Christ.

GIAN LORENZO BERNINI (1598-1680)

He was an Italian artist and the first Baroque
artist. He practiced architecture, and sculpture,
paining, stage designs and was also a playwright.
He was also the last in the list of the dazzling
universal geniuses. As a prodigy, his first artworks
date from his 8th birthday. He was the greatest Baroque sculptor and architect as seen in his design of
the Piazza San Pietro in front of the Basilica.

Among his early works were: The Goat Almathea with the Infant Jupiter and a Faun,
Damned Soul, and the Blessed Soul. He made a sculpture of “David” was for Cardinal Borghese
which is strikingly different from Michelangelo’s.

PETER PAUL RUBENS (1577-1640)

Rubens was a Flemish Baroque
painter. He was well known for his
paintings of mythical and figurative
subjects, landscapes, portraits, and
counter-reformation altar piece. His
commissioned works were mostly
religious subjects, history paintings of
magical creatures, and hunt scenes.

His famous works were: Samson

and Delilah, Landscape with a Tower,
Portrait of Helene Fourment, and The
Three Graces.

REMBRANDT HARMENSZOON VAN RIJN (1606-1669)

He was a brilliant Dutch realist, painter, and etcher. He was
generally considered as one of the greatest painters and printmakers
in European art. He followed no particular
faith, but was interested in spiritual values and
often chooses religious subjects. Rembrandt
shares with Rubens the revolution whereby
painting came to depict the more personal
aspects of the painter: his home and family.

No artist has painted himself as often as

he did. His concept of himself continued to
deepen in grasp and subtlety, while his
technique grew more daring. His well-known
work was his Self-portrait in Old Age. He produced over 600 paintings, nearly
400 etchings, and 2000 drawings.

DIEGO VELASQUEZ (1599-1660)

Velasquez of Spain developed out of the Baroque. He was one
of the finest masters of composition and one
of the most important painters of the Spanish
Golden Age. He worked out solutions to
pictorial problems of design that transcend the
style of any period. He was the case of a
painter who discovered his avocation almost
at the very start of his career.

The passion for still life frequently

emerges in Velasquez’s art. His famous works
were: The Surrender of Breda, Las Meninas (The Maids of Honour), Los Borachos (The
Drinkers), and Maria Theresa.

Generalization:
Renaissance Art is the art of common beauty, its creations are perfect, and they reveal nothing
forced or inherited, uneasy or agitated. Each form has been born easily, free and complete. Baroque
aims to give an effect that wants to carry the viewers away with the force of its impact, it gives not
generally enhanced vitality but excitement, ecstasy and intoxication. Its impact was intended to be
momentary while that of the Renaissance was slower but more enduring, making viewers want to
linger forever in its presence. The Baroque required broad, heavy, and massive forms. Elegant
proportions disappeared and building stands to become heavier until sometimes the forms were
almost crashed by the pressure. The grace and lightness of the Renaissance were gone, all forms
became broader and heavier.