What features distinguish Italian Renaissance painting? Northern Renaissance painting

Difference from the Italian Renaissance

The spiritual awakening of Europe, which began in the 12th century, was a consequence of the rise of medieval urban culture and was expressed in new forms of activity - intellectual and cultural. In particular, the flourishing of scholastic science, the awakening of interest in antiquity, the manifestation of individual self-awareness in the religious and secular spheres, and in art - the Gothic style.

This process of spiritual awakening followed two paths (due to socio-economic, national and cultural characteristics):

development of elements of a secular humanistic worldview

development of ideas of religious “renewal”

Both of these currents often came into contact and merged, but in essence they still acted as antagonists. Italy took the first path (see the Renaissance, with its antique and realistic tendencies), Northern Europe followed the second, still with the forms of mature Gothic, with its general spiritualistic mood and naturalism of details.

Main differences: greater influence of Gothic art, less attention to the study of anatomy and ancient heritage, careful and detailed writing technique. In addition, the Reformation was an important ideological component.

Northern Renaissance.

Until the end of the 15th century. Renaissance was a phenomenon only of Italian culture. But at the turn of the XV-XVI centuries. Renaissance culture overcame the national borders of Italy and quickly spread throughout Western Europe north of the Alps - in the Netherlands, Germany and France. Each country had its own characteristics in the development of Renaissance culture, but the most original character of the Northern Renaissance was manifested in the artistic culture of the Netherlands and Germany. The main centers of art were Antwerp, Nuremberg, Augsburg, Halle, and Amsterdam.

The use of the term “Renaissance” in relation to the culture of these countries is rather arbitrary, since its formation was based not on the revived ancient heritage, but on the ideas of religious renewal. Nevertheless, the essence of the processes taking place both in Italy and in these countries was common - the weakening of the feudal worldview, the emergence of bourgeois humanism, and the growth of individual self-awareness.

The development of the Northern Renaissance was a whole century late in relation to the Italian one and took place on a completely different basis. Thus, in Italy, the basis of humanism was the teachings of ancient pagan philosophers, and in the northern countries it was based on the resurrection of the democratic religion of the early Christians with its demand for social justice. If the ideal of the Italian Renaissance was a strong heroic personality, then in the northern countries the ideal became Christian love for one's neighbor. Therefore, in the artistic culture of the Northern Renaissance, much more features of the medieval worldview, religious feeling, symbolism were preserved; it is more conventional in form, more archaic and less familiar with antiquity.

The philosophical basis of the Northern Renaissance was pantheism (deification of the universe, nature). Without directly denying the existence of God, this teaching dissolves him in nature, endowing it with divine attributes, such as eternity, infinity, and limitlessness. Pantheists believed that in every particle of the world there is a particle of God, and concluded that any manifestation of nature is worthy of depiction. Such ideas led to the emergence of landscape as an independent genre in the artistic culture of the Northern Renaissance.

In Germany in the last third of the 15th century. The portrait arose and developed in the art of the Northern Renaissance. German portraiture differed from Italian Renaissance portraiture. If Italian artists, in their admiration for man, created the ideal of beauty, then German masters were indifferent to beauty; for them the main thing was to convey character and achieve emotional expressiveness of the image. In the Italian Renaissance, the aesthetic side was in the foreground, in the Northern - the ethical.

In the art of the Northern Renaissance, such a genre as everyday painting was formed and developed (primarily in the Netherlands). Dutch artists were distinguished by their extraordinary virtuosity of writing: every smallest detail was depicted with great care. This made the paintings very exciting for the viewer: the more you look, the more interesting details you find.

The main difference between the Italian and Northern Renaissance is that the first is characterized by a desire to restore ancient culture, to emancipation, liberation from church dogma, secular education, while in

In the Northern Renaissance, the main place was occupied by issues of religious improvement, renewal of the Catholic Church and its teachings. Northern humanism led to the Reformation and Protestantism.

Revival in the Netherlands

The Netherlands in the 15th century. called the lands off the coast of the North Sea, where Holland and Belgium are now located. The rich regions, united under the rule of the Burgundian dukes, took precedence among European countries economically and culturally. The growth of cities and the way of urban life contributed to the formation of new attitudes towards specific daily activities. Ordinary life events were surrounded by reverent reverence and an aura of holiness: my business, my family, my home, my property, my chapel, my patron saint. In all strata of society, the desire to decorate and poeticize everyday life has increased enormously. Dutch artists literally deified every blade of grass of their northern landscape, copied the smallest details of everyday life and saw beauty in it all. The formation of new art began in the first third of the 15th century. To the painter Jan Vai Eik unconditionally belongs to the primacy in the Dutch Renaissance. Van Eyck's main creation is the grandiose Ghent Altarpiece - a polyptych (that is, folded many times) for one of the chapels in Ghent, which expresses a new worldview, a new idea of ​​​​man and the universe. The image of the universe is created by 12 images on the outer doors of the polyptych (closed) and 14 on the inner doors (opened) - celestial spheres inhabited by celestials, and the earth with seats, forests, valleys and mountains.

Van Eyck is traditionally credited with inventing the technique of oil painting. This is not entirely accurate, since the method of using vegetable oils as a binder for paint was known before. But the artist improved this method and was the first to use oil painting when creating altar paintings. From the Netherlands, this technique gradually spread to Italy and other countries, displacing tempera.

In the 15th century For the first time in European art, the everyday genre became an independent direction in painting. Dutch artists had no desire for idealization, glorification, or glorification of man and his deeds. On the contrary, they were distinguished by a close look at the world and its truthful, immediate depiction, respect for everyday life and love for the world of things. All this led to the appearance of paintings on everyday themes. A special place in the formation and establishment of this genre belongs to Bosch and Bruegel.

The works of Hieronymus Bosch the modern viewer perceives it as very complex and mysterious, since he constantly resorted to allegories. Probably, the allegorical meaning of his images was clear to his contemporaries, for his works were very popular. The subjects of her paintings demonstrated the negative phenomena of life. In his work, Bosch acted as a moralist, a passionate preacher, castigating the evil and vices of a world mired in sins. In his paintings, the devil takes on a variety of bizarre guises, evil permeates everywhere, and man appears as a slave to sinfulness, as a weak-willed, powerless and insignificant creature.

The artist populated his paintings on the themes of hell, heaven, the Last Judgment, and the temptation of saints with legions of fantastic creatures, which combine parts of different animals, plants, objects, and sometimes humans in the most incredible way. Full of evil activity, these creatures unite with small helpless figures of people, birds, fish, animals, giving rise to a feeling of low-lying, vain existence, devoid of a rational basis. None of the subsequent masters of painting created such fantastic images bordering on madness.

Complex processes of social life in the mid-16th century. in the Netherlands influenced the development of painting. The country was under the rule of the Habsburgs, who shamelessly plundered it. When the Duke of Alba became ruler, a regime of bloody terror was established in the country. The Spanish Inquisition carried out mass arrests, bonfires burned everywhere and gallows were erected. This inevitably gave rise to the idea of ​​the insignificance of the individual person and his activities. As a result, the principles of 15th-century art turned out to be completely obsolete. The work of Dutch artists was increasingly focused on depicting the life of the people. The most expressive in this regard were the works of the last artist of the Dutch Renaissance, Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

Bruegel's work characterize the way of life and customs of the country in the mid-16th century. Bruegel’s worldview was characterized by the idea of ​​the eternal opposition between good and evil in the world, and the ability to see the deeply embedded higher meaning in any manifestations of life. His paintings reflect the active activity of people, which does not make any sense. The paintings are united by the idea of ​​the madness of human existence in an “upside-down world.” Compositionally, this is a lot of small bustling figures that scurry between houses, come out of doors, look out of windows, etc. They do not form a single whole; their appearance is the appearance of people living according to the laws of the “inverted world”. They are stamped with stupidity, silly fun, meaningless attention. Their cheerful and stupid fun is a kind of symbol of the absurd activity of all humanity. In world painting, Bruegel's landscapes occupy a special place, because there are no other such images of nature, where the cosmic aspect of the worldview would be so organically fused with everyday life. Therefore, it is no coincidence that Bruegel is considered the founder of the landscape genre in Dutch painting.

Renaissance in Germany

The emergence of Renaissance culture in Germany occurred much later than in Italy and the Netherlands. This is explained by the peculiarities of its historical development. Back at the beginning of the 15th century. Germany was a typical medieval country, fragmented into many small principalities. The focus and center of cultural life were cities, which were oases in a feudal country, the entire culture of which was under the control of the church and retained a medieval character.

In Germany, the ideas of humanism became known by the middle of the 15th century. thanks to trade relations with Italian cities. The spread of these ideas caused a struggle against the feudal system and the Catholic Church, a general cultural upsurge, and a renewal of literature and art. In this process, the main thing for German artists was not the mastery of new forms of image in itself, but the desire, with their help, to give religious content new strength and closeness to life, to express the thoughts and feelings that worried people at that time.

Albrecht Durer was the founder of the German Renaissance and the only universal figure similar to the Italian titans of the Renaissance. The great engraver, painter and draftsman in his work was able to very subtly convey the spirit of the era with its sentiments of chiliasm (belief in the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ and the righteous), a premonition of the end of the world, but at the same time the emergence of new humanistic thinking. At the same time, in his work, Dürer most fully expressed the features of the German Renaissance, different from the art of not only Italy, but also the Netherlands: in his work, the rational and classical are inseparable from Gothic expressiveness and spirituality, the craving for knowledge is combined with deep, passionate religiosity.

Dürer's artistic consciousness was greatly influenced by his travels in Italy, so his style of writing is close to Italian. His artistic vision of the world is distinguished by his desire to reflect reality as objectively as possible, to achieve complete authenticity from painting and drawing. In terms of the variety of subjects and breadth of perception of reality, Dürer is a typical representative of the High Renaissance. In the master’s visual language there is no fragmentation, colorful variegation, or linear rigidity. His portraits are integral in composition and plastic in form. High spirituality distinguishes every face. This becomes possible by combining an ideal image with a specific individual prototype.

The choice of subject matter and features of Dürer's style, like all German artists, are determined by his deep religiosity. The atmosphere charged with religious strife, the expectation of the coming of the Antichrist and the destruction of the world, the hope for God's justice were embodied in Durer's greatest work, “The Apocalypse.” The pinnacle of the master’s creativity were three famous engravings: “Horseman, Death and the Devil”, “Saint Jerome”, “Melancholy”, in which the fortitude of the spirit of the people of that time, their willingness to reject any temptations, their sorrowful reflections on the final result of the struggle were most clearly expressed . In these works, rationalism and mysticism coexist, faith in the power of human genius and awareness of its limitations. Not connected by plot, these works formed a single figurative chain, which is based on faith.

Among Dürer’s enormous creative heritage, numerous self-portraits attract special attention, which was unusual for Renaissance art. The self-portrait of 1500 is especially interesting and noteworthy; Here Dürer writes according to the law of ideal proportions and combines in it the appearance of Christ and his own. In this one can see a person’s desire for unity with God, characteristic of that time, and at the same time, a high understanding of the artist’s mission.

The works of Lucas Cranach the Elder is an integral part of the culture of the Northern Renaissance. The range of his subjects is very wide: crucifixions, many triptychs on gospel themes, Madonna and Child, ancient subjects, portraits. The tastes of the Saxon court, with which the artist was associated almost all his life, left a certain imprint on Cranach’s art. Gothic motifs are especially clear in his paintings. Many details and some mannerisms were neutralized by the amazing beauty of color. His Madonnas and other biblical heroines are obvious city dwellers, contemporaries of the artist. They are too fragile, but they wear luxurious fashionable dresses and beautiful hairstyles. Nevertheless, his best works, written at the beginning of the 16th century, remain an example of Renaissance artistic culture. Among them is the famous “Crucifixion”.

Hans Holbein the Younger was the greatest portrait painter in German painting of the 16th century. He owns portraits of Erasmus of Rotterdam, Thomas More, Jane Seymour, interpreting the image of contemporaries as people full of dignity, wisdom, and restrained spiritual strength. Holbein also worked as an illustrator, creating very different, but bright and expressive illustrations for the Bible and Erasmus of Rotterdam's In Praise of Folly. He also created the series of engravings “Dance of Death”, which echoed the work of Dürer.

The age of the German Renaissance was short-lived. The outbreak of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) delayed the development of German culture for a long time. But in the history of culture this era has remained as an integral phenomenon, giving the world a galaxy of masters of words and painting. Thanks to this era, the peoples of the northern countries were involved in the pan-European cultural process.

The revolutionary significance of the Renaissance for all subsequent times is that it was during this period that the basic humanistic views were laid down, the development of which is still relevant today. The Renaissance ushered in the era of a new man in the history of world culture, which was reflected in the worldview, beliefs, and in all areas of human activity.

Renaissance, or Renaissance(fr. Renaissance, Italian Rinascimento; from “re/ri” - “again” or “new” and “nasci” - “born”) - a globally significant era in the cultural history of Europe, which replaced the Middle Ages and preceded the Enlightenment. It falls - in Italy - at the beginning of the 14th century (everywhere in Europe - from the 15-16th centuries) - the last quarter of the 16th centuries and in some cases - the first decades of the 17th century. A distinctive feature of the Renaissance is the secular nature of culture, its humanism and anthropocentrism (that is, interest, first of all, in man and his activities). Interest in ancient culture is flourishing, a kind of “revival” is taking place - and this is how the term appeared.

Term Renaissance found already in Italian humanists, for example, in Giorgio Vasari. In its modern meaning, the term was introduced into use by the 19th century French historian Jules Michelet. Currently the term Renaissance turned into a metaphor for cultural blossoming.

general characteristics

A new cultural paradigm arose as a result of fundamental changes in social relations in Europe.

