Jan van Eyck

Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife, Giovanna Cenami

Northern Renaissance

1400-1600

• Husband located on left side where window is located, alluding to a man of the city. Wife is on the right near the bed, alluding to a housewife.
• Giovanni holds his right hand up, as if swearing an oath.
• Possibly marriage scene.
• Shoes are off, holy ground.

Limbourg Brothers

Tres Riches Heures (February)

Northern Renaissance

1400-1600

• Functioned as a book of hours to the Duke of Berry.
• Shows signs of piety and wealth.
• Intuitive perspective.
• Shed facade removed, Northern Renaissance art style.

Robert Campin

Merode Altarpiece

Northern Renaissance

1400-1600

• First use of oil paint, colors are richer.
• Annunciation scene; Gabriel to the left, Virgin Mary to the right in center triptych.
• Right triptych; Joseph as carpenter, detailed Flemish Town.
• Left triptych; upper-middle class family.
• Symbolism: boiling water pot = purity, Jewish shawl = communion, glass vase with lilies = virignity, mouse traps = bait for Satan.

Rogier van der Weyden

Deposition

Northern Renaissance

1400-1600

• Scene depitcing the Deposition.
• Virgin Mary and Christ's poses mirrored, evoking sense of empathy.
• To the left is John the Evangelist, to the right is Mary Magdalen.

Martin Schongauer

Temptation of Saint Anthony
Northern Renaissance

1400-1600

• Beginning use of printmaking, shows Schongauers mastery of drawing and shading.
• Saint Anthony remaining faithful, resists the torment of the demons.

Perspective in which orthogonal lines aren’t converging toward a particular vanishing point. The artist uses intuition rather than mathematical measurement. 

Example: Limbourg Brothers, Tres Riches Heures

The effect of atmospheric haze on an object as distance increases from the viewer.

Example: Perugino, Delivery of the Keys to Saint Peter

The mathematical application of orthogonal lines converging toward a vanishing point to give the illusion of depth.

Example: Massacio, Trinity

The focus of interest on the progress of human life through secular and scientific matters such as mathematics, engineering and architecture.

An element of Renaissance thought that reconciles Ancient Greek philosophy with Christian theology; they both have in common ‘absolute truth,’ emphasizing the ideal rather than the material.

In painting, the use of optical imagery to give the viewer a false sense of depth. French term for, “to fool the eye.” 

Example: Gauli, Triumph in the Name of Jesus

The use of multiple scenes or actions within one picture to convey a sense of passing time. 

Example: Brancacci, The Tribute Money

A picture that can be interpreted to have a hidden meaning. 

Example: Jan van Eyck, Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife, Giovanni Cenami

The employed use of contrast between lights and darks to emphasize compositional elements. Italian term that literally means, “light-dark.”

Example: Rembrandt, Banning Cocq Mustering His Company

Method of painting; the arist begins with middle tones and add light and dark value later.

Example: Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa

The rebellion against the Roman-Catholic Church because of strong belief in the corruption of the Papal Court. Martin Luther would ultimately cause the reformation by criticizing church practices and selling of indulgences.

The opposing side to the Protestants; those who supported the Roman-Catholic clergy. 

Filippo Brunelleschi

Dome of Florence Cathedral

Italian Renaissance

1400-1600

• Gothic infused with Roman technology, held up by rib vaults and ribbing on the inside.
• Dome was added last, after previous builds.

Donatello

David

Italian Renaissance

1400-1600

• Commissioned by the Medici Family.
• Neoplatonist; emphasizes ideal rather than material.
• First bronze cast nude since antiquity.

Pietro Perugino

Delivery of the Keys to Saint Peter

Italian Renaissance

1400-1600

• Strong example of atmospheric and linear perspective.
• Jesus delivering the keys to St. Peter.
• Representation of Alberti's ideal city.

Massacio

Trinity

Italian Renaissance

1400-1600

• Present is the Trinity; God behind Christ, with the Virgin Mary and Saint John. Below are the patrons on the painting.
• Vanishing point located on the head of Jesus.
• Memento Mori in the frieze below the scene.

Fra Angelico

Annunciation

Italian Renaissance

1400-1600

• Depicted is a scene of the Annunciation.
• Linear perspective.
• Used to inspire meditation.

Botticelli

Birth of Venus

Italian Renaissance

1400-1600

• Inspired by Classical idealism.
• Goddess of fertility, prefiguration of Virgin Mary.
• First large-scale female nude of Renaissance.

Leonardo da Vinci

The Last Supper

Italian Renaissance

1400-1600

• Depicted is the Eucharist scene.
• No haloes, but surrounding Christ's head is an open window.

Raphael

School of Athens

Italian Renaissance

1400-1600

• Represents one of the Four Virtues, philosophy.
• Plato and Aristotle in the center.

Michelangelo

David

Italian Renaissance

1400-1600

• Powerful representation of political and economic families Medici and Soderri.
• Ideal, but disproportionate in the head and hands.

Michelangelo

Creation of Adam

Italian Renaissance

1400-1600

• Scene depicting God giving Adam the spark of life. Pose of Adam reflects that of God, which he creates in his image.
• Di sotto in su, seen from below.

