Outstanding Religious Renaissance Paintings
Many of the great renaissance painters concentrated on religious paintings and themes and often well-to-do people which included the Pope commissioned paintings related to religion. It was an era deeply filled with religion and that might be the reason why these renaissance paintings might very well be the greatest of the period.
Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s, The Tower of Babel – this magnificent painting by Bruegel depicts the tower of Babel is currently in Vienna’s Kunsthistorishes museum and was created in 1563.
Titian with Pesaro Madonna – it took Titian seven years to complete this masterpiece which he completed in 1526. It is an image of the Virgin with Child on a platform and it is still where it was originally in Venice in the Pesaro Chapel in Frari Basilica.
Hieronymus Bosch with the Last Judgement – during 1505 and 1510 Bosch painted these three panels to make a triptych. On the left of the triptych is the Garden of Eden, the serpent with the tree of good and evil and Adam and Eve being tempted. The centre depicts Jesus on the throne as Last Judgement while the disturbing third panel while similar to the centre represents hell, and here Satan is present instead of Jesus. This painting set is owned by the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna.
Giovanni Bellini San Zaccaria Altarpiece – In 1505 Bellini painted oil on canvas with Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus and the four saints surrounding them. At the foot of the painting is a violin playing angel and you can see this masterpiece in Italy in the Zaccaria church.
Bernardino Luini Salome with Saint John the Baptist’s Head – this painting was completed during the mid-16th century. It depicts Salome who demanded John the Baptists head and it is gruesome but awesome and displayed in Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
Raphael Madonna of the Meadow or Del Prato is another painting on board using oil and housed in Vienna. It depicts Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus looking down while his cousin John is kneeling down offering a cross to the baby Jesus. It is owned by the Taddei family who commissioned it but was sold later to the Archduke of Austria.
Michelangelo The Creation of Adam is renowned and painted during 1511 to 1512 on the Vatican City’s Sistine Chapel ceiling. After it was damaged during a fire and smoke darkened the colours it was restored in the 1980’s.
Leonardo Da Vince, The Last Supper- during 1495 to 1498 Da Vinci painted a mural on the Santa Maria delle Grazie’s Dominican Convent. Unfortunately not much remained after unfortunate events and time with paint flaking and bombings too. Very little remained of this painting that is often copied.
Raphael the School of Athens was painted during 1509 and 1511 and consist of four paintings.
Paolo Veronese wedding at Cana was painted in 1563 and depicts the Biblical wedding at Cana where Jesus turned water into wine. It is currently on display in Paris’ Louvre Museum.
