...Contrasting the Northern and Italian Renaissances The Renaissance was one of the world’s most important movements, specifically for culture throughout all European countries. The term renaissance means “rebirth,” which is very significant since this movement was the revival and turning point of change for all art forms specifically art, literature, music, religion along with many other aspects as well. Starting in Italy, the Italian Renaissance was the earliest manifestation of the general European Renaissance. From the Italian Renaissance sprouted the Northern Renaissance, which was the movement that occurred in all European countries after the Italian Renaissance. While both movements hold many similarities, they also have a variety of differences as well. First, the obvious difference between these two movements is the geography of the Northern and Italian Renaissance. The Northern Renaissance relates to all of the happenings in the countries of Northern Europe surrounding Italy. Even though these were two separate movements with many differences, they both held significant similarities due to the close proximity of the countries where the Renaissances took place. Both the Italian and Northern Renaissance followed the era of the Middle Ages. The Italian Renaissance began in the cities of Florence and Siena, and later spread to Venice. The Northern Renaissance is also recognized as the “late gothic” which still held on to Middle Ages art, whereas the Italian Renaissance was fixated...
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...Italian Renaissance v. Northern Renaissance Christopher Garrett University of Phoenix Renaissance comes from the Latin renasci, which means to be born, or rebirth or revival (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2014). The Renaissance was an era that influenced countries for over 200 years, and transformed culture and religion. Starting toward the end of the 13th century, the renaissance was an integral part of developing countries in both north Europe and Italy. These renaissance periods are the Italian and the Northern renaissance. Even though both renaissances had similarities and made an impact within European countries, they both had differences as well that made them each unique. The Italian Renaissance began at the end of the 13th century and lasted until the beginning of the 1600’s. This period could be considered the transition period between the Middle ages and medieval period to modern Europe. During the Italian Renaissance, humanists labeled the “rebirth” as the Dark Ages. The Italian Renaissance focused more on the common man and everyday realities of life, which heavily influenced the culture and art (Beougher, 2010). The Northern Renaissance was influenced by Italian Renaissance; however, the northern movement carried different characteristics and strengths and affected European countries outside of Italy. During the Northern Renaissance, the north held onto the Gothic art and architecture. The north also had fewer centers of free commerce, unlike in Italy...
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...Renaissance Comparison Essay Candyce Kettler Hum/205 Jill Hunt August 29, 2010 We top Italian society's rebirth from the medieval period with the changes that occurred during the Italian Renaissance. Civilization was changing and what we consider the modern world was about to begin. The renaissance doings that happened in Europe outside of Italy is called the Northern European Renaissance. Italy's humanist ideas and values moved out of Italy and throughout Europe, which spurred on the Northern European Renaissance. The Renaissance period began in the early 14th Century and lasted until the late 16th Century. “Renaissance” comes from the French word that means “rebirth.” This time period is named and studied because of its unique art, literature, and music. It is also known as society's modern age. Early in the 14th Century, Italian scholars started to study the ancient cultures that preceded them, like those of Greece and the Roman Empire. This scholarly interest would lead to the Italian Renaissance. Italy and Europe was ready for change after the harrowing destruction of the Black Plague in the Middle Ages. Florence, Italy, was the home of the start of the Renaissance. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, culture, politics, and the arts had only been in decline. Petrarch advocated learning about Italy's Latin and Roman history. The Pope and the royalty liked this idea, so other scholars begun to study in the same vein. These scholars valued the accomplishments...
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...During the time periods of the Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo, there were some scientific exploration that the created a relationship between the arts and the growing body of scientific knowledge. It is very interesting to see how things that we take for granted today have been used or created in their heyday. How people must have loved those objects as people today love their phones. The first of these time periods is the Renaissance time period. During this time period the study of anatomy became more popular. Before this time, a lot of art work portraying humans often had incorrect proportions. But as art grew and developed, the study of anatomy was apparent for creating much more accurate portraits and other paintings. One great example of the study of anatomy would be the art work from Leonardo da Vinci. He has a lots of sketches and interest in the sciences as well....
