Art - Analysis of two famous Renaissance art works PDF

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Analysis of two famous Renaissance art works ...

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Renaissance Raphael: The School of Athens 1. The School of Athens is a fresco located in the Stanza della Segnatura along with 3 other frescoes. (Lou, Mary, and Shovava, 2018) Raphael’s The School of Athens themes and content are balanced so as to fit the pope’s work since the fresco would be located in Pope Julius II’s library. (Lou, Mary, and Shovava, 2018) Besides, it was a common practice of the 15th century to decorate a private library with a painting of famous thinkers. (Lou, Mary, and Shovava, 2018) In this fresco Raphael reflected and incorporated the academic fields of law, theology, philosophy, and literature. (Lou, Mary, and Shovava, 2018) Groups of figures were used by Raphael in the fresco to depict a compound lesson focusing on the history of philosophy in Greece as well as to show various ideas that the Greek philosophers developed. (Lou, Mary, and Shovava, 2018) The fresco depicts such great thinkers as Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Pythagoras, and Ptolemy. (Lou, Mary, and Shovava, 2018) The picture also depicts a number of Greek statues.(Lou, Mary, and Shovava, 2018) I have selected this painting by Raphael because the people in the picture are painted in great detail. The picture is very detailed and is very realistic. The fresco is also very complex and it is very attractive that something so complex could be painted in such detail. 2. In the Middle Ages most paintings focused on religion and religious beliefs, especially holy figures like Christ. Also, little attention was given in regards to the human body. (Cummins, 2018) However, in the renaissance the focus of the art changed to secular subjects and individualism.(Cummins, 2018) More attention was given to the human body with addition of depth and detail to the people in the paintings.(Cummins, 2018) Among the many secular themes of the Renaissance was classical Greek and Roman culture and ideas. The School of Athens does not depict any religious figures, like Christ, but instead focuses on a Greek lesson, with the primary focus on Plato and Aristotle. The painting represents classicism and antiquity by depicting numerous Ancient Greek philosophers. The painting focuses on the exchange of information and desire to learn. This painting symbolizes the longing and intense interest of the Renaissance era people towards the cultures of the Romans and the Greek cultures, as well as the belief that ideas of antiquity should not be forgotten. The School of Athens is symbolic of individualism and intense desire to gain knowledge. The figures in the painting are highly detailed and realistic. 3. One of the reasons that I believe that the School of Athens is famous is because it is very detailed and it is appealing to the eye. Rapheal has used techniques such as perspective and foreshortening to make the painting more realistic. In addition, the painting was placed in the Pope’s library and was therefore preserved until today. The pope’s library is a famous place and the people who were able to visit the library most likely saw the painting and were amazed by its beauty. The visitors of the library then spread the word about the beauty of The School of Athens. Also, the fact that the painting depicts famous

Greek philosophers and thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Pythogarus, makes the painting stand out and more valuable. (Lou, Mary, and Shovava, 2018) This painting is also over 500 years old and it makes a crucial historic piece. Just because it is a relatively old painting that is preserved in very high quality, can make it famous. Just like Renaissance artists wanted to preserve the knowledge and ideas of ancient Greeks and Romans, we today seek to preserve and understand the culture and ideas of the past. Therefore, we are attracted to the remnants of the past. Leonardo da Vinci: The Last Supper 1. Last Supper is a famous mural, most likely created between 1495 and 1498 by Leonardo da Vinci. (Zelazko, 2018) It was created for a monastery in Milan called Santa Maria. (Zelazko, 2018) The painting describes a series of connected moments from the Gospel, depicting the scene in which Christ tells his apostles that he will be betrayed by one of them and then proceeds with the Eucharist. (Zelazko, 2018) Leonardo believed that the thoughts and ideas of a person's mind should be expressed through expression, gesture, and posture. (Zelazko, 2018) Therefore each of the 12 disciples reacted in a manner based on how Leonardo interpreted each of the disciples personalities. (Zelazko, 2018) This way Leonardo da Vinci was able to fill a seemingly simple painting with various human emotions. (Zelazko, 2018) Based on his vision of the Biblical scene, Leonado placed in the center of a long table with apostles sitting at his sides.(Zelazko, 2018) In this painting Jesus is depicted as wearing traditional robes of blue and red color as well as having a beard. (Zelazko, 2018) However, da Vinci did not give Jesus and his disciples halos, which were customarily given to Jesus and his disciples in the Medieval paintings depicting the last supper. (Zelazko, 2018) Rather than capturing one moment in time, The Last Supper depicts successive events. (Zelazko, 2018) In the painting, Jesus tells his disciples that he will be betrayed by one of them leading the apostles to react to Jesus’ declaration. (Zelazko, 2018) The painting also shows Jesus gesturing in the direction of bread and a glass of wine toward a glass of wine and a piece of bread, symbolizing the beginning of the Holy Communion. (Zelazko, 2018) The visible agitation of the Apostles is contrasted with the peaceful composure of Jesus.(Zelazko, 2018) I choose The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci because the mural gives Jesus and apostles high detail and texture. It was very interesting for me to see another person’s interpretation of the famous biblical scene. Da Vinci’s interpretation allowed me to visualize the last supper with all of the emotions Leonardo provided. 2. Although this painting depicts a Biblical scene, the focus of this painting is not primarily on the religious aspect of the scene, but rather on the human aspect of the scene. The medieval art had the focus on religion and religious aspects. This painting embodies Renaissance ideals as da Vinci focuses on the human nature and attributes in his painting. For example, da Vinci does not give Jesus and disciples halos, which were used customarily in the medieval times. (Zelazko, 2018) The halo adds a religious aspect to the painting, and da Vinci avoids the use of halos to instead focus on the people in the scene.

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Leonardo provides a vivid depiction of the emotions of Jesus and his disciples, thus taking a more humanistic rather than religious approach. Therefore, although this painting is based on a biblical event, da Vinci embodied the Renaissance ideals in his painting by focusing on the human descriptions and attributes. One of the reasons I believe that The Last Supper is so famous is because it depicts a famous biblical scene. A large number of people around the world are Christian and therefore would be interested in looking at a painting depicting a biblical scene. This painting is also packed with emotions and details which appeal to the eye. When people are fascinated by something, they will keep wanting to look at itThis painting is also over 500 years old and it makes a crucial historic piece. This painting allows the viewer to both interpret a biblical scene and understand the culture of the past. Leonardo da Vinci is a renowned and famed artist. Because of that reputation, people are willing to look at Leonardo’s paintings as they expect to see high quality pieces of art. MLA BIBLIOGRAPHY: Lou, Mary, and Shovava. “The Story Behind Raphael's Masterpiece 'The School of Athens'.” My Modern Met, 6 Sept. 2018, mymodernmet.com/school-of-athens-raphael/. Cummins, Monessa. “A Comparison Between Medieval and Renaissance Art Differences and Similarities.” Artscolumbia, Art Essay, 14 Sept. 2018, artscolumbia.org/a-comparison-between-medieval-and-renaissance-art-20615/. Zelazko, Alicja. “Last Supper.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 16 Apr. 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/Last-Supper-fresco-by-Leonardo-da-Vinci....