Impressions of Renaissance Art
Impressions of Renaissance Art
Art has gone through many phases throughout history. As times have changed, so have the manner and style of artists and their art. During the Middle Ages, Europe suffered a widespread horrific disease called the Black Death which killed one-fourth to one-third of the population. After the Middle Ages came a period of change called the Renaissance, which means the "rebirth", came to life in Florence and eventually spread throughout the rest of Europe. The Renaissance was reforming many things such as art in general, literature, science, drama, and many more areas of expression. During this period, European citizens turned to artwork as relief from the horrible past experiences such as the Black Death. Symbolic representation in paintings became a thing of the past, as many artists moved to realistic representation. This change in art was caused by a move of scientific worldview of reason, and scientific exploration of the human body. Along with that, many other artistic concepts were introduced such as: chiaroscuro, proportions, pyramid configuration, oil paints, and linear perspective. "The Lamentation" by Lucas Cranach the Elder, and "The Crucifixion and Last Judgment" by JanVan Eyck, both embody many of the new Renaissance art styles which reflect the changing sentiments of European culture. Born in Maaseick, Limbourg, Jan Van Eyck was known to be the most celebrated painter in fifteenth-century Europe. Although he was credited with inventing painting with oils, which is incorrect, he was the first to use oil paint to his advantage, making
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illusions of light, vivid oil colors, and microscopic detail. He was known to have perfected this technique. "The Crucifixion and Last Judgment" was painted in the 1430 's, and when I saw this painting it caught my eye because of the way he presents it. The painting is split in half; on the left there is "The Crucifixion" and on the right there is "The Last Judgment".
Art has gone through many phases throughout history. As times have changed, so have the manner and style of artists and their art. During the Middle Ages, Europe suffered a widespread horrific disease called the Black Death which killed one-fourth to one-third of the population. After the Middle Ages came a period of change called the Renaissance, which means the "rebirth", came to life in Florence and eventually spread throughout the rest of Europe. The Renaissance was reforming many things such as art in general, literature, science, drama, and many more areas of expression. During this period, European citizens turned to artwork as relief from the horrible past experiences such as the Black Death. Symbolic representation in paintings became a thing of the past, as many artists moved to realistic representation. This change in art was caused by a move of scientific worldview of reason, and scientific exploration of the human body. Along with that, many other artistic concepts were introduced such as: chiaroscuro, proportions, pyramid configuration, oil paints, and linear perspective. "The Lamentation" by Lucas Cranach the Elder, and "The Crucifixion and Last Judgment" by JanVan Eyck, both embody many of the new Renaissance art styles which reflect the changing sentiments of European culture. Born in Maaseick, Limbourg, Jan Van Eyck was known to be the most celebrated painter in fifteenth-century Europe. Although he was credited with inventing painting with oils, which is incorrect, he was the first to use oil paint to his advantage, making
2
illusions of light, vivid oil colors, and microscopic detail. He was known to have perfected this technique. "The Crucifixion and Last Judgment" was painted in the 1430 's, and when I saw this painting it caught my eye because of the way he presents it. The painting is split in half; on the left there is "The Crucifixion" and on the right there is "The Last Judgment".
Cited: Fazio, Beverly, ed. Masterpiece Paintings From The Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston. New York: Harry N. Abrams Inc., 1986. Jacobs, Jay. The Color Encyclopedia of World Art. New York: Crown Inc., 1975. 75-76. Murray, Peter And Linda. Dictionary of Art and Artists. New York: Frederick A. Praeger publishers, 1959. 57. "Jan Van Eyck." 7 Dec. 2005 . "Eyck, Van Jan". http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/eyck/. "Works of Art: European Paintings" 7 Dec. 2005 "Lucas Cranach the Elder" 7 Dec. 2005