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...“The French word Renaissance, meaning “rebirth,” was first used in the nineteenth century to describe the period from the early fifteenth century to the middle of the next century” (Benton & DiYanni, 2008, p. 307). The Renaissance not only was a time when scholars became more interested in studying ancient scholars and the world around them but it also had an impact on art forms such as paintings, sculptures and architecture. The social roles and similarities during the Italian and Northern European Renaissance are the flourishing of the arts under powerful and wealthy families such as the Medici’s of Florence and in the north Philip the Good as well as many others. In both Northern and Southern Europe there was a strong desire to reconnect with the ancient past of the Greco/Roman world this desire extended beyond just ideals in art but also to philosophy and politics. The artistic endeavors of both the Northern and Southern Renaissance were dominated by their shared Christian faith, we can see examples of this in Jan Van Eyck’s Ghent “Altar Piece” (Benton & DiYanni, 2008, p. 353) at Saint Bavon Cathedral an ingenious polyptych painting which uses multiple panels to depict a religious scene an exciting blend of the Northern inventive spirit of the age and ancient faith. The works of the Italian Renaissance were also dominated by this Christian outlook possibly the most famous piece of art in the world Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel full of religious imagery while also boldly proclaiming...
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...Developing Europe into a powerhouse, the Renaissance marked complete cultural transition of Europe out of the Middle Ages and identified a societal change of values and ideas reflected in the art and literature of the time period; the “rebirth” in Southern Europe, however, differed from Northern Europe. As both the North and South had access to newly printed materials courtesy the printing press, they did share commonality of thought- both supplied predominant Christian artistic themes, had an artistic ‘center’, and provided systems of guilds and patrons. The Southern, or Italian, Renaissance began during the 14th century and “inevitably, trade and commerce brought Italian ideas northward, where they influenced the artistic traditions” beginning the 16th century Northern Renaissance (Benton and DiYanni 53). The South focused on a return to the concept of humanism and revival of idealist, classic Greek and Roman values, but the North focused on the common man and daily realities of life. Centered around Florence then later Rome, aided by the patronage of the Medici family in the Early Renaissance and Popes in the High Renaissance, and inspired by Greek and Roman mythology, the Southern Renaissance movement emphasized humans (their capacities, values and worth). Italian artists made the viewer delve into the inner working of the human mind and their subject matter primarily consisted of gods and goddesses displayed with symmetry, balance, and linear perspective. Known for his goddess...
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...The Beginning of the Renaissance Renaissance means “rebirth”, also the Renaissance began in Italy in the, Middle Ages. Especially in the late middles ages, cities grew in trade but first was Europe. The Renaissance was spreading everywhere, also in the northern countries. The move too many places on the north, to Italy to northern countries such as France, Germany, Spain, and England. There was several reasons why this occurred in all these cities. One reason was the growth of cities across northern Europe. First reason was because that they wanted to expanded, the renaissance to be cable show new styles in writing and art. This was very great because the renaissance created a great movement. Inspired many great writers and painters to show...
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...The Renaissance The Renaissance was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. It marks the period between the end of the Middle Ages and the start of the Modern Age. The Renaissance is usually considered to have begun in the 14th century in Italy and the 16th century in northern Europe. Renaissance is a French word that literally means rebirth. Rebirth is used in two ways. First, it means rediscovery of ancient classical texts and ideas and their use in the arts and sciences. Second, it means that the results of these intellectual activities created a revitalization of European culture. Most historians believe that the Renaissance of the 15th century in Italy, which spread through the rest of Europe, represented a reconnection of the west with classical antiquity, the absorption of knowledge—particularly mathematics—from Arabic world, the return of experimentalism, an explosion of the spread of knowledge brought on by printing and the creation of new techniques in art, poetry and architecture. This period shows Europe emerging from a long period as a backwater part of the world, and the rise of commerce and exploration. The Italian Renaissance is often labelled as the beginning of the "modern" age. The Renaissance has no set starting point or place. It happened gradually at different places at different times and there are no defined dates or places for when the...