Of particular importance in the formation of the Renaissance was the fall of the Byzantine state and the Byzantines who fled to Europe, taking with them their libraries and works of art, which contained many ancient sources unknown to medieval Europe, and were also carriers of ancient culture, which was never forgotten in Byzantium. Thus, impressed by the speech of the Byzantine lecturer, Cosimo de' Medici founded Plato's Academy in Florence.

The growth of city-republics led to an increase in the influence of classes that did not participate in feudal relations: artisans and craftsmen, merchants, bankers. The hierarchical system of values ​​created by the medieval, largely church culture, and its ascetic, humble spirit were alien to all of them. This led to the emergence of humanism - a socio-philosophical movement that considered a person, his personality, his freedom, his active, creative activity as the highest value and criterion for evaluating public institutions.

Secular centers of science and art began to emerge in cities, the activities of which were outside the control of the church. The new worldview turned to antiquity, seeing in it an example of humanistic, non-ascetic relations. The invention of printing in the mid-15th century played a huge role in the spread of ancient heritage and new views throughout Europe.

The Renaissance arose in Italy, where its first signs were noticeable back in the 13th and 14th centuries (in the activities of the Pisano, Giotto, Orcagna families, etc.), but it was firmly established only in the 20s of the 15th century. In France, Germany and other countries this movement began much later. By the end of the 15th century it reached its peak. In the 16th century, a crisis of Renaissance ideas was brewing, resulting in the emergence of Mannerism and Baroque.

Renaissance periods

The revival is divided into 4 stages:

Proto-Renaissance (2nd half of the 13th century - 14th century)

Early Renaissance (beginning of the 15th - end of the 15th century)

High Renaissance (late 15th - first 20 years of the 16th century)

Late Renaissance (mid-16th - 90s of the 16th century)

Proto-Renaissance

The Proto-Renaissance is closely connected with the Middle Ages, with Romanesque, Gothic, and Byzantine traditions; this period was the preparation for the Renaissance. It is divided into two sub-periods: before the death of Giotto di Bondone and after (1337). The most important discoveries, the brightest masters live and work in the first period. The second segment is associated with the plague epidemic that struck Italy. At the end of the 13th century, the main temple building was erected in Florence - the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the author was Arnolfo di Cambio, then the work was continued by Giotto, who designed the campanile of the Florence Cathedral.

Benozzo Gozzoli depicted the adoration of the Magi as a solemn procession of the Medici courtiers

The earliest art of the proto-Renaissance appeared in sculpture (Niccolò and Giovanni Pisano, Arnolfo di Cambio, Andrea Pisano). Painting is represented by two art schools: Florence (Cimabue, Giotto) and Siena (Duccio, Simone Martini). Giotto became the central figure of painting. Renaissance artists considered him a reformer of painting. Giotto outlined the path along which its development took place: filling religious forms with secular content, a gradual transition from flat images to three-dimensional and relief ones, an increase in realism, introduced the plastic volume of figures into painting, and depicted the interior in painting.

Early Renaissance

The period of the so-called “Early Renaissance” covers the period from 1420 to 1500 in Italy. During these eighty years, art has not yet completely abandoned the traditions of the recent past, but has tried to mix into them elements borrowed from classical antiquity. Only later, and only little by little, under the influence of increasingly changing conditions of life and culture, do artists completely abandon medieval foundations and boldly use examples of ancient art, both in the general concept of their works and in their details.

While art in Italy was already resolutely following the path of imitation of classical antiquity, in other countries it long adhered to the traditions of the Gothic style. North of the Alps, and also in Spain, the Renaissance does not begin until the end of the 15th century, and its early period lasts until about the middle of the next century.

High Renaissance

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Pieta (Michelangelo) (1499): in the traditional religious plot, simple human feelings are brought to the fore - maternal love and sorrow

The third period of the Renaissance - the time of the most magnificent development of his style - is usually called the “High Renaissance”. It extends in Italy from approximately 1500 to 1527. At this time, the center of influence of Italian art from Florence moved to Rome, thanks to the accession to the papal throne of Julius II - an ambitious, courageous, enterprising man who attracted the best artists of Italy to his court, occupied them with numerous and important works and gave others an example of love for art . Under this Pope and under his immediate successors, Rome becomes, as it were, the new Athens of the time of Pericles: many monumental buildings are built there, magnificent sculptural works are created, frescoes and paintings are painted, which are still considered the pearls of painting; at the same time, all three branches of art harmoniously go hand in hand, helping one another and mutually influencing each other. Antiquity is now studied more thoroughly, reproduced with greater rigor and consistency; calm and dignity replace the playful beauty that was the aspiration of the previous period; memories of the medieval completely disappear, and a completely classical imprint falls on all creations of art. But imitation of the ancients does not drown out their independence in artists, and with great resourcefulness and vividness of imagination they freely rework and apply to their work what they consider appropriate to borrow for themselves from ancient Greco-Roman art.

