Subjects:
The characteristics of art that seem the most prevalent during the
Renaissance are Classical Revival (going back to Greek and Roman times
for subject matter and inspiration), Humanism (the idea that humans are
focus), Window of Nature (the idea of including nature in the pieces),
Syncretism (including Greek and Roman mythology and/or characteristics
in Renaissance art), Cult of Beauty (Plato's notion of ideal beauty and
love), Empiricism (making the work look as real as possible),
Individualism (individuals are important, and become a focus of art),
and Idealism (humans and religious figures are painted in their most
ideal form). Raphael's fresco The School of Athens and Brueghel's oil
painting The Wedding Dance. Although both pieces contain the
characterizing elements of Renaissance art, they are different in many
Raphael's fresco stands 26 feet by 18 feet and is a model of Italian
Renaissance art, containing obvious examples of each of the components
of Renaissance art. The School of Athens is a prime model of the
Classic Revival. The school portrayed is a school of philosophy in
ancient Athens. The people are wearing Gree
. . .
He uses the technique of "chario scuro" (light against dark) more
effectively than Raphael. Raphael, including triangles, circles and rectangles,
uses many geometric shapes in his painting. Individuality can be seen in the painting. Raphael has
put a tremendous amount of detail into the faces/expressions and the
way the fabric falls on the people. These
gaps serve as a pathway for the viewer's eyes to move about the piece. The
colors used are very soft, making the scene very calm and giving it a
sense of harmony.
Brueghel seems unfascinated by the ideas of the Classic Revival and the
Syncretism of those ides into his artwork.
The fresco can be cut directly down the center, between the heads of
Aristotle and Plato (or Leonardo) and divided completely in half. The
influence of Roman and Greek ideas are not as prevalent in this piece. This can be translated as
Empiricism. The earthly tones used in the scenery
and for the people create a symbolic harmony between humans and nature. Raphael has painted great people Renaissance acting their
best in what he believes is their ideal form: as Greeks. Each
person shown appears to have his or her own personality and reason for
being present. The identities of the great
Renaissance artists/scientists have been superimposed into the
identities of Ancient Greek philosophers. Also, the scattered use of the color red
creates movement.
Essay's Topics
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