The Rebirth of Logic and Realism

The Renaissance moved art away from flat symbolism and toward Humanism—the belief in human potential and the study of the natural world.

Key Shifts

• From Divine to Human: Artists began depicting humans as independent, emotional, and anatomically correct.

• Patronage: Wealthy families like the Medici in Florence funded art to display power and intellectual status.

• The "Big Three": Leonardo da Vinci (the scientist), Michelangelo (the sculptor), and Raphael (the master of harmony).

Technical Innovations

1. Linear Perspective: Using a vanishing point to create the illusion of 3D space on a 2D surface.

2. Anatomy: Precise study of the human body to achieve realistic movement and form.

3. Chiaroscuro: Using extreme light and shadow to make figures look solid and heavy.

The Art of Artifice

Mannerism replaced the balance of the High Renaissance with distortion and drama. It prioritized an artist's unique "manner" (style) over realistic accuracy.

Key Characteristics

• Elongation: Figures have unnaturally long limbs, necks, and small heads.

• The S-Curve: Bodies are twisted into complex, "corkscrew" poses (figura serpentinata).

• Acidic Colors: Use of clashing, vibrant, or "unnatural" colors (e.g., iridescent pinks and harsh greens).

• Crowded Space: Rejection of clear 3D perspective in favor of shallow, tense compositions.

Notable Artists

• Bronzino: Master of "cold" elegance and porcelain-like skin.

• Vasari: Influential painter and the "father of art history."

• Pontormo: Known for his chaotic, emotionally charged religious scenes.

The Theater of Light

Baroque art replaced the "style for style's sake" of Mannerism with intense emotion, grandeur, and cinematic realism. It was designed to overwhelm the senses.

Key Characteristics

• Tenebrism: A dramatic "spotlight" effect where subjects emerge from total darkness.

• Movement: Compositions use diagonals rather than stable horizontal lines to create a sense of action.

• Realism: Artists moved away from "ideal" beauty, often depicting grit, wrinkles, and raw human emotion.

The Masters

• Caravaggio:  Used common people (with dirty feet and weathered skin) as models for religious icons, lit by harsh, single-source light.

• Rembrandt: Known for his psychological depth and "golden" light. His brushwork was thick and textured (impasto), adding physical weight to his portraits.

The Art of Pleasure and Lightness

Rococo began in Paris as a reaction against the heavy, dark drama of the Baroque. If Baroque was a grand cathedral, Rococo was a sunlit garden. It shifted the focus from religious power to aristocratic leisure, romance, and playfulness.

Key Characteristics

• Soft Palette: A move from deep reds and golds to pastels; ie mint greens, pale pinks, creams, and sky blues.

• Lighthearted Themes: Subject matter usually involved fêtes galantes (outdoor parties of the rich), mythology, and secret romances.

• Nature-Inspired: Extensive use of floral motifs, leaves, and vine-like ornamentation.

The Return to Order and Virtue

As a reaction against the "frivolous" Rococo and the chaos of the French Revolution, Neoclassicism sought to revive the moral and aesthetic values of Ancient Greece and Rome.

Key Characteristics

• Classical Ideals: A focus on symmetry, proportion, and "noble simplicity."

• Linear Precision: Sharp outlines and smooth "invisible" brushwork, the opposite of Rococo’s fluffiness.

• Heroic Subject Matter: Themes of civic duty, self-sacrifice, and austere patriotism.

• Idealism: Figures look like polished marble statues; perfected, stoic, and physically powerful.

Heart Over Head

Romanticism was an emotional rebellion against the logic of Neoclassicism. It prioritized imagination, passion, and the power of nature over social order and reason.

Key Characteristics

• The "Sublime": A focus on the awe-inspiring and terrifying power of nature.

• Psychology & Dreams: An interest in the "dark recesses" of the mind, including nightmares and madness.

• Plein Air Painting: Moving out of the studio to paint outdoors, capturing light and atmosphere directly.

• Subjectivity: The belief that the artist's personal feelings are more important than objective reality.

The Truth Without the Filter

Realism is often called the first modern art movement. It rejected both the "stiff" history of Neoclassicism and the "drama" of Romanticism to focus on the unvarnished truth of contemporary life.

Key Drivers

• The Rise of Journalism: A new focus on reporting facts and social conditions.

• Photography: The 1839 invention of the daguerreotype pushed painters to compete with (or embrace) mechanical accuracy.

• Social Change: A desire to show the lives of the working class, who were previously ignored by "High Art"