The work of three great Italian masters marks the pinnacle of the Renaissance: Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) and Raphael Santi (1483-1520).

Late Renaissance

Renaissance crisis: the Venetian Tintoretto in 1594 depicted the Last Supper as an underground gathering in disturbing twilight reflections

The late Renaissance in Italy spans the period from the 1530s to the 1590s to the 1620s. Some researchers also consider the 1630s to be part of the Late Renaissance, but this position is controversial among art critics and historians. The art and culture of this time are so diverse in their manifestations that it is possible to reduce them to one denominator only with a large degree of convention. For example, the Encyclopedia Britannica writes that "The Renaissance as a coherent historical period ended with the fall of Rome in 1527." In Southern Europe, the Counter-Reformation triumphed, which looked warily at any free thought, including the glorification of the human body and the resurrection of the ideals of antiquity as the cornerstones of Renaissance ideology. Worldview contradictions and a general feeling of crisis resulted in Florence in the “nervous” art of contrived colors and broken lines - mannerism. Mannerism reached Parma, where Correggio worked, only after the artist’s death in 1534. The artistic traditions of Venice had their own logic of development; until the end of the 1570s. Titian and Palladio worked there, whose work had little in common with the crisis in the art of Florence and Rome.

Northern Renaissance The Italian Renaissance had little influence on other countries until 1450. After 1500 the style spread across the continent, but many late Gothic influences persisted even into the Baroque era.

The Renaissance period in the Netherlands, Germany and France is usually identified as a separate style direction, which has some differences with the Renaissance in Italy, and is called the “Northern Renaissance”.

“Love Struggle in the Dream of Poliphilus” (1499) is one of the highest achievements of Renaissance printing

The most noticeable stylistic differences are in painting: unlike Italy, the traditions and skills of Gothic art were preserved in painting for a long time, less attention was paid to the study of ancient heritage and knowledge of human anatomy.

Outstanding representatives are Albrecht Durer, Hans Holbein the Younger, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Some works of late Gothic masters, such as Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling, are also imbued with the pre-Renaissance spirit.

The Italian Renaissance itself is conventionally divided into a number of stages:

Proto-Renaissance (Ducento “two hundredths”, i.e. 1200s) – XIII century.

Early Renaissance (tricento and quattrocento) - from the middle of the 14th - 15th centuries.

High Renaissance (cinquecento) - until the second third of the 16th century.

Late Renaissance - second third of the 16th - first half of the 17th centuries.

Proto-Renaissance. Already in early works Dante(1265 -1321) in the cycle of sonnets, canzonas and ballads combined into the work “New Life”, the unfinished work “Feast” and others - the poet begins experiments on use of Italian, thereby proving its viability. The poet's greatest masterpiece, which immortalized his name, was The Divine Comedy, thanks to which Dante entered cultural history as the creator of the Italian literary language. The plot of the work, very traditional for the Middle Ages, is nevertheless filled with new elements, often contrary to church canons, clearly expressing the opinion and tastes of the author himself. The structure of The Divine Comedy is very complex. The work consists of three parts: “Hell”, “Purgatory” and “Paradise”. It is characteristic that Dante chooses the Roman poet Virgil as his guide through Hell and Purgatory, calling him “Teacher.” Each of the three parts of the poem contains thirty-three songs. The content is subject to the sequential symbolism of numbers.

In The Divine Comedy, Dante mentions his great contemporary - the architect, sculptor and artist Giotto. With name Giotto di Bondone(1266/1267 - 1337) associated decisive turn to realistic art. The most famous works of Giotto that have survived to this day are considered to be paintings on gospel subjects in the Chapel del Arena in Padua and paintings on themes from the life of Francis of Assisi in the Church of Santa Croce in Florence. In these masterpieces, the master abandons the flat character of iconographic images based on a synthesis of volume and plane. One of the most touching images created by Giotto is rightfully considered the image of Christ in the scene of “The Kiss of Judas” (frescoes of the Arena Chapel in Padua, 1304-1306). The master managed to convey the high drama of the scene through the gaze of Christ turned to the traitor. At the same time, Giotto managed to convey the calmness of Christ combined with a clear awareness of his destined fate. The theme of the fresco “Christ and Judas” runs as a leitmotif through the entire Padua cycle (“Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth”, “Flight into Egypt”, “Mourning of Christ”, etc.). Giotto's innovation had a tremendous impact on the fine arts of the Renaissance.

