The Renaissance Essay, Research Paper

From 1300 to 1600, Europe saw the Renaissance, the rebirth of art and learning. Worldliness was a key part of their artwork through the individualism shown in the portraits with earthly backgrounds and through the glorification the human body. Realism was a major part of the artwork; a lot of attention was given to detail and setting. The artists were influenced largely by humanistic ideas such as human potential and achievement. Artists portrayed many different kinds of people, from peasants to royalty. The Italians were especially effective in incorporating realism into their paintings.

Some Renaissance portraits and paintings of individual people are almost mistaken for photographs, due to their realistic atmosphere and detailing. A great example of this is Leonardo da Vinci?s famous Mona Lisa that seems so real that many writers have tried to analyze and explain the reason for her inward amusement and beauty. This painting was also on an earthly background that helped to show her reality. Portraits showed every detail including scars and moles and were done on kings, as well as peasants. The portraits done on more prominent citizens revealed what was distinctive about them. Although the art was created for many different purposes, they all show the Renaissance influence of emphasis on the individual. Before the Renaissance, there were no portraits, but since a theme of the Renaissance was individualism, artists started to show that emphasis by only painting one person and focusing in on them.

Individualism was also shown in art by glorifying the human body. The paintings communicated what an ideal body looks like and what potential it has through showing both graceful movements and a sense of strength and power. Some artists started to reuse the idea of showing people in the nude, which had not been done since the classical period. The bodies seem idealized and idolized. For example, Michelangelo shows the theme of human potential with his statue David. This forceful figure has a graceful posture and heroic grandeur. Classical art by the Greeks and Romans, which also emphasized individualism and perfection of the human body, were a large influence on the artists of the time period. Each piece of artwork of the human body showed graceful and educated, yet powerful figures that had minimal flaws, seemingly perfect.

Realism is evident throughout all Renaissance art. People were portrayed in natural poses with expressions that reveal their personalities. Renaissance art also showed perspective, which created the appearance of three dimensions. Artists rediscovered perspective during the Renaissance and have used it ever since. Renaissance art has incredible, meticulous detail that is evident in Van Eyck?s work. His ArnolFini Wedding portrays the wedding of a bride and groom in such detail that the mirror in the background shows the backs of the couple, the priest that is not shown anywhere else in the painting, and the artist himself.

During the Renaissance, European art was revolutionized. Artists incorporated the main aspects of worldliness of the Renaissance, including individualism. This emphasis is shown through portraits and paintings focusing on one person and glorifying the human body. That theme is also emphasized through realism. Renaissance ideas have had a large influence throughout history. The emphasis on individuals has influenced artists to sign their work, allowing them to receive praise for their work. I tend to remember art by the name of the painter and without the artists signing their work, I would not have been able to remember and broaden my horizons into the art world.