La Renaissance Art

Mona Lisa is a renown Renaissance portrait constructed by Leonardo Da Vinci, though in his words, “Art is never finished, only abandoned”, thus his most recognized creation was never completed. Despite the painting being underdeveloped, modern-day society maintains a profound respect for both the piece as well as fellow artists of the Renaissance era. Renaissance artists are admired by the general public, including scholars, as gifted geniuses in their respective crafts, specifically for their ability to resuscitate previous ideologies. Even though Renaissance artists can be approached from various disciplines, whether it be artistic, historical, or religiously based, each one maintains the idea that artists were revered for their ability to incorporate ideas from those before them alongside their masterful skill, which resulted in them becoming well acknowledged. The Renaissance era lasted from the 14th to the 16th century AD and is known for the revival and advancement of past artistic ideologies from both the ancient Roman and Greek periods. Italians pioneered the rebirth movement to create an intellectually based culture with similar shifts later occurring in French and English areas. The Italian Renaissance, for the first time, placed humans at the forefront of society. Additionally, it merged thought and art with humanistic values. Within the Renaissance, artistic masterminds climbed the social ladder through their recreation of Latin Literature and of the figurative arts. Each initially had no fame or reputation to any degree, though eventually gained the attention of patrons seeking a moral image. Seeking such an image required a combination of both still and active life, which led to the recruitment of developing artists. At the beginning of the period, works were created on an individual basis as requested by patrons or noble men. However, as time progressed and the urban fairs and markets developed, works were progressively made speculatively for sale on the open market. As a result, artists were freed from the specific demands of patrons. Within the same period, various individuals commented on the nature of the artists’ work. Those individuals span from a royal descendent, in this case Isabella d’Este, to a mere traveler. The most valid perspective comes from Antonio Filarete as he himself is an artist, therefore he has more insight into the artists’ skill. Nonetheless, Isabella d’Este’s implication within her letters carry more weight as she rests higher in the social structure of the Renaissance era. Even though the validity of each account correlates with the status of the writer, each conveys a uniform tone of praise. The first examination of artists’ work, written by Friar Felix Schmitt in his travel diary, expresses tremendous respect regarding the burial site of a convent when the author writes, “I have never seen more …show more content…
One article, titled ""La Renaissance" (Revival of Art)," introduces Cimabue who shifted the focus of paintings towards a natural manner. The piece develops that the Renaissance period was filled with creators that focused on major restoration of former ideas and communicates his gratitude for their style as he asserts, “he [Cimabue] succeeded admirably in heads full of character, especially in those of old men, impressing an indescribable degree of bold sublimity which the moderns have not been able greatly to surpass.” By including the aforementioned statement, it is clear that the article implies artists were and continue to be idolized for their rejuvenation of ancient values. Artists of the period are honored to the point that the author deemed it necessary to include a quotation which illustrates Cimabue as immensely greater than any modern …show more content…
G. B. Rose, the author, speaks of artists as geniuses credited through their association with humanism, which was on the rise as individuals progressively valued the belief that humans could determine their own fate. Artists avoided the Christian implication that individuals were fated and bound to sin. Artists’ works resorted to the paganistic admiration for external beauty as many works revolved around nature. It sustains the idea that artists are well remembered, specifically for their novel inclusion of external beauty in art. For once, artists portrayed humanism in their paintings, which closely aligns to paganistic values as opposed to traditional Christian ones. Those paganistic values, though straying from the most recent era, are responsible for perpetuating the intellectual culture that is the Renaissance, hence Rose’s positive view of the