Early Renaissance. Literary creativity dates back to the period of the Early Renaissance Francesco Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio. Along with their fellow countryman Dante, these greatest poets of Italy are considered the creators of the Italian literary language.

Petrarch(1304-1374) remained in the history of the Renaissance as the first humanist who placed man, rather than God, at the center of his work. Petrarch's sonnets on the life and death of Madonna Laura, included in the collection “Book of Songs,” became world famous. Petrarch is also known as a passionate popularizer of the heritage of ancient authors, as evidenced by his treatise “On the Great Men of Antiquity.”

Petrarch was a student and follower Boccaccio(1313-1375) - author of the famous collection of realistic short stories “The Decameron”. The deeply humanistic beginning of Boccaccio's work, full of subtle observations, excellent knowledge of psychology, humor and optimism, remains very instructive today. It is enough to note that in our time, Boccaccio’s short stories have formed the basis for the stage and screen versions of the masterpiece created more than six hundred years ago. Subsequent literature of the Italian Renaissance looked up to the great Florentines: Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio, although it could not surpass their fame.

An outstanding master of the Early Renaissance, who continued the realistic tradition coming from Giotto, is considered Masaccio(1401-1428). The artist's mural paintings (the Brancacci Chapel in Florence) are distinguished by energetic chiaroscuro modeling, plastic physicality, three-dimensionality of figures and their compositional linkage with the landscape. Masaccio's art became a model for the work of subsequent generations of artists.

The legacy of an outstanding master of the Early Renaissance brush Sandro Botticelli(1445-1510), who worked at the Medici court in Florence, is distinguished by its subtle coloring and mood of sadness. The master does not strive to follow the realistic style of Giotto and Masaccio; his images are flat and seemingly ethereal. Among the works created by Botticelli, the painting “The Birth of Venus” became the most famous, clearly characterizing the peculiarity of his work.

The most famous sculptor of the first half of the 15th century. Donatello(c. 1386-1466). Reviving ancient traditions, he was the first to introduce the naked body in sculpture, creating classical forms and types of Renaissance sculpture: a new type of round statue and sculptural group, picturesque relief. His art is distinguished by a realistic manner.

Prominent Early Renaissance architect and sculptor Philippa Brunelleschi(1377-1446) - one of the founders of Renaissance architecture. He managed to revive the basic elements of ancient architecture, to which, however, the artist gave slightly different proportions. This allowed the master to orient the buildings towards people, and not suppress them, which, in particular, the buildings of medieval architecture were designed for. Brunelleschi talentedly solved the most complex technical problems (construction of the dome of the Florence Cathedral), and made a great contribution to fundamental science (the theory of linear perspective).

High Renaissance. The High Renaissance period was relatively short. It is associated primarily with the names of three brilliant masters, titans of the Renaissance - Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael Santi and Michelangelo Buonarroti. As well as the work of the greatest Italian poet Ludovico Ariosto (1474-1533), who continued the literary traditions of Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio. His most famous work is the heroic knightly poem “Furious Roland”, imbued with subtle irony and embodying the ideas of humanism.

The characteristic background for the rise of the Renaissance was the economic and political decline of Italy - a pattern that was repeated more than once in history. In the work of representatives of the High Renaissance, the realistic and humanistic foundations of Renaissance culture reached their peak.

Leonardo da Vinci(1452-1519) has hardly any equal in terms of talent and versatility among the representatives of the Renaissance. It is difficult to name an industry in which he has not achieved unsurpassed skill. Leonardo was at the same time an artist, art theorist, sculptor, architect, mathematician, physicist, mechanic, astronomer, physiologist, botanist, anatomist, enriching these and many other areas of knowledge with discoveries and brilliant guesses. In his artistic heritage, such masterpieces that have come down to us as “The Last Supper” - a fresco in the refectory of the monastery of Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan, as well as the most famous portrait of the Renaissance, “La Gioconda” (“Mona Lisa”), stand out.

Among Leonardo's many innovations, one should mention a special style of painting, called smoky chiaroscuro (sfumato, from Italian fumo - smoke), which, combined with linear perspective, conveyed the depth of space.

In the work of Leonardo, the universalism of the representatives of the Renaissance was most fully expressed, where it is difficult to detect sharp boundaries between science, artistic imagination and the embodiment of ideas. This is evidenced, in particular, by the encrypted notebooks and manuscripts of the Renaissance titan that have reached us, numbering about 7 thousand sheets.

Younger contemporary of Leonardo, great painter of Italy Rafael Santi(1483-1520) went down in the history of world culture as the creator of a number of painting masterpieces. This is the master’s early work “Madonna Conestabile”, imbued with grace and soft lyricism. The artist's mature works are distinguished by the perfection of compositional solutions, color and expression. These are the paintings of the state rooms of the Vatican Palace and, of course, Raphael’s greatest creation - the Sistine Madonna. The master also gained fame for his architectural designs for palaces, villas, a church and a small chapel in the Vatican. Pope Leo X appointed the artist to lead the construction of the dome of St. Petra.

