Chapter Twenty: The Renaissance through The Baroque

Chapter Twenty: The Renaissance through The Baroque CHAPTER OVERVIEW The Early Renaissance The High renaissance Art in China Pre-Columbian Art in Mexico Mannerism The Baroque CHAPTER OBJECTIVES This Chapter Will: introduce the philosophic ideas that characterize the Renaissance and Baroque periods describe stylistic characteristics of Renaissance art and Baroque periods survey the major artistic achievements of the Renaissance and Baroque periods KEY TERMS Renaissance humanism Mannerism Baroque Pre-Columbian Coatlicue 1

LECTURE AND DISCUSSION TOPICS 1. The Renaissance Introduce the Renaissance as a period that was marked by a revival of interest in arts and sciences that was lost since antiquity. In fact, the word Renaissance literally means re-birth, and refers to the rebirth of Classical Greek and Roman culture. Stress the significance of the Renaissance as distinct from the Middle Ages. Point out that the Middle Ages were called as such because they fell in between two peaks of artistic achievements the classical world and the Renaissance period. 2. Artist as Genius Discuss how the role of the artist dramatically changed during the Renaissance. The previous notion of the artist as a skilled craftsperson was elevated into the artist as genius, a highly respected and admired professional. Explain the significance of philosophical ideas such as humanism, and its focus on the individual. Emphasize the dramatic shift during this time from God and the hereafter to humankind and the here and now. As a result, subject matter expanded to include both religious and secular art works. Illustrate this idea with the Early Renaissance artists Donatello, who reintroduced the nude (David, fig.650) and Botticelli, who reintroduced mythology (Birth of Venus, fig. 654), as a major subjects for art. 3. The High Renaissance Discuss the works of major Renaissance artists Leonardo da Vinci (see figs. 30, 161, 267-269, 536, 655, and 656), Michelangelo (see figs. 85, 168,184,185, 205, 338, 339, and 667), and Raphael (see figs. 270-272, 274, and 657) to illustrate their significant contributions to art. Provide an historical overview of the achievements that were taking place in other disciplines such as the sciences, literature, and mathematics. Ask students how the visual artists reflected the achievements taking place in other realms of Renaissance life. Discuss the Renaissance in Northern Europe with attention to Albrecht Durer (fig. 660) focusing on the artists use of detailed realism. 4. Art in China Discuss the artistic developments in China with the works of Wu Chen (fig. 662) and Cheng Sixiao (fig.663). Point out how these artists represented aspects of the Taoist philosophy by representing landscape. Ask students if landscape element s can effectively symbolize the principles of Taoism. Refer to Wu Chen s The Central Mountain (fig. 4), from chapter 1 to review ideas related to Chinese art in the 14 th century. 5. Pre-Columbia Art in Mexico Provide students with a brief overview of Pre-Columbian art with a discussion of the major cultures: the Olmec, Maya and Aztec cultures. Show the Olmec Colossal Head (fig 664) to discuss the first Pre-Columbian culture. Remind students that we know less about the Olmec culture than we do about the Mayans or Aztecs. The major Aztec deity Coatlicue (fig. 666) is rich in iconography and symbolizes both life and death forces. The larger-than-life statue represents the deity after she has been 2

decapitated with two snakes, symbols of fertility, rising from her body. Her skirt is made up of snakes and her necklace is formed from a skull, severed hearts, and severed hands. The imagery on the breastplate is arranged in the shape of a butterfly, the Aztec symbol of the soul. Coatlicue is the embodiment of life and death, male and female, creator and destroyer. 6. The Baroque Compare and contrast sculpture from the Renaissance with that from the Baroque period. Focus on Bernini s The Ecstasy of St. Theresa (fig.674) and Caravaggio s The Calling of St. Matthew (fig.675) to illustrate the progression from harmonious calm to theatrical emotionalism. Discuss the effect of the Catholic Reformation and the subsequent Counter Reformation on Baroque art. Ask students how Rembrandt van Rijn defines the Baroque period? Show a variety of Rembrandt s self-portraits from early in his career to later in his life to illustrate how his art grew more introspective. WRITING ASSIGNMENTS Direct students to their Student Study Guide when assigning Writing Assignments as the following assignments are written as instruction for the student and are contained in the guide as they are here 1. Letters Assuming the persona of a Renaissance artist, have students write a letter to the 21 st century explaining their ideas about art. 2. Where were the Women? Who are the women of the Renaissance? Have students visit the National Museum of Women in the Arts website at www.nmwa.org/ to read the brief essay on the role of women in the Renaissance. Have students write an essay answering the question: What conditions might have helped women achieve career success during the Renaissance? 3. Leonardo Have students visit Leonardo da Vinci s Homepage at www.mos.org/sln/leonardo/leohomepage.html to further their understanding of the life and work of this multi-faceted Renaissance artist. Have them write an essay that chronicles his life achievements in areas other than art. HANDS-ON PROJECTS Direct students to their Student Study Guide when assigning Hands-On Projects as the following assignments are written as instruction for the student and are contained in the guide as they are here. For additional project ideas, remember to investigate the Hands- On Projects found on the Companion Website. 3

