Italian Renaissance essays

Northern/Italian Renaissance essays Northern Vs. Italian Renaissance Art 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 Greek loose fitting robes for their garments. The architecture of the building is primarily Greek with the columns and arches representing those of the times of Aristotle and Plato, whom are also represented. Humanism and Individualism can be seen in the fresco because humans are the subjects of the painting. Individual people are the focus of the piece, and each has been given their own personality and identity. Raphael has done a phenomenal job depicting each person's facial expression and body movement. The Window of Nature is evident (although not as prevalent as in other works of this time period) in the background of the work in the clouds painted over the heads of Aristotle and Plato. Raphael h...