#25 GREAT RENAISSANCE PAINTERS

GREAT RENAISSANCE PAINTERS

Renaissance Painters

Do you know who Plato was? He was one of the founders of Western philosophy. Philosophy means the love (philo) of wisdom (sophy). Plato lived in Greece around 400 BC. He was a student of the great philosopher, Socrates. Socrates did not write down his ideas, but Plato did. Plato's famous work The Republic sets out his plans for a utopia, or an ideal society.

In his writings, Plato addresses the issues of justice, social order, good government, education and the arts. Thinkers today may not always agree with Plato's conclusions, but there is no doubt that his very questioning of the way things are has led others to ponder the great questions and assumptions we have about our own lives.

So what does Plato have to do with Renaissance art? He was one of the thinkers that people of the Renaissance looked up to. You'll find out more in the lesson below.

OBJECTIVES


VOCABULARY

RENAISSANCE PAINTERS – RAPHAEL

As you learned in your lesson on Michelangelo, much of the artwork produced in Italy during the period called the High Renaissance was commissioned by the church's leader, the pope. Interestingly, while some religions such as Islam forbade the depiction of religious figures, the Catholic Church was a great encourager of the creation of devotional imagery. This was especially true during the period of the Counter-Reformation, when the Catholic Church was worried about losing ground to the Protestants.

Regarding religious art, the church's views were expressed at the 25th session of the Council of Trent in 1563:

"... they especially instruct the faithful diligently concerning the intercession and invocation of saints; the honour (paid) to [Page 234] relics; and the legitimate use of images: teaching them, that the saints, who reign together with Christ, offer up their own prayers to God for men; that it is good and useful suppliantly to invoke them...the images of Christ, of the Virgin Mother of God, and of the other saints, are to be had and retained particularly in temples, and that due honour and veneration are to be given them; not that any divinity, or virtue, is believed to be in them, on account of which they are to be worshipped; or that anything is to be asked of them; or, that trust is to be reposed in images, as was of old done by the Gentiles who placed [Page 235] their hope in idols; but because the honour which is shown them is referred to the prototypes which those images represent..."

With this type of encouragement, you would expect that much of the art produced during this period would center on religious figures. In order to pay for the magnificent works of art depicting religious subjects, the church sold "indulgences," or pardons for sins. So if you committed a sin and wanted to get into heaven anyway, you could buy an indulgence and support the beautification of your church at the same time. Of course, some people didn't think buying your way into heaven was such a great idea, but that's another story.

While these great artists made some of the most magnificent religious art ever (remember the statue of David?) they also treated subjects of Greek mythology and culture — often with the blessing of the pope himself.

One of Pope Julius II's chosen painters was a man named Raphael, one of the greatest and most popular artists of all time.

Raphael (1483-1520) 

Urbino, Italy where Raphael lived and learned to paint — Wikimedia Commons

Raphael was born in the beautiful walled city of Urbino, located in the northern half of the country.

Raphael didn't have to leave home to receive his early training in painting, because he was born the son of a painter. Later he studied with Timoteo Viti and learned how to create "works of miniature-like delicacy and poetic atmosphere."

The Works of Raphael 

Marriage of the Virgin Raphael, 1504. — Wikimedia Commons

Raphael later became a student and assistant of the painter Perugino. Raphael's work was so much like Perugino's that art historians are not always sure who painted what. Here is a reproduction of one of Raphael's painting from this period, the Marriage of the Virgin (1504). Again notice the balance in the composition; see the way the color red is balanced on each side, along with the harmonious relation of each element. Nothing seems out of the place. Do you see the lines leading to the structure in the background, providing that sense of depth?

This was one of Raphael's many paintings of the Madonna.

While he was in Florence, he painted many images of the Madonna (mother of Jesus).

Notes

Read the following quote and then look at the picture and record it in your art journal:

"The way the Virgin's face is modeled and recedes into the shade, the way Raphael makes us feel the volume of the body wrapped in the freely flowing mantle, the firm and tender way in which she holds and supports the Christ Child — all this contributes to the effect of perfect poise. We feel that to change the group ever so slightly would upset the whole harmony. Yet there is nothing strained or sophisticated in the composition. It looks as if it could not be otherwise, and as if it had so existed from the beginning of time." E.H. Grombich, The Story of Art

Do you agree with the quote above?


In 1508, Pope Julius II commissioned Raphael to paint frescoes in four stanze of the Pope's living quarters. One of his most famous paintings from these frescoes is the School of Athens. In the painting the great Greek philosopher Plato and his student Aristotle are involved in a discussion in a large classical building with arches, statues, panels, and steps. They are surrounded by other philosophers and thinkers. 

Take a moment to describe the painting, School of Athens . As you study the painting, take note of the following things:

Raphael did not live to be an old man. He died in Rome on his thirty-seventh birthday, April 6, 1520. He was buried in the Pantheon. When he died, he was working on what many consider his greatest work, The Transfiguration, which he started in 1516. It's believed that Raphael's pupil, Giulio Romano, completed the painting.


VENICE IN THE HIGH RENAISSANCE – GIORGIONE AND TITIAN

In this painting, notice the subject matter: a young man is guarding a woman feeding her child. In the background a storm gathers over an idyllic landscape. — Wikimedia

It may seem that all the artistic production in Italy during the Renaissance was either in Florence or Rome, but Venice was also the home of some important and influential painters, including one named Giorgione. Venetians thought they lived in the ideal city, and artists there were inspired by classical and Renaissance poetry. Giorgione established the poetic school of painting, which is known for the following characteristics:

Giorgione's influence extended from Titian to Tintoretto and Veronese. In the painting above, notice the subject matter: a young man is guarding a woman feeding her child. In the background a storm gathers over an idyllic landscape.

Titian

Titian, whose real name was Tiziano Vercellio, was an early follower of Giorgione. Titian put Venice on the map when it came to painting. His work rivaled that of Raphael and Michelangelo. An important development occurred about this time – the use of canvas as the standard surface for paintings instead of wood panels. Titian painted in oil on canvas, and helped establish this medium as common practice.

Titian's work can be characterized by the following:


Titian's masterpiece is The Assumption of the Virgin (1516-1518). In this oil painting, the Virgin is surrounded by a brilliant golden light as she floats above the apostles.

Notes

Click on the link: The Assumption of the Virgin and examine the painting. Read the accompanying text and make notes.


Self-portrait by Titian — Wikimedia 

Titian's patron was Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Titian painted several portraits of Charles V including one of the emperor on horseback. This image became the model for all subsequent state portraits for the next two centuries.

In 1538, he completed the Venus of Urbino, one of his more controversial oil paintings. It depicts a nude young woman, reclining on a couch in what appears to be a Renaissance palace. The nude woman in the painting is identified with the goddess Venus, the dog in the background with fidelity, and the myrtle plant in the window with constrancy. The symbolism was important since the painting was commissioned by the Duke of Urbino to celebrate his marriage in 1534 to his very young bride, Guilia Varano.

Check out his self-portrait and notice the use of chiaroscuro.

Unlike Raphael, Titian lived to be an old man, dying in Venice in 1576. His influence has been displayed in paintings from Rembrandt to Monet.

LET'S REVIEW!

In this lesson, you have covered the following topics: