“Every painter paints himself.”
Cosimo de’ Medici
A defining period of art history, the birth of the Italian Renaissance during the 1400s produced many great works as well as established the careers of many memorable artists.
As it is inferred from its name, the Renaissance was essentially a “rebirth” of the previous cultural landscape, specifically the art aspect. Along with revolutionary ideas and techniques, artists like Donatello and Michelangelo often referenced back to Roman and Greek antiquity in their work.
Our first example of antiquity was the frequent use of contrapposto in sculpture and painting. First exhibited in Polykleitos’s “Doryphoros”, an ancient Greek sculpture that helped introduce the ideal of the human figure, contrapposto emphasizes a figure’s posture to increase its realism.
Contrapposto: all of a person’s weight rests on one leg while the rest of body remains relaxed
Polykleitos’ Doryphoros. c.450. Museo Archaeologico Nazionale, Naples. (source)
Donatello, St. Mark. c.1411. Orsanmichele, Florence. (source)
Michelangelo, David. c.1501. The Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence. (source)
Perugino, Christ Giving the Keys of the Kingdom to St. Peter. c.1481. Vatican, Rome. (source)
Donatello, David. c.1440. Museo Nazionale de Bargello, Florence. (source)
Moving on to Donatello’s “St. Mark”, the sculpture masterfully cemented its identity as a human being to the viewer while paying homage to its antiquity. Not only his form resembled classical sculptures with the hip placement and how his drapery replicated the lines of a column, but it’s also the facial expression that truly pulled everything together.
Donatello’s and Michelangelo’s versions of “David” shared many similarities that represent the “ancient Greek and Roman regard for the beauty of the human body”, two being the use of contrapposto and the decision to create nudes (Tucker). However, Donatello took a step further with his method of creation taken directly from Roman antiquity, lost-wax casting bronze.
Going back to David, it is good to bring up that the stigma against nudity had lessened as everyone started to appreciate human anatomy. During the classical period, nudity was mainly for Adam and Eve until some artists commenced to include other biblical figures. Italian painter Sandro Botticelli explored human beauty and proportion in his “Primavera” and “The Birth of Venus”, changing what would usually be shamefulness to gracefulness (Harris). Roman antiquity is also depicted this piece through Botticelli’s choice to have only Roman mythological figures as his subjects, who were labeled in the image below.
Antiquity in Architecture
Architecture in the Renaissance also contained elements of antiquity, whether it be direct influence or close replication. The Greeks saw pure geometry as a “vehicle to see only perfection” (Harris). This led to the incorporation of radial and symmetrical structure plans. The Romans had similar beliefs as well; the circle carried a deeper meaning. Having no beginning or end, it represents the eternal nature of God (Harris).
The Tempietto, designed by Donato Bramante, was a result of this thinking. Influenced by the thoughts of Roman writer Vitruvius, the Vesta, and the Tuscan order, this temple is a great example of the latter’s antiquity. Also, similarities could be found in Bramante’s initial design for St Peter’s Basilica, influenced by another piece of Classical architecture, the Pantheon (Harris).
Loth, Calder. Andrea Palladio’s Tempietto. The Four Books on Architecture, (MIT Press, 2002) Book IV. (source)
In Perugino’s “Christ Giving the Keys of the Kingdom to St. Peter”, the three visible structures in the background were based on actual formations important to Rome’s history. First is the Florence Baptistery, which was an ancient Roman temple. The imitation is Perugino’s fresco had the same three-sided front with the addition of an extruded entrance but alienated itself from the original with a rounded dome instead of a sharp one. The Arch of Constantine is represented in the other two forms.
Another quick example is Lorenzo Ghiberti’s “Gates of Paradise”, whose bronze material takes after Roman tradition (Harris).
In sum, it is evident that traces of the Renaissance are still visible today. In the art world, the techniques that were revolutionary during the 1400s like foreshortening and chiaroscuro are common practice now, with its reach now digital with the introduction of photography and graphic design. Furthermore, the primary subject for artwork has extremely changed, some could even say reversed as the world became more secular. Art is no longer restricted to religious matters.
Speaking of religion, just like the Renaissance was heavily influenced by Humanism, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that it still holds true in a society that is experiencing a shift in beliefs. Religion still remains a huge factor in many countries, yet not as strong as before with the growth of atheism.
Additional Resources:
- “Early Renaissance Art and Architecture.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/movement/early-renaissance/.