Renaissance means rebirth. This is a special period in European civilization. In the Renaissance, there are many changes and discoveries. New continents are being studied, trade is developing, important things are being invented, such as paper, sea compass, gunpowder and many others. Changes in painting were also of great importance. Renaissance paintings have gained immense popularity.
The main styles and trends in the works of masters
The period of the Italian Renaissance was one of the most fruitful in the history of art. Masterpieces of a huge number of outstanding masters can be found today in various art centers. In Florence, in the first half of the fifteenth century, innovators appeared. Their paintings of the Renaissance were marked by the beginning of a new era in the history of art.
At this time, science and art become very closely interconnected. Artists scientists sought to master the physical world. Painters tried to use more accurate representations of the human body. Many artists strove for realism. The High Renaissance style begins with Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, which he wrote for almost four years.
One of the most famous works
The Last Supper was written in 1490 for the refectory of the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. The canvas presents Jesus' last meal with his disciples before being captured and killed. Contemporaries observing the artist’s work during this period noted how he could draw from morning till night, not even stopping to eat. And then he could abandon his picture for several days and not approach it at all.
The artist was very worried about the image of Christ himself and the traitor Judas. When the painting was finally completed, it was rightfully recognized as a masterpiece. The Last Supper is one of the most popular to this day. Reproductions of paintings by Renaissance artists have always been in great demand, but this masterpiece is marked by countless copies.
A recognized masterpiece, or a mysterious woman smile
Among the works created by Leonardo in the sixteenth century, there is a portrait called "Mona Lisa", or "Mona Lisa". In the modern era, this is perhaps the most famous painting in the world. She became popular mainly due to the elusive smile on the face of the woman depicted on the canvas. What led to such mystery? Skillful work of the master, the ability to so skillfully shade the corners of the eyes and mouth? The exact nature of this smile cannot be determined so far.
Out of competition and other details of this picture. It is worth paying attention to the hands and eyes of a woman: how accurately the artist reacted to the smallest details of the canvas when writing it. No less interesting is the dramatic landscape in the background of the picture, a world in which everything seems to be in a state of flow.
Another famous representative of painting
No less famous representative of the Renaissance is Sandro Botticelli. This is a great Italian painter. His paintings of the Renaissance are also very popular among a wide range of viewers. "Adoration of the Magi", "Madonna and Child on the Throne", "Annunciation" - these works of Botticelli, devoted to religious subjects, became the artist's great achievements.
Another famous work of the master - "Madonna Magnificat". She became famous in the years of Sandro's life, as evidenced by numerous reproductions. Similar canvases in the shape of a circle were quite in demand in Florence of the fifteenth century.
A new turn in the work of the painter
Since 1490, Sandro is changing his style. It becomes more ascetic, the combination of colors is now much more restrained, dark tones often prevail. The creator’s new approach to writing his works is clearly visible in The Coronation of Mary, Mourning of Christ, and other canvases depicting the Madonna and Child.
The masterpieces painted by Sandro Botticelli at that time, for example, a portrait of Dante, are deprived of landscape and interior backgrounds. One of the artist’s equally significant creations is Mystical Christmas. The painting was painted under the influence of the turmoil that occurred at the end of 1500 in Italy. Many paintings of Renaissance artists not only gained popularity, they became an example for the next generation of painters.
An artist whose canvases are surrounded by a halo of admiration
Rafael Santi da Urbino was not only an Italian artist, but also an architect. His paintings of the Renaissance are admired by the clarity of their form, the simplicity of composition and the visual achievement of the ideal of human greatness. Along with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, he is included in the traditional trinity of the greatest masters of this period.
He lived a relatively short life, only 37 years old. But during this time he created a huge number of his masterpieces. Some of his works are in the Vatican Palace in Rome. Not all viewers can see firsthand the paintings of Renaissance artists. Photos of these masterpieces are available to everyone (some of them are presented in this article).
The most famous works of Raphael
From 1504 to 1507, Raphael created the whole series of "Madonnas." Pictures are distinguished by bewitching beauty, wisdom and at the same time a certain enlightened sadness. His most famous painting was the Sistine Madonna. She is depicted hovering in the sky and gently descending towards people with a baby in her arms. It was this movement that the artist was able to portray very skillfully.
This work was highly appreciated by many famous critics, and they all came to the common conclusion that it is really rare and unusual. All paintings by Renaissance artists have a long history. But the "Sistine Madonna" has become the most popular due to its endless wanderings, since its inception. After going through numerous trials, she finally took a worthy place among the expositions of the Dresden Museum.
Renaissance paintings. Photos of famous paintings
And another famous Italian painter, sculptor, as well as architect, who had a huge influence on the development of Western art, is Michelangelo di Simoni. Despite the fact that he is known mainly as a sculptor, there are wonderful works of his painting. And the most significant of them is the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
This work was carried out for four years. The space occupies about five hundred square meters and contains more than three hundred figures. At the very center are nine episodes from the book of Genesis, divided into several groups. The creation of the earth, the creation of man and his fall. Among the most famous paintings on the ceiling are The Creation of Adam and Adam and Eve.
No less famous is his work - The Last Judgment. It is executed on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel. The fresco depicts the second coming of Jesus Christ. Here Michelangelo ignores the standard artistic conventions in the writing of Jesus. He portrayed him with a massive muscular body structure, young and beardless.
The Significance of Religion, or Renaissance Art
Italian Renaissance paintings became the basis for the development of Western art. Many popular works of this generation of creators have a huge impact on artists, which remains to this day. The great representatives of art of that period focused their attention on religious topics, often working on the order of wealthy patrons, including the Pope himself.
Religion literally penetrated the everyday life of people of this era, deeply embedded in the minds of artists. Almost all religious paintings are in museums and art repositories, but reproductions of paintings of the Renaissance related not only to this topic can be found in many institutions and even ordinary houses. People will endlessly admire the works of famous masters of that period.