Techniques and Characteristics of Renaissance Art

It was a wonderful two hundred years when you look at art from 1400 until 1600 with a brilliant collection of architecture, sculpture, fine art painting and drawing. Since it were all focused on Italy and referred to as Renaissance which the French know as rebirth art historian’s love explaining the techniques and characteristics from early years.

Since the start of the 14^th century Italian artists drew tremendous inspiration from Rome and Greece and the times and moods were captured on canvas. Historians and art lovers call it a philosophy of humanism in visual arts. The art depicted promotion of virtuous living and life, great realism when depicting bodies and faces of humans and emerging of individuals instead of symbolism.

Many look at the causes of the Renaissance as circumstances were hardly ideal to support serious creative outbursts. For example the Black Death in 1346, war between France and England, yet it thrived with new buildings with outstanding architecture, sculptures, drawings and paintings from masters.

Many would question or wonder why renaissance art started in Italy exactly and the answer might make sense. Not only was it blessed with large amounts of arifacts and classical ruins, but it was also the richest trading nation and you will find outstanding Roman architecture as well as copied Roman sculptures. With many Greeks immigrating to Italy at the time, it also makes sense why Italy.

Painting techniques include Sfumato which you can witness with Leonardo Da Vinci with his Mona Lisa. Quadrature which you see through Mantegna with his Camera degli Sposi frescoes as well as his Foreshortening technique seen in the Lamentation over the Dead Christ. Linear perspective is yet another technique as seen through Piero della Francesca with his work of Flagellation of Christ

When oil was used in the 15^th century it offered greater realism and allowed for finer detail than before. Looking at renaissance sculptures it is noted that the human body was relished especially nude males.