StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Humanities - Key Characteristics of the Renaissance - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The author of the paper "Humanities - Key Characteristics of the Renaissance" will begin with the statement that art is a way of expressing the element of truth in a culture. Art is defined as the skill of doing anything as a result of knowledge and practice…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER97.7% of users find it useful

Extract of sample "Humanities - Key Characteristics of the Renaissance"

Humanities Art is a way of expressing the element of truth in a culture. Art is defined as the skill of doing anything as a result of knowledge and practice. Human species are generally accepted to be the inventors of art during the upper Paleolithic over two million years ago. The history of art begins with that of humanity since humans are artistic by nature. Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simon was born on 6th March 1475 (Creighton 25). He lived in the period of renaissance. He was best known for his master sculptor, the sculpture of David made of marble block. The statue of david is a sculpture of a nude man standing and represents the heroic David of the bible. The eyes of the sculpture are turned towards Rome in what looks like a stare of warning. On the other hand, the Pieta depicts the dead body of Jesus on the laps of his mother, Mary. The sculpture portrays a balance of classical beauty and renaissance ideals. Michelangelo’s works were entirely involved in the services of the Catholic Church (Creighton 25). He was a man of pessimism in his poetry and optimist in his artwork. He is considered to be one of the greatest artists and architect during the Renaissance period. His artwork consisted of paintings and sculptures that revealed humanity in its natural state. Key Characteristics of the Renaissance The renaissance was a period between 1500 and1700. During this period there was a rebirth of interest in the ideas of the classical period. In this period the ideas of Hippocrates and Galen were studied and the four humors become the focus of medical treatments and bloodletting became very popular (Lobenstine 78). Science began in this period (renaissance period) and it changed (got replaced) superstition into medicine. This period also saw the founding of the royal society, in the year 1660, a body of leading scientists. People in this period had to be educated and had to have knowledge in both science and arts like Leonardo da Vinci (Lobenstine 83). He was well known for his art works (like the Mona Lisa) and he was also a scientist and regularly attended dissections. The reformation happened during this period largely as people were thinking about the things around them and were not ready to accept what had always been. During the renaissance period (1517) Martin Luther brought out a list of things that he thought were wrong with the church to a door of a church in Wittenberg in Germany. These ideas threatened the Catholic Church as many people liked them and protested about the Catholic Church, these people came to be known as the Protestants (Spielvogel 67). Despite the efforts of the Catholic Church to preserve the existing orders, new ideas, discoveries and inventions took place. In 1527 a German physician and chemist (Paracelsus) started a lecture by burning one of Galen’s books (Spielvogel 67). He did not honor the four humors theory. He believed that diseases attack the body from outside and that the cures should help the body to defend itself from the diseases. The criticisms he made about Galen encouraged medical thinking towards scientific thought. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simon was a great representative in this period as he was an artist and a painter and was commissioned by the Pope Julius II to repaint the vault in the church. Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel is located in Rome and was constructed between 1473 and 1481 by Giovanni de Dolci under orders from Sixtus IV to a design by Baccio Pontelli (Michelangelo 16). The chapel is forty meters long and 13 meters wide, its long sided walls have six windows that illuminate the chapel. Under the reign of Sixtus IV the walls got painted by celebrated artist of that period. The artists included Ghirlandaio, Signorelli, Botticelli and Pinturicchio according to Michelangelo (15). Sistine chapel is reputed for its architecture which is the result of unique contribution from Renaissance artists like Michelangelo, Raphael and Bernini. The chapel is named after Pope Sixtus IV, the first mass having been conducted on August 15th 1483 by Pope Sixtus IV. Ever since, the Sistine Chapel has served as a rostrum for religious and official activities. This Chapel is highlighted as the venue of the papal as the ceremony that results in the election of the pope is held here. This Chapel is thronged by clerics, officials and distinguished visitors and only holds important services within the papal calendar. It functions as the venue for the assimilation of College of Cardinals during the election of a new Pope as it has a chimney from which the smoke that rises acts as an indication of election (Michelangelo 34). The chapel is a meeting ground for important contribution to the well being and interests of Christianity around the world and it represents the spirit of renovation (Michelangelo 1). Impressionism Impressionism was an art movement that was developed in France (in the late 19th and 20th centuries) according to Rewald (10). It began as a loose association of Paris based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them together in the 1870s and 1880s. The name impressionism was derived from the title of a Claude Monet work. The impressionism is characterized by paintings that include relatively thin, small, yet visible brush strokes, the inclusion of movement, open compositions, unusual visual angles, and ordinary subject matter. Some of the painters in this era included Pierre Auguste Renoir, Berthe Morisot, Armand Guillaumin, Alfred Sisley, Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet and Frederic Bazille Rewald (25). The impressions saw the development of new techniques that were specific to the movement only. The public which was hostile came to gradually agree that impressionists captured a fresh and original vision even though they did not receive the approval of art critics and establishment. Analysis of Renoir and van Gogh Pierre Auguste Renoir was born on February 25th 1841 in Limoges, France. Pierre Augustine Renoir has many paintings that are known by people all over the world. His unique paintings of groups and women are loved and recognized by millions of people. Renoir is among the world’s most renowned artists; he become famous after his death and was considered waste during his life time just as with many other artists. Vincent Van Gogh was born on March 30th 1853 in Groot Zundert, Holland. He is famous for his mental instability and his vivid paintings. His artistic style was fresh and astounding with rough brush strokes, impressionistic burst of colors and focus on nature and simple topics like flowers and hay stacks Pickvance (47). Pierre Augustine Renoir was the best of the two as he was well known all over the world. His paintings are still adored and cherished for their uniqueness. Evolution of Photography The basic principles of optics were developed by the Greek and the Chinese philosophers in the 4th and 5th century. Newton discovers the white light between 1664 and 1666. Between the year 1814 and 1826, Joseph Nicephore Niepce was credited for the invention of photography. The first permanent photograph was taken by him and it took an eight hour exposure. In 1934, color photography was created by Leopold Godowsky and Leopold Mannes. Works Cited Creighton, Gilbert. Michelangelo On and Off the Sistine Ceiling. New York: George Braziller. Print. 1994. Lobenstine Margaret. The Renaissance soul: life design for people with too many passions to pick just one. Broadway Books. Print. 2006. Michelangelo. Sistine Chapel Coloring Book. New York, NY: Courier Dove Publications, 2004. Print. Pickvance, Ronald. English Influences on Vincent van Gogh (exh. catalogue University of Nottingham & alt. 1974/75). London: Arts Council. Print. 1974. Rewald, John (1973). The History of Impressionism (4th, Revised Ed.). New York: The Museum of Modern Art. Print. Spielvogel Jackson. Western Civilization: A Brief History. Cengage Learning. Print. 2010. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4”, n.d.)
Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1576097-humanities
(Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words - 4)
Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words - 4. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1576097-humanities.
“Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words - 4”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1576097-humanities.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Humanities - Key Characteristics of the Renaissance

