Rennaissance Art

Renaissance was the period of economic progress where cities were built. The term "Renaissance" came from the French language meaning "rebirth". The period stirred enthusiasm for humanism. The art produced during this period focused on human emotions, specifically heavy and extreme emotions of - anguish, fear, grief and sadness. Seriousness was also the common type of theme in Renaissance.

Painting

The Lamentation. (1305-06)

Giotto St. Francis in the Desert (c. 1485) Giovanni Bellini

Landscape painting bloomed during this period because painters returned back to nature as a subject in art. In their landscapes, linear and aerial perspective were explored. In addition, artists during this period engaged in manipulation of light and shadow to see a new and different visual effect that would later on grow in the interest of the viewing public.

Sculpture

An important characteristic of this period was the spirit of scientific inquiry and investigation. the artists were interested in man's body as well as in what lay beneath - the muscles and the veins.

The Renaissance artists tried

other mediums in art. In portraits, the human face became more expressive with the use of a modeling technique.

Architecture

Plan

The plans of Renaissance buildings have a square, symmetrical appearance in which proportions are usually based on a module.

Façade

Facades are symmetrical around their vertical axis. Church façades are generally surmounted by a pediment and organized by a system of pilasters, arches and entablatures. The columns and windows show a progression towards the center.

Columns and Pilasters

The Roman orders of columns are used:- Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite. The orders can either be structural, supporting an arcade or architrave, or purely decorative.

Arches

Arches are semi-circular or (in the Mannerist style) segmental. Arches are often used in arcades, supported on piers or columns with capitals.

Vaults

Vaults do not have ribs. They are semi-circular or segmental and on a square plan, unlike the Gothic vault which is frequently rectangular.