Influence of Humanism in Renaissance Art

            During the Renaissance Era, humanism became a central motif for painters, sculptors, and artists of the like. In the artistic periods prior, such as the Medieval Era, the content of most works was religious-based. In the High Renaissance, we start to slowly move away from this. Religious scenes or characters were still being depicted, but in a different light. Perhaps the messages conveyed by art in the High Renaissance are aimed toward more human-based ideals rather than religious themes. The beauty in the human form and humanity itself were discovered and, for the most part, replaced the beauty of divinity and holiness. The Renaissance marks a developing curiosity and keen interest in the individual.

            Unlike representations of the human figure in the Medieval Era, which were usually clothed and a bit lifeless, portrayals of human beings in Renaissance art more often than not appear nude and full, embracing humanism. Artists focused more on composition than content and subject matter. For example, Michelangelo’s David is a majestic sort of piece due not only to the mythological basis on which it was created, but also the astonishing craftsmanship. David looks as though he is about to move at any moment. The muscles are full and deliver a sense of strength; the viewer can almost imagine blood pulsing through the veins in his hands; and I wouldn’t be surprised if he were cracked open to find organs. Michelangelo is known to have studied the human body as well, which contributes to his anatomically correct figures. He even seems to have added muscle in places to try and further his portrayal of the form and the ideals of humanism. It depicts the male form in idealized perfection, and in this way, idealism and humanism work together.

            Another influence of humanism on art of the Renaissance is the passing of representing haloes over holy figures. This also shows the receding religious values during the time. Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper even makes Christ and his disciples more of the Earth and human-like in withdrawing their haloes, since we do not see haloes in reality. However, the rounded pediment over the doorway in the background acts as an architectural halo and symbolizes Christ’s holiness in a realistic way.

The Birth of Venus

            Sandro Botticelli’s painting, Birth of Venus, is a prime example of the impending naturalism and realism that appears in Renaissance Art. The piece, which is quite popular among Renaissance Art, not to mention pretty famous in general, depicts Venus—the Roman Goddess of love—emerging from the sea on a shell. Two Zephyrs (symbols of spiritual passions) are blowing her toward shore while roses shower on her from the left. On the right, Horae—one of the goddesses of seasons—quickly swoops in with a cloak for Venus to cover herself with. The placement of all these figures in the composition makes it very well balanced, as they are the focal points and only subjects in the piece with a sense of gravity.

            Botticelli’s Venus is said to be derived from Praxiteles’ Aphrodite of Knidos, which is a Greek statue from the High Classical Period. Praxiteles’ piece is important because it is the first major art piece representing a female nude, being Aphrodite as she places her robes to bathe. Venus, being a goddess of love and born of the ocean, is also nude. Art representing the nude female holds a sort of sexual charge that art with male nudes does not have. This is likely because the female form is symbolic of beauty; it is fragile and treasured, which might be why the Venus attempts to cover her sexual parts. However, this “modest” Venus is a recurring theme in some pieces portraying not only the goddess, but also other females in the history of art. Even though Venus is trying to cover herself, she brings more attention to her situation and creates more tension. Praxiteles’ Aphrodite is not covered as much, and therefore lessens the sexual charge. Yet both of these figures are very similar and are portrayed in a contrapposto stance, which contributes to the naturalism of the subject. Like the Birth of Venus, much of Renaissance art is drawn from classicism of the Greek Era. This notion makes sense because artists build on each other’s work and these prior works are incredibly naturalistic with their portrayal of the human figure.

            The diagonals represented by the Zephyrs and Horae ignite a sense of anticipation, in turn creating action in the painting. The wind, even though unseen, is almost felt through this piece. It adds to the movement of the content, from the billowing gown Horae rushes to Venus, Venus’ flowing golden locks of hair, the roses fluttering down, to the mouths of the Zephyr angels whom created it all. The wind is also represented by the visible waves on the surface of the infinite turquoise ocean. This adds some depth and brings the eye into the background, where Venus likely came from. This action is consistent throughout the painting, as if Botticelli tells a story using only a picture. The viewer can easily imagine what might have happened before the event depicted, as well as what is about to happen afterward. However it is a moment frozen in time, much like a photograph, that contains a forever-active scene.

            As a whole, the Birth of Venus piece emits energy through utilizing diagonals, representing wind various ways, and making use of a bright and attractive color scheme. However, after viewing the work, I am left with a feeling of serenity, but also even a slight sense of apprehension due to the liveliness and Venus’ situation.

The Northern Renaissance

            The Northern Renaissance is comprehended as an era of its own because of a shared and unified theme of prestige during the time, especially in art. Much like the Medieval Era before, Renaissance Art is still very influenced by religion, and some of the most famous pieces from this period are held in churches in Central Europe. After viewing the BBC documentary, Northern Renaissance: The Supreme Art, it is clear that much praise should be attributed to the Flemish artist Jan Van Eyck for his contributions to painting.

            Jan Van Eyck was known as the “Prince of Painters” for a reason. His works did not look handmade, and therefore, he was able to acquire a new status beyond a craftsman working with his hands. Paintings of his are an extreme example of the elegancy reflected throughout the world of Renaissance Art. Van Eyck captures the notion of this supremacy greatly in the painting of his altarpiece in Ghent—arguably the finest painting in the world. A depiction of Adam (the first human according to the Book of Genesis) in particular, which is located in the upper left corner of the cabinet when open, portrays impossible detail in the face, skin, hair, and just about every other aspect of the human body. Viewers at the time noted how it even seemed as though blood pulsing through his intricately painted veins. To add, his right foot is pointed upward and perceived as if stepping out of the frame into our world, which could be believable considering Van Eyck finds a way to create illusions of reality through his paintings. This is also why his works were held in such high regard—they were filled with reflective surfaces, gold, jewels, and sumptuous items painted so meticulously, reflecting light, inviting viewers, and multiplying reality, that they looked real enough to replace these material things. After this piece was first displayed, it grew famous at an incredible rate.

            Works that vibrated with a sense of luxury, royalty, and nobility like Van Eyck’s altarpiece are what people during the time of the Renaissance were looking for, which is also why Van Eyck was widely sought after and recruited to paint portraits for consumers willing to pay. His admired style reflects our reality, creating a world consistent with our own. He remastered painting in a new light through his discoveries and techniques: the 3/4^th profile portrait perspective, creating an unbroken three-dimensionality from a canvas (especially in his prayer books), and sometimes even cheating death with his realistic human figures.

            Styles and materials of elegance like Jan Van Eyck’s could be considered the height of the Northern Renaissance. His paintings not only represented nature, but they were nature.

Renaissance

            Renaissance art of the 15^th and 16^th centuries creates the bridge between medieval art and early modern art. During this time, other topics of interest began flourishing, such as philosophy, literature, music, and science. This might have contributed to the many famous artists and works that emerged from this era. It also could be why we are attracted to the period, since it is when interests started turning towards what we have in modern times.
            Our culture might think that Renaissance art is superior because of the boom in knowledge and technique. The masters from this era paved the way for a different style of art and utilized tools that we still emphasize on in art today. Some of the notions from medieval art remain, such as religious propaganda, but in whole, the Renaissance pushes towards a new kind of realism. The use of perspective, foreshortening, sfumato, chiaroscuro, balance, and proportion are some of the techniques that come into play to contribute to this realism and start to develop with the help of the “big name” artists that our society focuses on.
            With the help of famous artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, this era is sometimes called the “High Renaissance” period in regards to Italy’s scene. These artists observed the world of reality around them and incorporated their findings in their works. Leonardo and Michelangelo both studied anatomy and the human body in great depth to perfect the human figure and form reflected in their art.