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...Renaissance and Discovery (pg 317-349) 1) Jacob Burckhardt’s interpretation of the Renaissance in the 14th and 15th century, was that through the revival of ancient learning, new secular and scientific values began to supplant traditional religious beliefs. Some scholars believe that Burckhardt’s description was too modernizing and accused him of overlooking the continuity of the Renaissance and the Middle ages. His critics especially stress the still strongly Christian character of Renaissance humanism. 2) The term of Renaissance in fifteenth and sixteenth- century Italy meant “re-birth” or “revival”. In the 14th century many Italian scholars believed that the arts had been declining in quality for 1,000 years. They admired the art and writing of the Classical Age (400 B.C.-A.D. 400), the time of the Greek and Roman empires. To revive the glory and grandeur of the ancient past, these scholars eagerly studied classical literature, architecture, and sculpture. 3) Renaissance humanism is simply the focusing on the individual and learning. Before the Renaissance, people of Europe focused on the city-states and the knowledge they had attained before not worrying what new knowledge was out there. Then came the Renaissance and brought focus to those things. 4) The Renaissance was a break from the Middle Ages because it brought new ideas and new ways of thinking into society, but without the Middle Ages (medieval civilization), the Renaissance wouldn’t have...
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...Nuremberg, Germany in the Northern European Renaissance. During that time period he inspired wide interest in prints. His carving and engraving work marked a distinct difference from the typical oil work of the day. To this day, he is considered one of the most influential artists of the Northern Renaissance. His life is well documented due to his early fame and autobiographical writing. In spite of his father’s successful goldsmithing vocation, Durer wanted to pursue art. From a young age he displayed his artistic gifts, as evidenced by his silverpoint self-portrait at 13. His fame developed in his mid-twenties as he traveled about Europe selling prints. Durer’s style is marked especially by its realism, detail and medium. Portraits, engravings and altarpieces are his most famous works. Saint Jerome in his Study is one of his best known, an engraving detailing the saint at work with a lion and lamb laying before his desk. Durer is thought of as one of the most important artists in the Northern Renaissance. His use of mathematics to improve perspective and proportions embodies the Renaissance thought in its realism. His rise to fame using prints served as an inspiration for many other artists of the time, such as Titian, Raphael, and Parmigianino. Albrecht Durer was an innovative artist who influence Northern Renaissance. His use of perspective and realism in his engravings made him famous at an extremely young age. Historically, he is remembered for his art and the effect it had...
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...Characteristics of the Renaissance? In very simple terms, the Italian Renaissance re-established Western art according to the principles of classical Greek art, especially Greek sculpture and painting, which provided much of the basis for the Grand Tour, and which remained unchallenged until Pablo Picasso and Cubism. From the early 14th century, in their search for a new set of artistic values and a response to the courtly International Gothic style, Italian artists and thinkers became inspired by the ideas and forms of ancient Greece and Rome. This was perfectly in tune with their desire to create a universal, even noble, form of art which could express the new and more confident mood of the times. Renaissance Philosophy of Humanism Above all, Renaissance art was driven by the new notion of "Humanism," a philosophy which had been the foundation for many of the achievements (eg. democracy) of pagan ancient Greece. Humanism downplayed religious and secular dogma and instead attached the greatest importance to the dignity and worth of the individual. Effect of Humanism on Art In the visual arts, humanism stood for (1) the emergence of the individual figure, in place of stereotyped, or symbolic figures. (2) Greater realism and consequent attention to detail, as reflected in the development of linear perspective and the increasing realism of human faces and bodies; this new approach helps to explain why classical sculpture was so revered, and why Byzantine art fell out of fashion...
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...Art and Society: Renaissance to Modern Art Paper Assignment I Analysis of the Museum’s Painting The museum’s painting (Attributed to Quentin Massys, Lamentation, c. 1520) depicted a scene in which several grieving people were gathered around Christ after his crucifixion. The thing that stands out about this painting is that Christ is not adorned in fine clothing, nor does he even appear divine in any way. The surrounding people do not appear to be priests or divine, but are normal, plainly garbed, people. Upon moving my attention to other areas of the painting, I noticed the detailed landscape upon which this scene was set. The museum’s painting can be recognized as a northern painting, even without prior knowledge of the artist who painted it. Two distinct features in this painting are strongly indicative of a northern painting. One of these said features is the landscape setting. Northern works of art deal strongly with naturalism. The second indication that this may be a northern painting has to do with the people gathered around Christ. It is easy to tell that these individuals are merely common folk. A southern painting would most likely feature angels or clergymen gathered around Christ, but within paintings from the north was the concept of humanism. In lamens terms, humanism is merely a system of thought in which human beings are of utmost importance as opposed to the divine or supernatural. In summation, both styles of this painting, naturalism and humanism, are...
