Renaissance Baroque Art

-Masaccio, Tribute Money
-1421
-Brancacci Chapel

Humanism is the ideals and/or quality of the human nature, meaning that it focuses on the characteristics and values of the human being's. This includes the emotions, movements and surroundings which create a more of a humanistic feeling. Like said in the lecture Humanism is a legacy of the Greeks and Romans, it is a code of civil conduct, and a theory of education which the teachers serve to the state with no material reward. Humanism was influenced by the printing press, and interest of wide variety which included aerodynamics, geology, and military science. In this painting the special technique used is called fresco where the pigment or color is added to the wet plaster and applied directly to the wall. So it becomes part of the structure and has more of that humanistic feeling. Masaccio also adds on to the humanistic feeling by introducing new innovations to this piece by the arrangement of figures. The figures are grouped in a circular structure around Christ within a spacious landscape and atmospheric perspective which is created by the mountainous landscape and clouds.

 

-Jan Van Eyck

-Arnolfini Portait

-Early Renaissance 

Jan Van Eyck was the first Netherlander painter to achieve international fame, one of his famous paintings the "Arnolfini Portait" is an oil painting which uses visual symbolism. The cast off shoes represent sanctity of space which is the quality or characteristic of being holy, and/or saintly as shown in the painting. The dog represents fidelity which is defined as the quality of being faithful or loyal. The whisk broom represents domestic care which is the variety of household services or care. The single candle burning represents the eye of god. The way they are dressed as well as their body gestures also adds on to their sanctity and humanistic feel.

-Judith Beheading Holofernes

-Artemisia Gentileschi 

This painting was done by Artemisia Gentileschi, the first woman admitted to the florence academy of art, she was into heroic female themes. The story of this painting is about a widow named "Judith" saving her people of Israel by getting "Holofernes" drunk then beheading him. This painting has a amazing feel of the Baroque Time period. The contrast between the light and the dark background makes the painting much more dramatic, The colors and well detailed figures gives the painting a realism look. The clothing in "Tribute Money", "The last supper", "Merode Alter Piece", and the "Arnolfini Portait" all match with this painting's clothing style and color which would include red, orange, and brown giving it more of that amazing Baroque time period feel and look.