Renaissance

1400 - 1600

The Renaissance is defined as the revival or rebirth of the arts. Beginning in Italy in 1400, it spread throughout Western Europe, lasting until 1600. There were several phases or periods of the Renaissance. The period from 1420 to 1500 is most often referred to as the Early Renaissance whereas the term High Renaissance is used to describe anything that happened from 1500 through 1530 -- involving pure, classical, balanced harmony. It was then that artists were in complete control of their materials and were capable of executing masterful works of art. Beyond that, a period known as Mannerism came into play -- although still technically part of the Renaissance, Mannerism marked a time when elegance was key.

Generally speaking, the main elements of the Renaissance were:

• Oil paint was used for the first time. Prior to this point, egg tempera was the medium of choice.
• Both symbols and real-life events were represented together in the same art works.
• Chiaroscuro (the balance of light and dark was for the first time shown within a picture by using shadows rather than blocky outlines).
• Balanced compositions. The arrangement of things like lines, colors and form were seemingly "correct".
• Ancient Roman ideals were the inspiration for many works in Italy.
• Larger than life figures appear in German art.
• Dutch works of art began to show hints of daily life (hunting, farming) rather than religious themes.
• French art featured clean simplicity.

Important Works (selected list):  

• The Betrothal of the Arnolfini (Arnolfini and His Bride), Jan van Eyck
• David, Michelangelo
• Mona Lisa, Leonardo Da Vinci
• Self Portrait (1500), Albrecht Durer
• The Hunters in the Snow, Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Important Artists (selected list):  

• Bosch, Heironymus
• Botticelli, Sandro
• Bruegel, Pieter
• da Vinci, Leonardo
• Donatello
• Dürer, Albrecht
• El Greco
• Michelangelo Buonarroti
• Raphael
• Van Eyck, Jan

Image:

Jan and Hubert Van Eyck

Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife, 1434
Oil on oak, 82 x 60 cm
National Gallery, London

By Andrea Mulder-Slater