The last titan of the High Renaissance was Michelangelo Buonarroti(1475-1564) - great sculptor, painter, architect and poet. Despite his versatile talents, he is called primarily the first draftsman of Italy thanks to the most significant work of an already mature artist - painting the vault of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Palace (1508-1512). The total area of ​​the fresco is 600 sq. meters. The multi-figure composition of the fresco illustrates biblical scenes from the creation of the world. The fresco of the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel “The Last Judgment”, painted a quarter of a century after the painting of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, especially stands out from the master’s paintings. This fresco embodies the best humanistic ideals of the Renaissance. The artist’s boldness in depicting naked bodies aroused the indignation of part of the clergy,” which indicated the beginning of a reaction to the foundations of the ideology of the Renaissance.

As a sculptor, Michelangelo became famous for his early work David. But Michelangelo gained true recognition as an architect and sculptor as the designer and construction manager of the main part of the building of the Cathedral of St. Peter's in Rome, which remains to this day the largest Catholic church in the world, as well as for the sculptural design of the stairs and the square of the Capitoline Hill. His architectural and sculptural works in Florence, in particular, the sculptural composition in the Medici Chapel, brought him no less fame. The four naked figures on the sarcophagi of the rulers of Florence “Evening”, “Night”, “Morning” “Day” very clearly illustrate the master’s awareness of the limitations of human capabilities and despair in the face of fast-flowing time.

The period of the High and Late Renaissance was flowering of art in Venice. In the second half of the 16th century, Venice, which retained its republican structure, became a kind of oasis and center of the Renaissance. Among the artists of the Venetian school, an early deceased Giorgione(1476-1510), immortalized his name with the paintings “Judith”, “Sleeping Venus”, “Rural Concert”. Giorgione’s work revealed the features of the Venetian school, in particular, the artist was the first to begin to give the landscape an independent meaning, solving the problems of color and light as a priority.

The greatest representative of the Venetian school - Titian Vecellio(1477 or 1487 -1576). During his lifetime he received recognition in Europe. A number of significant works were completed by Titian commissioned by European monarchs and the Pope. Titian's works are attractive due to the novelty of their solutions, primarily to coloristic and compositional problems. For the first time, an image of a crowd appears on his canvases as part of the composition. Titian's most famous works: “The Penitent Magdalene. “Earthly and Heavenly Love”, “Venus”, “Danae”, “Saint Sebastian” and others. The gallery of portraits of his contemporaries made by him was the subject of deep study and imitation for subsequent generations of European painters.

Late Renaissance. The Late Renaissance period was marked by the onset of Catholic reaction. The Church unsuccessfully tried to restore the partially lost undivided power over minds, encouraging cultural figures, on the one hand, and using repressive measures against the disobedient, on the other. Thus, many painters, poets, sculptors, and architects abandoned the ideas of humanism, inheriting only the manner and technique (the so-called “mannerism”) of the great masters of the Renaissance. Among the most important founders of mannerism are Jacopo Pontormo (1494-1557) and Angelo Bronzino (1503-1572), who worked mainly in the genre of portraiture.

However, mannerism, despite the powerful patronage of the church, did not become a leading movement during the Late Renaissance. This time was marked by the realistic, humanistic work of painters belonging to the Venetian school: Paolo Veronese (1528 - 1588), Jacopo Tintoretto (1518 - 1594). Michelangelo da Caravaggio (1573-1610) and others.

Caravaggio is the founder of the realistic movement in European painting of the 17th century. The master's canvases are distinguished by their simplicity of composition, emotional tension expressed through contrasts of light and shadow, and democracy. Caravaggio was the first to contrast the imitative direction in painting (mannerism) with realistic subjects of folk life - Caravaggism.

The last of the most important sculptors and jewelers in Italy was Benvenuto Cellini(1500-1571), in whose work the realistic canons of the Renaissance were clearly evident (for example, the bronze statue of “Perseus”). Cellini remained in the history of culture not only as a jeweler who gave his name to an entire period in the development of applied art, but also as an extraordinary memoirist who talentedly recreated portraits of his contemporaries in the book “The Life of Benvenuto Cellini,” which was published more than once in Russian.

Renaissance painting constitutes the golden fund of not only European but also world art. The Renaissance period replaced the dark Middle Ages, subordinate to the core of church canons, and preceded the subsequent Enlightenment and the New Age.