Questions on Western Heritage

The developments in renaissance marked a breakaway from the characteristics of the middle ages in that it emphasized on individuality, secularism and revival of antiquity.... Q2: How events or developments in Renaissance mark a break or departure from the key characteristics of middle Ages.... Name of student: Topic: Lecturer: Date of Presentation: Q1: What is renaissance?... Why historians use this term to describe events discussed in this chapter renaissance is referred to as “Rebirth” and indicates the period between 14th and 16th century in Europe when the classical civilization of the Greeks and Romans was reborn or restored (Spielvogel, 340)....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Summary of the Adventure in the human Spirit

urvey and a close analysis of the characteristics of Western Arts,Antiquity are well documented in the Adventures in the human spirit by Phillip Bishop.... Survey and a close analysis of the characteristics of Western Arts, Antiquity, culture of the prehistoric times, reconnaissance and Baroque are well documented in the Adventures in the human spirit by Phillip Bishop particularly in the sixth edition of the book.... Adventure in the human Spirit is a book that was written with a view of assisting students or scholars with insufficient knowledge and background in the arts and humanities....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Difference between two time periods

As if deviating from the religious standards of the medieval traditions, David embodies the physical and psychological transitions of the renaissance artist.... Renaissance Art the renaissance period embodies humanity's quest toward beauty.... Specifically, expressing creativity in the Medieval times largely depends on the originality of artworks, even with highly religious standards while in the renaissance period, it largely depends on the artist's capacity to innovate and make use of existing materials to create breakthrough artworks....
3 Pages (750 words) Research Paper

The Dark Ages - a Prelude to Light and Renaissance

This paper "The Dark Ages – A Prelude to Light and Renaissance" investigates a period of nearly thousand years after the fall of the Roman and Greek Empires and starting of the renaissance in Europe which is commonly referred to as the Middle Ages.... Throughout this period, life in Europe was difficult and not marked by spectacular events, inventions, discoveries or other successes that was seen regularly in the pre-medieval period and during the renaissance....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

The Tapestrys Ancient Biblical Scene

In this essay, the author demonstrates the tapestry design Adoration of the Magi by an anonymous Brussels weaver in order to explain the ways in which the values and style of this image reflect the values and style of the renaissance in the North.... 476-88 (Figure 1) will be examined, in order to explain the ways in which the values and style of this image reflect the values and style of the renaissance in the North.... Moreover, one of the main characteristics of northern Renaissance art was its emphasis on individualism (Cunningham & Reich 325)....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Art History Final Project

The central position of the painting and its good use of space also emphasize they key characteristics of cubist paintings.... the renaissance era also created a platform for genius painters to improve their skills, specializing more in art development.... Chapter One: Italian renaissance Going back in time to the beginning of European renaissance, some of the best paintings were developed during the Italian renaissance....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

History on the Renaissance

The paper "History on the Renaissance" focuses on the critical analysis of the history of the renaissance.... Consecutively, there arose wealthy merchant families and they availed the money, incentives, and resources for the renaissance.... The end of medieval society encouraged intellectuals from northern Italy to make a new beginning by establishing a new civilization through pursuing revival and rebirth, which would later be called the renaissance....
5 Pages (1250 words) Coursework

Evolution of Art

the renaissance era also created a platform for genius painters to improve their skills, specializing more in art development.... The study "Evolution of Art" discusses the art created in various stages of the evolution of art, referring to the different periods and epochs, such as the Italian renaissance, Baroque, and Cubism.... Going back in time to the beginning of the European renaissance, some of the best paintings were developed during the Italian renaissance....
7 Pages (1750 words) Coursework
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us