Early Renaissance in Italy (13th-14th century)

During the 13^th century in Italy there were still influences from the Gothic period; the idea that God is overpowering over humans. Artists made it a point to distinguish clearly saintly and heavenly creatures. All the works were precious and highly decorative, usually featuring a golden background, there was no concern with depth and realistic space and usually the figures were flat and elegant adhering with the patterned backdrop.

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It was Giotto di Bondone, a Florentine artist who made an important artistic revolution. He opted for more realism in the setting of the paintings and a new humanism in the figures. By doing so he created the illusion of realistic space in his works and made his painting more credible.

Comparing the ‘Ognissanti Madonna’(FIG.1) of Giotto with the ‘Madonna and Child’(FIG.2) of his Master Cimabue, who still worked in a Gothic idiom, the difference is evident:

• Giotto did away with the wet-look drapery attached to the figure of the Virgin and the angels as seen in Cimabue’s work. Instead he introduced ample drapery folds which together with the blending technique made the figures more monumental, weighty and thus realistic.

• The angels in the background are no longer like playing cards (one on top of the other), but there is an attempt for depth with one angel behind the other.

• The throne is treated more realistically in Giotto’s work. He used mathematical one point perspective to create the illusion of depth.

• The ‘sfumato’ effect in the rendering of the face and skin makes the figures even more realistic Thus the revolution in Giotto was:

 • More realistic figures,

• Wider drapery folds for more weight in the figures,

• Use of perspective to produce depth in the work.

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A more revolutionary work by Giotto is the fresco of ‘The Mourning of Christ’(FIG.3). In this work he reintroduced facial expressions which had been absent from European art works from the classical times. He broke the traditional convention of symmetry in this work by dividing the scene with a diagonal distinguishing the celestial group from the terrestrial. Nonetheless the saintly figures still acquired a new
humanism, they are hardly distinguished from common humans.

This new humanism opened the minds of other contemporary artists but only to a certain extent. Indeed during his lifetime Giotto has no direct heir to follow-up his ideals.

Fra Angelico (1387-1455)

In his ‘Annunication’(FIG.4), Fra Angelico still shows the lingering influences of the              delicate Gothic figures and the Virgin and Archangel Gabriel bear no facial expressions. It

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is a very quiet and meditative picture.

On the other hand certain influences deriving from Giotto are evident. The use of groin vaults in the arcaded structure is constructed using one point mathematical perspective to obtain more sense of depth and illusionistic space. Like in Giotto’s works there is a sense of balance and harmony in this painting.

Paolo Uccello (1397-1475)

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Even Uccello absorbed the obsession of mathematical perspective but he experimented it on the human figure. Indeed in ‘The Battle of San Romano” (FIG.5)he tried the first attempt of human foreshortening in the figure of the fallen warrior. He also emphasized depth in the painting by placing slanted lances on the ground leading to one vanishing point to tentatively bringing out one point perspective. Although not that successful in this work there is an attempt for arial perspective in the background landscape.

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Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506)

Mantegna took inspiration from Uccello in studying foreshortened figures and mastered it. This can be clearly seen in his ‘Deposition’(FIG.6), where he managed to paint very successfully Christ’s dead body in excellent foreshortening. 

Other of Mantegna’s works show his obsession and mastery in foreshortening and mathematical perspective. Indeed his ‘St’James on the way to his execution’ bears very plausible architectural perspective in the background buildings.

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Piero della Francesca (1416?-1492)

The obsession of this Early Renaissance artist was on the use of light. This problem was never tackled seriously before, especially during the Middle Ages where the artists did away with any light and shade in their works.

As seen in his ‘Constantine’s Dream’(FIG.7), della Francesca created the source of light coming from the hovering angels who illuminates Constantine’s tent. The onlooker sees the angel from the back in full shadow, an innovation which never appeared before in a painting. The artist was also attentive to show evident shadows cast on the other figures present in the work. This use of light brought even more realism in the work. This artist was a great inspiration for artists that followed since they realized that the lighting effect can be crucial to produce depth in the painting and also to create a special effect.

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Antonio Pollaiuolo (1432?-1498)

Early Renaissance artist were very concerned with symmetry and balance. It was the trend at the time for artist to use a triangular composition to fit the figures in the painting. Pollaiuolo’s ‘
Martyrdom of St.Sebastian’(FIG.8) shows a perfect example of the effort of the artist to fit numerous figures in a triangular arrangement, where the head of St.Sebastian is the apex of the triangle. The artist placed the figures in different postures in order to fit this triangular structure, but at the same time he managed to make them look realistic and not stiff, and there is also observation from nature in the tension of the muscular structure .

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Sandro Botticelli (1446-1510)

The word ‘Renaissance’ in Italian means, rebirth. Indeed this movement was  based on rebirth of classical ideas. The artists were taking inspiration from the Greek culture. There was a new ideal. The human figure was no longer treated as something sinful and dirty. The glory of the human figure was once again restored during the Renaissance period and artists starting representing once again the beauty and idealization of the human anatomy. Renaissance artist gained direct inspiration from classical sculpture and once again the nude figure was restored in full glory and dignity.

‘The Birth of Venus’(FIG.9) of Botticelli is a clear example of direct influence from classical art. The theme itself reflects Greek Mythology, showing the artist’s interest in classical culture. Thus at the time the artists moved away from the trend of painting only religious works but also resorted to genre art. Moreover the nude figure of Venus is completely borrowed from female classical sculptures as seen in the insertion of the round tummy.

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Masaccio (1401-1428)

In his very brief life, Masaccio proved to be the heir of Giotto. He continued after Giotto’s ideals to search for a new humanism and realism in his works. His works like Giotto’s may appear less fancy and decorative, but that was the whole concept behind their ideal, to break the border between the beholder and saintly figures.

Masaccio like other Early Renaissance artist took a lot of inspiration from classical art. As seen in his ‘Holy Trinity’ (FIG.10)the painted
architectural background is all influence from classical architecture, the coffered ceiling in the vault, the use of columns and the inclusion of Ionic, Doric and Corinthian classical capitals. 

Mathematical perspective is used extensively in this fresco which successfully brings out a successful optical illusion of depth in the work.  The figures are very monumental and realistic by means of the blending technique in the drapery. There is no clear distinction between the Holy Trinity and the earthy figures of the donors, the artist put them all on the same scale. 

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This realism can also be seen in his ‘Madonna and Child’ (FIG.11), were the figure of the Virgin and the Child Jesus are very monumental and earth bound. There is also evident human warmth and affection between the mother and child. But apart from that this work is renowned for the representation of the musical angels in the foreground where the artists applied foreshortening in the musical instruments making them look more realistic and adding even more illusion of space in the work.

The Early Renaissance period was a time of great innovation. Artists started to be treated as professionals and not just craftsmen like during the Middle Ages. There was a greed for knowledge and every successful art work had to be mathematically composed and intelligently set. The love for the human figure was restored and artists were inserting idealized human anatomy deriving from classical art. But Early Renaissance artists were experimenting with new artistic challenges, in composition and technique. All these characteristics shed ideas to other artists that followed and were perfected during the High Renaissance period , the peak of this glorified artistic movement.

notes taken from A level history of art notes taken from various unknown books