The Dukes of Burgundy in the Northern Renaissance - Essay Example

Renaissance artists, in contrast, painted their human subjects realistically, showing feelings and emotions. They provided depth and perspective in their human paintings, which are usually placed in front of a background with a natural setting (Dowling). The paintings on the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo are classic specimens of Renaissance art.     

2.) Italian Renaissance is more vibrant and more prominent than Northern Renaissance. Since there are more commercial and trading centers in Italy at those times than in the countries in the north of Italy, particularly France, the Netherlands, and Germany, Italian Renaissance artists had more patrons than their Northern counterparts. Humanism, a revisiting of Greco-Roman scientific presentation of art, is the driving force behind the Italian Renaissance artists. The Northern Renaissance focused more on topics of religious reform. In terms of rendering of paintings, Italian Renaissance painters are keener on scientific aspects, while their Northern counterparts are more concerned about what their art looked like thus, emphasizing color and detail. Jan van Eyck’s Madonna in the Church, for example, is painted in vivid colors and sharp details, in contrast with Raphael’s The School of Athens focuses on depth and perspective.

3.) Both Robert Campin’s Merode Altarpiece and Roger van der Weyden's St. Luke Drawing the Virgin have prominent proportions. However, Weyden’s painting is more realistic in scale and proportion. The figures are tilted in almost the same manner as we see the object. Campin’s painting consists of elements that are cluttered and unrealistically proportioned. Weyden effectively used shading that suggests depth and more realistic visual space.

4.) Italian Renaissance is concerned more with the scientific aspects of art, presenting humans and objects as scientific specimens that move in logical and predictable ways. Italian Baroque art, in contrast, emphasizes exaggerations in motion and movement to produce a dramatic and emotional effect. In painting, Pierro della Francesca’s Baptism of Christ reflects the logical movement of people as compared with the overt dramatic tension of Federico Barocci, Aeneas' Flight from Troy. In sculpture, Michelangelo’s La Pieta is more reserved as compared to the vibrant actions of Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne. In architecture, the revival of Greek and Roman architecture is prominent in St. Peter’s Basilica, while the San Benedetto Cathedral in Catania produces dramatic lighting “chiaroscuro” effect inside the edifice.

5.) Neo-Classicism is a revival of classical art forms as contrasted with the sensuality and triviality of Rococo art. Arts in this period were also made for political propaganda use. For example, the political message is reflected in Jacques Louis David’s Death of Marat. Classical themes painted with fresh techniques, such as the use of contrast, characterize David’s style and those of Neoclassical artists (Heindorff).

6.) The Oath of Horatii depicts Jacques Louis David’s pioneering effort in French painting. It is marked by the usage of contrast in identifying three different groups of figures in the painting. David also effectively uses the s harmony of colors, arrangement of figures, and of a majestic shadow that provides depth and contrast, as well the s abstract nature of the painting (Jacques-Louis David: The Oath of the Horatii).
7.) Since the United States was under British colonial rule, most European influence can be vividly seen in early American paintings. Neoclassicism, with its aim to use art as a form of propaganda in France, is eminent in early American paintings. John Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence, for example, is highly influenced by David’s use of shadow to emphasize e contrast between two groups.