Titian

Venus of Urbino

Italian Renaissance

1400-1600

• Woman in image engaged to the Duke of Urbino.
• Sheets she lay on set off her glowing flesh and golden hair.

Pontormo

Entombment

Italian Renaissance

1400-1600

• Scene depicts the removal of Christ's body from the cross.
• Mannerist style set by elegant colors.

Bernini

Baldacchino

Italian Baroque

1600-1700

• Commissioned to commemorate St. Peter, the first pope.
• Contains relic, ancient throne of St. Peter.

Bernini

David

Italian Baroque

Annibale Carracci

Farnese Ceiling

Italian Baroque

1600-1700

• Di sotto in su, viewed from below.
• Quadro riportato, looks like a transported painting but isn't.
• Commissioned by Farnese family, theme focus is love.

Giovanni Battista Gaulli

Triumph in the Name of Jesus

Dutch Baroque

1600-1700

• Di sotto in su, viewed from below.
• Trompe l'oeil creates illusion that figures are actually coming out of the ceiling.

Caravaggio

Calling of Saint Matthew

Dutch Baroque

1600-1700

Gentileschi

Judith and her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes

Italian Baroque

1600-1700

• Scene depicts Judith saving her people from the Assyrian army by seducing Holofernes.
• Tenebrism; dark background with illuminated figures.

Frans Hals

Catharina Hooft and her Nurse

Dutch Baroque

1600-1700

• Genre painting; showing everyday life.
• Portrait painting common in Dutch Baroque.
• Caravaggisti; influenced by Caravaggio.

Rembrandt

Captain Frans Banning Cocq Mustering his Company

Dutch Baroque

1600-1700

• Tenebrism; dark background, illuminated figures.
• Group portrait scene showing the militia protecting the city.

Judith Leyster

Self-Portrait

Dutch Baroque

1600-1700

• Genre painting; showing everyday life.
• Boisterous attitude displays pride in her painting.

Vermeer

Woman Holding a Balance

Dutch Baroque

1600-1700

• Genre painting; showing everyday life.
• Last Judgment painting in background relates to woman weighing things representing justice.

Ruisdael

View of Haarlem from the Dunes at Overveen

Dutch Baroque

1600-1700

• Genre painting; showing everyday life.
• Clouds are idealized; represents purification of the soul.

Ruysch

Flower Still Life

Dutch Baroque

1600-1700

• Genre painting; showing everyday life.
• Memento Mori; wilting flowers shows death.
• Shows pride in Dutch flower industry.

Velazquez

Las Meninas

Spanish Baroque

1600-1700

• Philip IV; patron of Velazquez.
• Many symbols; Velazquez himself, Princess, King and Queen, dog, dwarf, nobleman.

Rubens

The Raising of the Cross

Flemish Baroque

1600-1700

• Reflects Rubens work; high contrast, action filled, woman in left triptych communicates Rubens feminist ideals.

Van Dyck

Charles I at the Hunt

Flemish Baroque

1600-1700

• Posture of Charles shows his authority.
• Lighting and size emphasize importance of Charles.

Rigaud

Louis XIV

French Baroque

1600-1700

• Portrait display Louis XIV's sense of fashion and fondess for his own legs.
• Gift to his grandson.

Lebrun

Hall of Mirrors

French Baroque

1600-1700

• Halls trimmed with gold and Venetian glass.
• Located in Palace of Versailles.

Watteau

Pilgrimage to the Island of Cythera

Rococo

1700-1780

• Fete Galante; elegant party of Aristocrats.
• Soft brush strokes and color communicate sense of melancholy, so as to not want to leave.

Fragonard

The Meeting

Rococo

1700-1780

• Fete Galante; elegant party of Aristocrats.
• Shows joys of courtship.

18-year long meeting of the Catholic church leaders who decide to reform from 1545-1563.

They established three guidelines for art:

1, art commissioned by the church should possess naturalism.

2, Catholic Counter-Reformation art should possess legibility and clarity.

3, Counter-Reformation art should appeal to ones emotional stimulus to piety. 

‘Transported paintings.’ Only meant to LOOK as if it were transported, but picture is not actually mechanically moved. 

Example: Caracci, Farnese Ceiling

‘As seen from below,’ viewers perspective is specified to be below.

Example: Michelangelo, Creation of Adam

High contrast; background of picture is very dark, while figures in foreground are brightly lit to emphasize importance.

Example: Caravaggio, Calling of St. Matthew

Counter-Reformation priest, called for more direct ministry, work and connection in the streets of Rome. His work namely focused on the lower-class, like Caravaggio who used the lower-class as models in his paintings. 

Example: Caravaggio, Calling of St. Matthew

Follower influenced by Carvaggio.

Example: Gentileschi, Judith and her Maidservant with Head of Holofernes

In art, a reminder that we are vulnerable to death.

Example: Massacio, Trinity

Camera that is essentially made of a box, with angled lenses that project an image onto an area. Useful to artists because it enabled tracing and correct proportion. 

Translates to ‘elegant party,’ style of the Rococo era.

Example: Watteau, Return from the Island of Cythera

Member of the French Court, chief mistress of Louis XV.