1. Calendar Art Have students create a genre painting that depicts a scene from their lives in the past week in the manner of the Limbourg brothers. Direct them to The Tres Riches Heures website that features the complete twelve calendar pages of the Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry produced by Paul, Hermann, and Jean Limbourg between 1413 and 1416. These images are remarkable for their color, luminous quality and use of cast shadows and rendered objects. Have students attempt to imitate their style. 2. What s Your Perspective? Have students draw an interior room using the principles of one-point linear perspective. Direct students to the perspective exercise featured in A World of Art Companion CD- ROM before then begin. RESOURCES A World of Art Companion Website: Remember to direct students to A World of Art companion website (www.prenhall.com/sayre) to help further their understanding of the materials discussed in this chapter with ideas for completing hands-on projects and exercises. Self-testing materials are also available and offer students the opportunity to evaluate their understanding of the chapter materials in a variety of formats. In addition, links to websites featuring contemporary artists, and museum and gallery exhibitions related to this chapter will enhance discussion and comprehension. Links for this chapter include: GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS: The Tres Riches Heures. The University of Chicago has a site that features the complete twelve calendar pages of the Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, produced by Paul, Hermann, and Jean Limbourg between 1413 and 1416. These images are remarkable for their color, luminous quality and use of cast shadows and rendered objects. The work was indicative of the shifting movement toward naturalism that would typify the Renaissance. GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS: Gianlorenzo Bernini has his own page at a site called 1200 years of Italian Sculpture (Link below). Bernini was a master architect, sculptor, and designer whose work came to define the Baroque in Italy. GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS: 1200 years of Italian Sculpture features Italian text, but includes brief descriptions of materials and sizes of the works in English. This site has an exhaustive number of artists and images. You'll find Donatello there as well. GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS: The Rembrandt Museum in Amsterdam. This site was created at the Rembrandt Museum in Amsterdam, located in a house that Rembrandt lived in for almost 20 years. Included at the site are a biography of Rembrandt, images of the museum and many of his works, mostly etchings. An interesting site which might pique your interest in visiting the actual museum. 4

GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS: Kyoto National Museum in Japan was established as a National institution for the collection and preservation of cultural properties. This site contains many images of Chinese (including the four masters of the Yuan Dynasty), Japanese, and Korean Art. Other Suggested Websites: Women Artists created art during the Renaissance. To see their contributions go to The National Museum of Women in the Arts at www.nmwa.org/ Leonardo da Vinci s Homepage chronicles the life and work of this multifaceted Renaissance artist. www.mos.org/sln/leonardo/leohomepage.html Michelangelo Biography is part of the Web Gallery of Art and provides a detailed look at Michelangelo's life and art. www.kfki.hu/~arthp/bio/m/michelan/biograph.html Sandro Botticelli s biography, images and resources is available at www.artchive.com/artchive/b/botticelli.html Invisible Rembrandt is run by the Rembrandt Research Project and provides technical and scientific techniques that have been brought to bear on Rembrandt's paintings. www.mystudios.com/rembrandt/rembrandt-links.html Art in China is available online from The Metropolitan Museum Collection of Asian Art at www.metmuseum.org/collections/department.asp?dep=6 Pre-Columbia Art in Mexico is available online from The National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City at www.mexicocity.com.mx/mantro.html Suggested Videos: Videos and other resources are available for purchase through any of the distributors listed in the Resources section of this manual. Sister Wendy's Story of Painting: The Renaissance, 1997 Landmarks of Western Art: The Renaissance, 1999 Art of the Western World: Early Renaissance to Baroque The Early Italian Renaissance: Brunelleschi, Donatello, Masaccio Sister Wendy's Story of Painting: Baroque to Romanticism, 1997 Landmarks of Western Art: Baroque to Neoclassicism, 1999 Landmarks of Western Art: Rococo to Revolution, 1999 Landmarks of Western Art: Romanticism, 1999 Botticelli, The Humanist Trilogy 5

Caravaggio: Genius Leonardo da Vinci, Renaissance Man Of The World, 1996 Leonardo da Vinci: Renaissance Master Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel, 1996 Michelangelo: Artist and Man The Great Masters: Raphael, 2000 Rembrandt: Painter of Man and The Restoration of The Night Watch, 1992 Two Faces of the Seventeenth Century Titian: Venetian Colorist, 1991 Suggested Films: The Agony and the Ecstasy, 1965 Rembrandt, 1936 6