Michelangelo depicts David as a strong, godlike figure, emphasizing the size of his hands and feet. As one of the first nude sculptures since the Greek and Roman times, “David” portrays a scene in the Bible story of David & Goliath, where man defeats the supernatural. “The Last Supper” by Italian artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci conveys the Renaissance belief that accuracy is more important than the abstract. By slanting the walls and opening the windows in the painting, da Vinci gives the viewer an illusion of depth, which makes the piece more realistic. The famous Santa Maria del Fiore (or “Duomo of Florence”), by Italian architect Filippo Brunelleschi, conveys the humanistic concept of reviving the past because the shapes, columns, and proportion of the Duomo were all in imitation of ancient Roman architecture.
Some of the most important collection of Renaissance painting would be that of Federico da Montefeltro who helped Urbino flourish in art and culture and commissioned perhaps the largest library in Italy with the paintings in Monefelto's court displaying the first theoretical treatise on perspective. Ludovico Gonzago strongly promoted Mantua for its art and culture he had the church of Sant Andrea rebuilt by Alberti who displayed religion and architectural with a combination of three ancient roman forms temple front, triumphal arch and basilica. The Medici family played a huge role in discovering the great artist of the 15th century. Giovanni de'Medici
The Italian city- states would not under feudal control at the time the Renaissance began, so they were allowed them greater cultural and economic freedom. Italian city-states were located along the Mediterranean Sea, which enabled them to become great centers of trade and manufacturing, which gave them the wealth, as well as the influence they needed to become patrons of the arts. One important city-state was Florence, which became so influential, that its currency, the florin, became widespread as one of the major currencies of the world. Italy was also the first place hit by the black plague, so they recovered before Northern Europe. Additionally wealthy patrons of the arts fueled the Renaissance.
A brilliant economic system was brought forth that is still used today in all parts of the world. Colbert was the inventor of this system, called Mercantilism, and he created it to bring wealth to the French and his king. The goal that Colbert aimed to do was to acquire gold for France. He knew France had to export as much as possible. This meant maximizing exports, so this Mercantil system said to sell as many goods as possible to
Bramante made use of Roman half-columns in the side elevations of the court, in turn bestowing the depth, density and grandeur so well known in Antiquity. Bramante, particularly with his genius in the Cortile del Belvedere and the Tempietto, determined the architectural vocabulary used in the classicism of the High Renaissance, including the disposition of the different orders and the creation of space, all of which became established in the time up to Michelangelo’s exit from Rome in 1516. The antique statues in the Belvedere Court were removed after Pope Pius V was appointed in 1556.
SEPTEMBER 25 2013 SEPTEMBER 25 2013 FARAZ MUNIR FARAZ MUNIR City State During the renaissance Italy had three of the most influential cities, but Florence was clearly the most influential. Firstly, Florence was a really wealthy and powerful city, meaning it had a great economic system that supported many jobs such as backers and different kinds of merchants. Florence was so rich that it had enough money to buy all the surrounding cities from their rulers, and this allowed them to expand power and gain more control of the region. Florence was a great place for merchant, because it was built on the Arno River. The Arno River had been a trade route for centuries, merchants and traders had prospered in Florence since before the Roman Empire.
#2- Close link with the classical Past: Italy in that time located on the coast so that the culture and history were affluent in a long time. Moreover, several wealthy commercial centers, focused on overseas and the classical knowledge which surrounded The Italians also reminded them about the past. #3- Most aristocrats lived in urban palaces rather that rural castles. Urban aristocrats begin to engage in mercantile enterprises while merchants begin to imitate aristocratic manners. Then the two eventually become virtually indistinguishable 3.
It was also the next and most glorious phase in Art History. The word Renaissance came from the Italian word “rinascita”, which means "rebirth," describes the radical and comprehensive changes that happened in European during the 15th and 16th centuries. Most of the paintings were done in Florence and Rome. There was a focus on painting human anatomy, nudes, facial expressions and human sculptures. The High Renaissance occurred in Milan, Florence smaller bits scattered here and there throughout northern and central Italy but it was centered mostly in Rome and mostly support by the Popes.
One of his other well know paintings is Madonna Enthroned, also known as the Ognissanti Madonna ( c. 1310 ). The painting is thought to be painted for the Church of Ognissanti (All Saints), Florence. The painting was commissioned by an order called the Humiliati, they were known for the humble, indigent lifestyle (Ognissanti). The painting is a Tempera on panel and it was over ten feet tall (128 in × 80 in). Humiliati intended the art work to be originally used as an altarpiece.
Thus, I think Mona Lisa is the most suitable artwork for me to mediate different meanings produced since the Renaissance until the postmodern world. The Renaissance’s painter Leonardo Da Vinci finished the portrait in between 1503-1504. There are multiple hypotheses about why the portrait was created: some of them says that it is a self- portrait of the painter by noting that the eyes, nose- tip and mouth of Mona Lisa actually line up with a known self portrait of Leonardo Da Vinci. Other claims that the sitter and the painter had a special rapport. Thus, the sitter appeared to look at the viewer (actually the painter) straight in the eye with ease.