Renaissance Art Is the Expression Essay

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Bernini's statuary group is a combination of lyric and mimetic representation depicting both a mythical episode and vital energy which is best felt when looking at Persephone's hand pushing against Pluto's face. In fact, even this apparently simple detail is dual in the sense that on one hand, it is meant to give the impression of despair and struggle, and on the other, this gesture results in creases in Pluto's skin. Bernini's sculpture incorporates the twisting pose belonging to Mannerism, a reaction to the perfection of forms that can be identified during the Renaissance in the works of its greatest exponents, such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael.

The middle ages were marked by strictness imposed by the Catholic Church which exerted control over society. Artistic expression was reduced to a minimum because the doctrine of the church encouraged religious meditation, and austerity. The end of the middle ages brought about a drastic change in mentalities. The decline of traditional values, along with the rise of the market economy, and the implied development of certain city-states such as the Italian ones, created a very favorable climate for the birth of the Renaissance, with its emphasis on art and science.

Renaissance painting approached a wide variety of themes; however, most paintings depicted biblical events, as well as episodes in the life of saints. Historical paintings were also very popular; the rebirth of classical Antiquity also generated a revival in mythological paintings.

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As far as the techniques developed during the Renaissance, chiaroscuro is perhaps the most prominent. This technique consisted of using contrasting colors in order to create a strong opposition between light and dark; aside from its visual impact which gave the illusion of depth, this technique was also highly suggestive as far as the symbolism of a certain painting especially in the case of religious themes. Its opposite, sfumato, focused on bluring or softening sharp outlines in paintings by the blending of one tone into another giving the impression of three-dimensionality. It was, to a great extent, the invention of Leonardo da Vinci, who also coined the term. Another important characteristic of Italian Renaissance painting was proportion. However, although very detailed and well-represented, human anatomy was not necessary as perfect as it had been during classical Antiquity

The Italian Renaissance ended towards the middle of the 16th century. Nevertheless, its effects were far reaching; its ideals were not crushed along with the movement itself, and the works of art produced during this period of time did not lose their value. In fact, the amount and value of the artwork created during the Renaissance have not been equalled by any other period of time in human history.

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