"The Renaissance"

The Renaissance was a time of dramatic change that altered the course of history. It is often thought of as the rebirth of knowledge. During this time period, society began to stress education. This emphasis on individual learning was not free from religious influence, but began to give way to human reason, leading to many inventions such as the printing press, new architecture, and science. This dramatic change can be best seen in the changes that took place in art between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

To best understand this change we must first look at the art of the Middle Ages.

 Art in the Middle Ages

The Middle Ages is that time period between 476 CE and around 1450. Often referred to as the "Dark Ages". This was a dark time in history and the conditions in Europe and around the world were very harsh. Due to these poor conditions art in the Middle Ages had a very religious theme.

As you watch the film on the right look for the following Medieval Art Characteristics.

  1. Disproportionate and no perspective.
  2. All faces the same and unrealistic.
  3. Two dimensional, flat and dull.
  4. A religious theme.
  5. Storytelling, about religion or warfare.

 

 

Renaissance Art

As you watch the film on the left look for the following characteristics of Renaissance art.

1. Proper proportions among all elements of a paintings.

2. The sense of depth in the paintings.

3. The attempt to imitate real life.

4. Non-religious themes and the focus on beauty.

 

 

 

 


The Task

Now that you understand the changes that took place in the art of the Renaissance, look at the images below and pick two that are from the "Middle Ages" and two from the Renaissance. Using the characteristics of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance located above, explain your answer. Your post must contain at least three of the characteristics for that time period. Once you have posted your answer, respond to three of your classmates posts either agreeing or disagreeing with their thoughts. Again, you must include at least three characteristics from that time period.

Link here to Message Board.

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Image eight

Link here to Message Board.


Images

All images are in the Public Domain and were obtained from wikipedia.org.

Links to the images used are: