Leonardo da Vinci
Ginevra de' Benci
Image courtesy of
The National Gallery of Art, U.S.A
Geographic Center:
Florence
Background:
Soon after the Early Renaissance, the new styles
and ways of thinking shifted into high gear. Historically, this was the time
of the Medici's rule over Florence, the time of Dante's writings, a time of
general wealth and enlightenment. The Renaissance fueled a new sense of pride,
of nationalism. The High Renaissance, in summary, was a change in life and
art.
Effect on Faces and Figures:
Subjects, like before, revolved around people, which make it particularly
important in the history of portraiture and figure painting. We can see the
progression of expressionism in art. Emotions came to play a large part in
artistic impressions. Art broke free of stiff forms and hard lines, and such
technical considerations were replaced by color and use of light.
In figure art, there was a greater appreciation for the nude, as shown in
many of Michelangelo's pieces. Another thing
to note is how things made more sense. In a typical High Renaissance painting,
skin tones have better definition and poses were generally more natural.
A new composition was also introduced. One typical Renaissance composition
for a commissioned portrait shows a figure, often turned to show a three-quarter
view, in front of a natural background. There are usually trees in the background
that is shown much smaller than the figure to show a greater sense of distance.
Famous Artists:
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo,
Raphael, Titian
