Renaissance+-+Group+4

Renaissance Art reflected on the humanist values and religious focus of the era. Artists took inspiration from the bible. **Very good intro, but needs to be edited - eliminate "on" after "reflected"** Their subjects were depicted beautifully and idealistically. They often involved in a blend of classical and biblical themes, as well as a refocus on Greek and Roman culture. They experimented with new methods while also learning from the classical art period. They studied and experimented with methods to make their pieces more realistic. Leonardo de Vinci's famous last supper depicts Jesus' last supper before his crucifixion. Leonardo embraced the Renaissance spirit of trying new things and experimented with a new oil paint. He also used perspective to make the painting appear 3 dimensional. Botticelli's Birth of Venus emphasized elegance, grace and beauty. Its mythic, rather than biblical subject matter was different than many other pieces of the time, yet showed the appreciation for the Greco-Roman world. I**t** has a blend of both the bible and the Greco-Roman myth, because Venus is in the traditional Virgin Mary pose. De Vinci's Virgin of the Rocks is another painting that has to do with biblical themes. It is very realistic and idealized, showing the influence of classical art. Michelangelo's Pieta, is a sculpture of Mary holding Christ in her arms. It is a very idealized rendition of this image in which both Jesus and Mary exude physical perfection and beauty, showing the humanist influence of the time.

 Michelangelo's Pieta addresses biblical themes and reflects on the classical and humanist values of the era. The Pieta depicts Mary holding her dead son in her arms. Much of medieval and renaissance art addressed biblical themes. The lamentation of Christ was popular subject matter for many artists of the time period. Sculptures of the Pieta had been popular in northern Europe; However, Michelangelo's Pieta significantly differed from the polychrome wood carvings of the north. Unlike the earlier northern Pietas which focused on graphically depicting Christ’s tortured body, Michelangelo’s marble Pieta didn’t emphasize the suffering of Christ or the Sorrow of Marry. Instead, both are depicted idealistically and with the humanist ideals of physical perfection and beauty. The only signs of suffering on Jesus are wounds on his sides, hands, and feet. Mary is youthful and her face is calm rather than anguished. Michelangelo also balanced the figures by making Mary larger than Jesus and arranging them in an inventive triangular shape, utilizing the classical teachings of balance. The graceful and detailed way the fabric is draped add to the idealism of the piece and help balance.  Bibliography: Barbara Watts. "Pietà." //Grove Art Online//. //Oxford Art Online//. 14 Jan. 2010 <[]>. Ruehring, Lauren M. "Michelangelo Sculptures." //Howstuffworks//. Howstuffworks. Web. 13 Jan. 2010. <[]>.
 * Michelangelo, Pieta, 1499**


 * The birth of Venus by Botticelli**

//The Birth of Venus// was painted by Botticelli; this is unlike many other paintings in its time because it is not a biblical painting but a mythical one. This painting of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, is innovative because it shows how the aristocracy of Florentine had a vast interest in their past. They were intrigued by the Greco-Roman Mythology. The aristocracy is involved because the Medici family was Botticelli’s patron. This picture is not Christian, which is unique to the period because many renaissance pictures are solely Christian figures. This picture blends the Roman and Christian culture, because it is the goddess Venus in the position that the Virgin Mary would normally be placed in. Botticelli took risks in this picture by placing the wind gods so that they are blowing Venus to land and then there is a nymph ready with a cloak so that her nakedness can be covered up. The paintings overall tone is elegance, grace, and beauty. This image is important because it broke the mold of what a painting could depict because it took a goddess from Roman culture and then put her in the traditional Virgin Mary pose.


 * Bibliography**

"Botticelli, Sandro." //World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras//. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 14 Jan. 2010. .
Hill, Suzanne. "Meaning in the Birth of Venus." //Suite101.com//. 31 Mar. 2007. Web. 14 Jan. 2010. .

//**The Virgin of the Rocks**// **by Leonardo da Vinci**.



//**Needs a stronger intro.** The Virgin of the Rocks// was painted by Leonardo da Vinci. This painting is about the theme of Immaculate Conception. The Immaculate Conception is the dogma that states that Christ was conceived without sin on Mary’s part. The painting was made for the chapel of the Immacolata of the church of San Francesco Grande. The painting relates to the Renaissance time because Christianity, which influenced the Renaissance, came from the Greeks and Romans and is their main religion. Religion is a major theme in the Renaissance time, it gave them unity. Religion was also centralized in the Middle Ages. The image shows Mary reaching out and holding her son, Christ. Christ meets an infant John, a Baptist, who is in the care of angel Uriel. They are on the run from Herod’s massacre of Innocence, which was the killing of young men to avoid them taking his throne. This image is important to the Renaissance because it was made for a church and churches, even though centralized in the Middle Ages, were still important because people were baptized there.


 * Bibliography**

"Virgin of the Rocks." __Lairweb.org__. January 14, 2009. http://www.lairweb.org.nz/leonardo/rocks.html

"Leonardo da Vinci: Madonna of the Rocks." __Life on an Artist__. 2002. January 14, 2009. http://www.artist-biography.info/gallery/leonardo_da_vinci/31/

** **Needs a stronger intro.** ** The painting the Last Supper is in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazle in Milan. The paintings sole purpose is biblical story telling of Jesus’ last meal before his crucifixion. This painting is inspired by John 13:21-30. Leonardo’s depiction is the typical Florentine one, in which Jesus’ sacrifice and betrayal is put to great importance. Also Jesus is in the middle of the painting, and also has no halo because from the window behind light shines to make him out to be “the light of the world”. Also Jesus and the disciples, who are also in the painting, have long hair to show renaissance tradition. The painting also shows everyone gracefully which shows the humanism, the academic movement going on during the Renaissance. Also relating to the humanism topic is the fact that ruler of Italy at the time, Lodovico Sforza, a patron of the arts, had been the one who paid for the painting, showing high regard for education through the arts. Leonardo also showed great humanism through experimenting with oil paint for this piece, and tricking the human eyes by making the walls inside the canvas look like they are diminishing inside the walls of the church. It also makes your eyes focus on Jesus because of the fact that all lines are pointing to him. Leonardo also searched Milan for more than two for the faces to make the features of the disciples. Leonardo through just painting this showed how important religion was, and for a ruler to pay for it made it of even greater importance.
 * Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

****Bibliography**
 * Edgar, William. "Reading Leonardo's: The Last Supper."   // TheTruthAboutDaVinci.com //  . 2009. Web. 14 Jan. 2010. .

Kemp, Martin, Richard Turner, Surge Bramly, Bruce Boucher, and Elizabeth Lev. "Restoration of the Last Supper 1498 Leonardo da Vinci 1452-1519 The Last Supper St. Apostle John Comparison." // Bringtoyou.to //. Web. 14 Jan. 2010. . ** Citations**: **20 points Picture paragraphs**: **26/30 Summary: 19 Total: 75/80**
 * Pictures: 10 points