Sandro Botticelli

Primavera (Allegory of Spring)

Early Renaissance, c. late 15th century Florence

Insipred by Classical myths of Greco-Roman gods and goddesses

His early works would be inspired by non-religious imagery; later works will reflect the influence of Savornola, a fanatic Franciscan monk who was against pagan images and the luxuries of the rich. Botticelli will paint more religious subjects such as the Punishment of Korach

Leonardo da Vinci

Study of Embryos

High Renaissance, c. 16th century

In addition to being a period of artist rebirth, the Renaissance was also a period of scientific exploration.This study of how an embryo develops in the female body, was considered controversial because it was against Church teachings. Leonardo notebooks contained sketches of his would-be inventions, such as flying machines.

Michelangelo Bounarrotti

Unfinished Sculpture

c. 16th century

Michelangelo was called the sculptor's sculptor because of his realistic figures. His response to this accolade was that he chipped at the stone to liberate the figure. This unfinished sculpture reflects his words.

Masaccio

Expulsion from Eden

Fresco

early Renaissance c. 15th century, Florence

Renaissance art represented a sharp departure from Gothic and Romanesque periods. It is during the Renaissance that depiction of characters displayed realistic emotion.

Masaccio, influenced by Giotto, paints Adam and Eve as being ashamed of their sin in the Garden of Eden.

Brunelleschi

Sacrifice of Isaac

Bronze relief

c. 15th century, Florence

This plaque was entered into a competition for the commission of the Bapistery in Florence. Brunelleschi, better known as an architect, sculpted this depiction of the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham. His relief seems to follow the events mentioned in the Torah. The scene is full of energy and spirituality.

Giotto

The Betrayal or the Kiss of Judas

Fresco, c. 14th century, Padua, Italy

Giotto is considered the father of Renaissance art. He began is career in the late Gothic period as an icon painter. His Betrayal fresco represents a departure from staid, passionless figures. In this detail, we see Jesus and Judas looked into a non-verbal but angry encounter. Giotto injected a sense of pathos into this emotionally charged scene.

Ghiberti

Sacrifice of Isaac

Bronze relief, c. 15th century Florence

Ghiberti was also invited to participate in the competition for the Florentine Baptistery. His relief is very different from Brunelleschi's relief. The landscape is more pronounced; the figures seem to move. The figure of Isaac rears away from Abraham. He seems to fight his fate as a sacrifice. Ghiberti's rendition won the competition. He created a second Sacrifice of Isaac for the actual doors that incorporated his original theme and Brunelleschi's. (see separate card.)

Relief of Expulsion from Eden

Lincoln cathedral, England

Romanesque period

Romanesque sculpture was blocky like the architecture. This dramatic scene is presented without passion. All of the figures are stiff and static. The saccharin smiles seem inappropriate to the of shame and expulsion from paradise. This theme will be treated in the Renaissance in a different and more passionate depiction.

Ghiberti

Sacrifice of Isaac on Baptistry doors

Bronze relief, Florence, c. 15th century

After winning to commission to complete the doors of the Baptistry, Ghiberti's final representation of the Sacrifice of Isaac appears to blend some of Brunelleschi's elements into the sculpt.

Statue of David

Bernini

Baroque, 17th century

Bernini was considered one of the greatest sculptor's in Italy after Michelangelo. His art is the epitomy of Baroque art, which is characterized by passsionate portrayals and moving architectural designs. Baroque art in Spain and Italy fought against the Protestant Reformation. Bernini's David represents the moment of when he is about release his sling shot. Unlike Michelangelo's David, Bernini's example is vibrant and full of tension that will result in the death of Goliath.

Statue of David

Michelangelo

Florence, Italy

High Renaissance, 16th century

Michelangelo's David was commissioned to be displayed in the Piazzo (plaza) in front of the Palazzo Pubblica in Florence. David was considered one of the world's greatest kings. The rulers of Florence wanted to emulate the great king.

The giant sized statue depicts a nude, youthful David with sling hanging over his shoulder and a stone in his hand. The face is calm and confident; the stance is relaxed. The sculpture likely represents a moment of contemplation before the death of Goliath.

The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp

Rembrandt

1632

Baroque Dutch Golden Age

Rembrandt won this commission from the Amsterdam Medical Guild. Dr. Tulp was one of their leading doctors. The Guild wanted to promote its medical school. This painting shows Dr. Tulp in action, performing an autopsy on a dead male. The students, who are not depicted as young men, gather around the body. Some of them were very interested in the lecture, while others were not. Without getting gory, Rembrandt captured this tense moment, using the right amount of light to illuminate the room. As always, we can't see the light source, but Rembrandt uses light to point our interest from the cadaver to the faces of the students, then to Dr. Tulp.

This painting shows how attitudes about medicine had changed from the medieval and the early Renaissance periods, where medical treatments were dictated by the Church. Compare this painting to Leonardo's Drawing of the Embyro.

Liberty Leading the People

Eugene Delacroix

19th Century

Romanticism

Personification of France leading the French Revolution

The theme of revolution and determination are the focus of this painting. It meets all of the criteria of the Romantic movement: it depicts passion and is meant to evoke emotion from the viewer. The personification of Liberty is the central character. Her torn clothing might represent the sentiment that freedom is hard fought and hard won. She charges forward over the bodies of the dead, while she raises the French flag. The citizens who follow her lead include a young boy, a gentleman with a top hat, and a black man--possibly shown here to highlight the French policy of free citizenship to its black population both in France and the Caribbean.

Death of Socrates

Jacques Louis David

18th Century

Neoclassicism

Enlightenment Ideals

Though the philosophical movement of the Enlightenment occurred earlier than the French Revolution, the rights of all men fit within the rhetoric of the war. Jacques Louis David used Neoclassicism, which used Greco-Roman visual idiom to express the sentiments of the revolution. The Death of Socrates depicts the Greek philosophers last moments before his death. He was sentenced to death by rivals who did not share his views. Instead of being executed, he chose suicide by poison. The painting captures the moment when Socrates with hand raised in the air defiantly urges his followers to keep spreading his views for the cause. For David the cause was the revolution.

The Betrayal of Christ

Caravaggio

1603

Baroque, Counter-Reformation

The betrayal of Jesus by Judas, one of his followers, is a very popular subject in art. It is a story that is familiar to many churchgoers. In Caravaggio's painting, uses chiaroscuro to describe this tense moment. Chiaroscuro is an artistic technique that uses light and shadows to put emphasis certain main points in a painting. The scene is set at night according to the biblical narrative. The main figures: Jesus and Judas are in the center. They are dressed in biblical garments. Surrounding them on one side are Roman soldiers dressed in Italian-styled armor. Caravaggio's use of chiaroscuro pinpoints Jesus and Judas. Jesus looks crushed by Judas's embrace. Judas looks aggressive and menacing. Caravaggio presents the traditional emotional portrayal of Jesus. This painting fits into the religious agenda of the Catholic Counter-Reformation, which wanted to show the religious supremacy of the Church over Protestantism.