The Renaissance Renaissance Art

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Non-fiction: The Renaissance – Renaissance Art

During the Middle Ages, most Europeans

thought art should be about themes or characters

in Christianity. Painters and sculptors

incorporated themes from the Bible. The church

wanted viewers to concentrate on Christian

stories and teachings. Artists weren’t concerned

with making their subjects1 appear natural or

lifelike. The figures2 and objects in paintings were

Christ Pantocrator stacked up on each other, and there was no in the Cefalù Cathedral depth. They looked flat and two-dimensional.

The period following the Middle Ages was the Renaissance. Artists in the

Renaissance turned to the classic ideals of Greece and Rome for inspiration.

Their art celebrated human ideas and ability. Renaissance artists stressed the

beauty of the human body. They tried to capture the dignity3 of human beings in

lifelike paintings and sculptures.

In order to create more realistic art, Renaissance artists developed new

painting techniques. For example, they learned about perspective.4 Instead of

stacking figures and objects together on a canvas, figures that were far away

were painted smaller. Those closer up were painted bigger. Even formulas were

made so that artists could paint perspective realistically.

1 subject - the main character or main idea of a painting 2 figure – a person’s shape 3 dignity – proud or self-respecting manner; a person with dignity has a quality that makes him worthy of respect 4 perspective - the point of view of an artist; the way an artist puts three-dimensional things on a flat surface 1

Non-fiction: The Renaissance – Renaissance Art

Another technique Renaissance artists created was called chiaroscuro.

Chiaroscuro is all about visually expressing light and shadows. This technique

made figures look more realistic and three-dimensional. With shadows, painters

could create a sense of depth. Figures looked less flat or stiff.

Leonardo da Vinci used chiaroscuro in his brilliant

work the Mona Lisa. The painting is one of the most

famous paintings in the world. It influenced Renaissance

artists, especially those who painted portraits. For example,

the famous Renaissance painter Raphael modeled his

portraits after the Mona Lisa.

Michelangelo’s David is another Mona Lisa by Leonardo masterpiece of Renaissance art. da Vinci Michelangelo carved the statue out of marble, and it stands 17

feet tall. David is a character from the Bible. In the Bible, a young

David defeats a giant named Goliath with a slingshot5. Like other

Renaissance art, Michelangelo’s David celebrates humanity and

the human body.

David by Michelangelo

5 slingshot – a piece of wood shaped like a Y with an elastic band attached; used to shoot small stones. 2

Questions: The Renaissance – Renaissance Art

Name: ______Date: ______

1. According to the text, what period followed the Middle Ages?

a. Industrialization age b. the Great Depression c. prehistory d. the Renaissance

2. The text compares art of the Middle Ages with Renaissance art. How did art from the Renaissance and the Middle Ages differ?

a. Renaissance art rejected the classic ideas of Greece and Rome. Art of the Middle Ages reflected them. b. Renaissance art reflected themes from the Bible and human dignity. Art of the Middle Ages celebrated human ideas and ability. c. Art of the Middle Ages reflected Christian themes. Renaissance art celebrated human ideas and ability. d. Renaissance art did not stress the beauty of the human body. Art of the Middle Ages did.

3. Based on the text, what effect does Leonardo’s use of chiaroscuro create in his painting the Mona Lisa?

a. It helps create her famous smile. b. It helps create a realistic look, with three dimensions and depth. c. It helps create a blurry effect. d. It makes the picture dark.

4. How did Renaissance artists show that some people were farther away than others to create perspective?

a. They made people who were farther away smaller. b. They made people who were farther away darker. c. They did not paint the faces of people who were farther away. d. They made people who were farther away bigger.

5. What is a main idea of this text?

a. European art in the Middle Ages incorporated Christian themes. b. In order to create more realistic art, Renaissance artists developed new painting techniques. c. With shadows, painters can create a sense of depth. d. Renaissance artists created perspective by painting figures of different sizes.

Questions: The Renaissance – Renaissance Art

6. According to the text, what did Renaissance artists try to capture?

______

7. Examine Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa carefully. Explain why this painting might have influenced Renaissance artists. Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

______

8. Choose the word that best completes the sentence.

Renaissance artists used new techniques, ______chiaroscuro.

a. excluding b. including c. always d. never

9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below.

Renaissance artists developed new painting techniques in order to create more realistic art.

Who? Renaissance artists

What did Renaissance artists do? ______

Why? ______

10. Vocabulary Word: perspective: a way of showing objects on the flat surface of a picture so that they seem the correct size and distance from one another; the way things are seen from a particular point of view.

Use the vocabulary word in a sentence: ______

______