Chap 16 notes

Chapter 16 Renaissance and Baroque Europe

Renaissance in Italy -

Humanism – philosophical, literary and artistic movement that occurred in Europe as the religious fervor of the middle ages was challenged. This focus shifted from God to humankind and the here and now.

Renaissance – means rebirth, a period of achievement and world exploration starting in the 1300’s through the early 1600’s.

High Renaissance – between 1490 – 1530, Italian art had reached a peak in Florence, Rome, and Venice with the 3 most important artists of this time – Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael.

Da Vinci pg 270 – motivated by art and science culminating in knowledge. Painted the “Mona Lisa”

Sfumato – invented by da Vinci means “without lines or borders in the manner of smoke” is achieved by subtle value gradations

Chiaroscuro - use of graduations of light and shade, forms are revealed by subtle shifting from light to dark areas, no sharp outlines

Michelangelo – greatest sculptor since the Greeks, created “David” from marble, also known as an oil painter, painted the Sistine Chapel in Rome

Raphael – celebrated as the greatest painter in Europe. His paintings were warm and gentle compared to da Vinci’s solitary nature, and Michelangelo’s moodiness.

Renaissance in Northern Europe –

Jan van Eyck – Flemish oil painter that first used linseed oil as a paint medium making it possible to achieve brilliance and transparency of color. Today, his paintings remain in almost perfect condition. Most known for painting pg 275 “The Marriage of Giovanni Arnolfini and Giovanna Cenami.”

Late Renaissance in Italy – The High Renaissance was followed by a period of turmoil, revolution and new expectations. In the early 1500’s, questions regarding faith brought about the Protestant Reformation bringing changes in art.

Andrea Palladio – famous architect of the “Villa Rotunda” pg 277. His designs were published in books that were circulated throughout the Western world. His designs have reappeared on Postmodern buildings in the last 25 years.

- Postmodern – an imaginative, eclectic approach in architecture from the 1970’s, - 1990’s moving away from the International Style


Mannerism – prevalent in southern Europe during the 1500’s used emotion and drama. Mannerism is characterized by distortions of perspective, scale, proportion, color, and increased value contrast creating a sense of mystery and heightened emotion. This style leads to Baroque art of the 1600’s.

Baroque – covers the 1600 – 1700’s. Baroque refers to a period but also a style of art in Italy and Europe. Baroque art is known to show great energy and feeling with a dramatic use of light, scale and balance. Baroque art depicts both religious and nonreligious subjects primarily because artists did not rely wholly on the church for their support.

Caravaggio – was a leading Baroque painter using realism and dramatic use of light influencing many painters. Caravaggio created the most vivid and dramatic paintings of his time using direct light and strong contrasts to guide the viewer’s eye and intensify the subject matter of the work of art. Caravaggio used night effects called tenebrism.

- Tenebrism – a theatrical use of light and emotion by Caravaggio in a dark chapel to create a heightened religious experience.

Bernini – influential sculptor in Rome who used emotion and physical expression in his work

Rembrandt and Vermeer along with many peers painted the middle class merchants and bankers along with an emphasis on daily life. Through Dutch painters art become accessible and understandable in everyday terms to everyone.

Rembrandt – one of the world’s most revered artists has influenced artists for many years. Throughout his life, Rembrandt created nearly 100 self portraits. These are some of his most expressive paintings and a great documentary of the changes in his psychological life. It is easy to see his life biography reflected in his countenance. Beginning in his youth, he appears brash and confident. You then see the bearing of his wealth and dignified status emerges. Towards the middle of his career, his worries begin to show in his face. At the end, a very sad, yet still dignified elderly man gazes out at the viewer. Rembrandt was known as an oil painter but he also created many etchings.


Vermeer – Dutch painter of the 1600’s used light for dramatic emphasis to reveal color, texture, and detail painting the domestic life of the Dutch. His body of work consists of only 35 known works, most of which were serene landscapes or carefully composed interior scenes of the domestic working class.

George de la Tour is a French Baroque painter. He seems to combine the best characteristics of Italian and Northern art of the period.

Rococo - The word rococo is a combination of the words "rocaille" (stones) and "coquille" (shell), elements which inspire the first designs. Its subject matter frequently dealt with the leisurely pastimes of the aristocracy.