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...the Italian Renaissance and the Northern Renaissance. Cite examples to illustrate your comparisons. Northern Renaissance took place in areas of Western Europe, north of the Alps. In that time artist were more focused on daily life. Beauty was found in everyday living and simplicity of life. Famous artists from that time like Peter Brugal painted pictures such as “The Peasant Wedding." Picture shows simple life of ordinary people attending weeding. Pictures like this has symbolic meaning and moral aspect. Pieter Bruegel, The Peasant Wedding, oil on panel, 1566-69 On the other side, the Italian Renaissance came much earlier than Northern Renaissance. The Italian Renaissance, had focused more on the wealthy class. Artist paid more attention to details to leave impression of wealthy and powerful people that they try to present. Background of that time give explanation why artists used to present that kind of life. Geographically Italy was very important in Mediterranean and it was one of the biggest centers for business. Therefore, individuals were becoming very wealthy and power of some individuals reached to political circles. The Italian Renaissance focused on religion as well. Popes were very wealthy and almost like kings in another societies. Oftentimes, paintings reflected themes of the Classical times, and some artists nearly copied the forms of ancient Greek statues and artwork. Based on that Greek Roman influence was very important in Italian Renaissance. It showed a...
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...Lamentations Over Time When analyzing a painting, or any art form, one must pay particular attention to the relationship between the work’s form, composition, and culture. These elements are important to understanding a piece’s purpose, and why it was produced in this particular time period. In this paper, the painting, Attributed to Quenten Metsys, Lamentation, c. 1520 will be analyzed and compared to Giotto’s Lamentation, c. 1305 to understand the differences in how these elements are portrayed when used in two different settings. These two paintings depict the same scene, but they are painted in two very different styles. Located in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the painting Attributed to Quenten Metsys Lamentation, c. 1520 can be recognized as a Northern Italian work of art due to the immense detail and vivid coloration that could only be achieved through the use of oil paint. When the 1300s began, two Renaissance movements took place in both the Southern and Northern regions of Italy. The popular and most commonly used medium during the southern Renaissance was fresco, where artists would paint straight on the wall. But, during the Northern Renaissance, oil paint was the more commonly used medium that was being experimented with. So, the fact that the Attributed to Quenten Metsys Lamentation, c. 1520 is an oil painting categorizes it as a northern piece of art. As this piece is further analyzed, it is revealed that there are ten figures in the foreground, and four...
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...Leslie C. Lee HIEU 205 June 23, 2014 Italian and Northern Humanism During the age known as the Renaissance, humanism was a thriving force within Europe. Humanism had a profound impact on how man viewed the role of education and intellectualism within society. Renaissance humanism has been defined as simply a curriculum based upon the study of Greco-Roman classics that affected the culture and man’s point of view. Renaissance humanism was ultimately divided into two branches which came to be known as Civic humanism and Christian humanism which defined differences between Italian humanists and Northern humanists. Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472) and Desiderius Erasmus (1469-1536) and their ideals exemplify what separated the two. The contrast between Italian humanism and Northern humanism can be simply stated as one led man away from God, the other drew man closer to God. Education was crucial a factor in the ideals of both Italian and Northern humanists. Classical scholarship was the heart of Italian humanism while Christian scholarship was the chosen education of Northern humanists. The classical Latin language of Cicero was an important part of both scholarship curriculums and both Alberti and Erasmus were fluent in Latin. The differences between scholarships were the exclusion or inclusion of Christian classics. Italian humanists unlike Northern humanists held the idea that the classic Latin language should be the chosen language of the elite. It was a common practice...
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