Essays on Italian Renaissance

Cosimo di Giovanni de Medici was given the title Pater Patriae of Italy at his death and was also known as the primus inter pares. He was the founder of the Medici dynasty, who were during the Renaissance the de facto rulers of Florence. Even though Cosimo Medici was a powerful man, he was not an official ruler. Medici’s government also consisted of a council who would many times resist the laws that Medici put forth. This paper will look at the accomplishments of Cosimo di Medici. Cosimo di Medici was born on the 10th of April, 1389 ...

The works of the artists, Jan van Eyck (c.1390-1441), Caravaggio (1561-1610) and Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) represent almost the entire span of the Italian Renaissance period which occurred from the 14th to the 16th Centuries. Van Eyck was a Flemish painter who painted naturalistic portraits and religious painting on oak panels. Considered to be the leading painter of his day, his works differed from other great Early Italian Renaissance works in that his works recorded his faithful observation of nature , an influence of the Renaissance in the north, rather than the classically idealized works characteristic of the Early Italian ...

(Student’s Full Name)

Giovanni Bellini was known as the “greatest Venetian painter of the early Italian Renaissance” (“Portrait of Joerg Fugger” par. 2). One of the reasons that he is considered to be one of the best painters during this period is his advanced oil painting techniques. In fact, he was “one of the first Venetian painters to devote himself to the medium of art painting” (“Giovanni Bellini [1430-1516]” par. 7). One of the paintings that demonstrates his advanced oil painting techniques is the Portrait of Joerg Fugger that was painted in 1474. This paper will provide a ...

Adoration of the Magi

The artwork form a certain era or period says a lot about the culture the art comes from. By studying the symbolism, colors, and materials used in the art, it is easy to understand the culture that thrived during that time. Decoding the artistic elements in the portraits can help one learn as to what was necessary to the civilization of that era and how they wanted to be remembered. “Adoration of The Magi” by Giotto di Bondone, when studied speaks a lot about the culture and the features of the artistic movement in social, historical and artistic context. ...

Morineau and Chaudhury reckon that the early modern period falls “roughly between 1500 and 1800”; apparently, the era was subject to rapid growth and development throughout the European continent (1). Accordingly, the subtle changes that began in Western Europe gained momentum and rapidly spread to the rest of the regions and beyond as settlers migrated with the acquired ideas to other territories. Extensively, though history often overlooks the role of the modern period in forming future civilizations, an analysis of the mentioned times reveals a correlation that only serves as proof of the former influencing the latter. After all, ...

The period between 14th and 15th century in European history is what is referred to as the late middle age. It is the period that preceded the renaissance. The great Roman Empire had collapsed in 476AD; this consequently led to the end of the period of its domination. Europe was then dominated by a series of German kings who had at the time called their domain the Holy Roman Empire. By the 12th century a loose collection of Italian republics began to gather aiming at recovering the past glory of Rome. They sought to revitalize Europe and engineered the ...

The human figure and its presentation in the art are some of the most important aspects in portraying how the world has become civilized over time. The nature of depicting the human figure has considerably changed in different eras, as shown in the three pieces of art shown below.

Early Renaissance

Duccio di Buoninsegnacreated the Maesta, which is an example of how the human form was depicted in art between 1300 and 1399. Done in 1308, the painting is regarded as one of the best historical works of art and used a combination of tempera and gold applied on wood. It ...

Introduction

Before the Protestant Reformation and the Enlightenment, though, the field of inquiry was completely different than it would be afterward. There was only one religious establishment during that time period, and that establishment had the power of eternal fear over everyone and everything. The fact that the Roman Catholic Church had the power to ban someone not just from church but from any chance of salvation radically altered the calculus of anyone interested in pursuing any sort of intellectual endeavor. Remember, this is the same institution that sought to excommunicate Galileo and Copernicus because of their claims that the ...

Nowadays we live in the global world, where cultures are tightly connected with each other and the traditions’ sharing process is developing day-to-day. Some cultures are absorbing features of other one, and some cultures are dissolving in more influential ones. Nevertheless we all need to understand that this process has not emerged at once – it takes its origins from the dawn of times and has been developing as the time flew. There are some essential ways of how one culture could be influencing or influenced by other one, such as the war actions and the trading. In this case, ...

Woman Holding Balance and Birth of Venus

While art may often imitate life, it also reflects passions and beliefs. These expressions are consistent, in some ways, across history and style or form, however, each expression is unique and contains qualities that others do not. This can be seen in two iconic works with female subjects in “Woman Holding Balance” and “The Birth of Venus.” These two works are similar in their iconic representation of the female form, and their religious significance, however their medium, form, and subject matter contrast significantly. First, it is significant to consider the form. Both works are paintings, but that is where ...

The statue of David was made by three legendary sculptures, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Bernini. It is also evident that all the three artists were (chronologically) referred to be the greatest artists of the renaissance period. All the three artists used their own interpretation and ideology to create their version of the David of Israel who killed the Goliath with only a stone and a swirl in his hands (Hauger, 1). Hence, the representation of David by all the three artists is intended to depict the heroic deed and character of David.

Comparing the 3 versions of David

In spite of the various differences between the ...

Introduction

As I travel back through the centuries, circumstances quickly change. The instructions require intimate that a button can only be stopped in a time of history that one is well conversant. Torn between choosing between the protestant reformation and Italian renaissance I quickly make a decision and choose the latter. The Italian Renaissance is one of the greatest moments of the human civilization. Italy becomes the face of the Renaissance because it provides a platform for cultural exchanges and achievement. The 14th century is the period when the civilization begins and carries significant importance to the human race. The ...

Hellenistic Civilizations

a. Art form or medium b. Purpose of the piece c. Individual or group responsible for the piece d. Meaning of the work e. The culture and the artist f. Influence by art and culture from previous civilizations g. Relation to artwork within the same civilization or era h. Meaning and value of the piece in modern-day cultures The different art forms and media whether architecture, music, visual art, or literature from different past civilization offer the modern civilization spectacular cultures and pieces that continue to greatly influence and act as a ...