The Italian Invention

Madonna dell Granduca by Raphael

I know you must be asking what happened to art during the Renaissance? Spanning the 14th to the 17th centuries the cultural movement which began in Florence flamed a rebirth of classical ideas which had long been lost to Europe. The icons of the Italian Renaissance were Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Their works portrayed the zenith of artistry that was to be emulated by others for hundreds of years.

What were these contributions to art made by these men and their brethren?

• The introduction of linear perspective. Using light and shadow, foreshortening, the artists were able to create three dimensional paintings.
• The introduction of humanism into their works. By returning to the classics, they began to pay more attention to the human form and human behavior with little emphasis on religion. They added depth and emotion unlike paintings before them.
• The use of symmetry. The artists began to portray correct proportion of body parts making their figures the same on both sides.
• The application of contrapposto. Modeling the human form in non-symmetrical, relaxed stances that appeared realistic.
• Sfumato. The technique of effecting a gradual transition from one color to another (blending) allowing for no hard edges.
• Importing the technique of oil on canvas from the Netherlands with their natural representation. Jan van Eyck (1390-1441) used mineral pigments mixed with linseed oil and applied them to canvas, a technique still used today.

What is interesting is that we artists today are employing the contributions made by a handful of visionaries centuries ago.

Just paint it!