It is worth calculating the duration of the period depending on the country. The era of cultural flourishing, as it is commonly called, began in Italy in the 14th century, and then spread throughout Europe and reached its apogee by the end of the 15th century. Historians divide this period in art into four stages: Proto-Renaissance, early, high and late Renaissance. Italian Renaissance painting is, of course, of particular value and interest, but French, German, and Dutch masters should not be overlooked. It is about them in the context of the time periods of the Renaissance that will be discussed further in the article.

Proto-Renaissance

The Proto-Renaissance period lasted from the second half of the 13th century. to the 14th century It is closely connected with the Middle Ages, in the late stage of which it originated. The Proto-Renaissance is the predecessor of the Renaissance and combines Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic traditions. The trends of the new era appeared first in sculpture, and only then in painting. The latter was represented by two schools of Siena and Florence.

The main figure of the period was the artist and architect Giotto di Bondone. The representative of the Florentine school of painting became a reformer. He outlined the path along which it further developed. The features of Renaissance painting originate precisely in this period. It is generally accepted that Giotto managed to overcome the style of icon painting common to Byzantium and Italy in his works. He made the space not two-dimensional, but three-dimensional, using chiaroscuro to create the illusion of depth. The photo shows the painting “The Kiss of Judas”.

Representatives of the Florentine school stood at the origins of the Renaissance and did everything to bring painting out of the long medieval stagnation.

The Proto-Renaissance period was divided into two parts: before and after his death. Until 1337, the brightest masters worked and the most important discoveries took place. Afterwards, Italy is hit by a plague epidemic.

Renaissance Painting: Briefly about the Early Period

The Early Renaissance covers a period of 80 years: from 1420 to 1500. At this time, it has not yet completely departed from past traditions and is still associated with the art of the Middle Ages. However, the breath of new trends is already felt; masters are beginning to turn more often to elements of classical antiquity. Ultimately, artists completely abandon the medieval style and begin to boldly use the best examples of ancient culture. Note that the process went rather slowly, step by step.

Bright representatives of the early Renaissance

The work of the Italian artist Piero della Francesca entirely belongs to the early Renaissance period. His works are distinguished by nobility, majestic beauty and harmony, accurate perspective, soft colors filled with light. In the last years of his life, in addition to painting, he studied mathematics in depth and even wrote two of his own treatises. His student was another famous painter, Luca Signorelli, and the style was reflected in the works of many Umbrian masters. In the photo above is a fragment of a fresco in the Church of San Francesco in Arezzo, “The History of the Queen of Sheba.”

Domenico Ghirlandaio is another prominent representative of the Florentine school of Renaissance painting of the early period. He was the founder of a famous artistic dynasty and the head of the workshop where young Michelangelo began. Ghirlandaio was a famous and successful master who was engaged not only in fresco painting (Tornabuoni Chapel, Sistine), but also in easel painting (“Adoration of the Magi”, “Nativity”, “Old Man with Grandson”, “Portrait of Giovanna Tornabuoni” - pictured below).

High Renaissance

This period, in which the style developed magnificently, falls on 1500-1527. At this time, the center of Italian art moved to Rome from Florence. This is connected with the ascension to the papal throne of the ambitious, enterprising Julius II, who attracted the best artists of Italy to his court. Rome became something like Athens during the time of Pericles and experienced an incredible growth and construction boom. At the same time, there is harmony between the branches of art: sculpture, architecture and painting. The Renaissance brought them together. They seem to go hand in hand, complementing each other and interacting.

Antiquity is studied more thoroughly during the High Renaissance and reproduced with maximum accuracy, rigor and consistency. Dignity and tranquility replace flirtatious beauty, and medieval traditions are completely forgotten. The pinnacle of the Renaissance is marked by the work of three of the greatest Italian masters: Raphael Santi (the painting “Donna Velata” in the image above), Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci (“Mona Lisa” in the first photo).

Late Renaissance

The Late Renaissance covers the period from the 1530s to the 1590s to the 1620s in Italy. Art critics and historians reduce the works of this time to a common denominator with a large degree of convention. Southern Europe was under the influence of the Counter-Reformation that triumphed in it, which perceived with great caution any free-thinking, including the resurrection of the ideals of antiquity.

In Florence, there was a dominance of Mannerism, characterized by artificial colors and broken lines. However, he reached Parma, where Correggio worked, only after the death of the master. Venetian painting of the late Renaissance had its own path of development. Palladio and Titian, who worked there until the 1570s, are its brightest representatives. Their work had nothing to do with new trends in Rome and Florence.

Northern Renaissance

This term is used to describe the Renaissance throughout Europe, outside of Italy in general and in German-speaking countries in particular. It has a number of features. The Northern Renaissance was not homogeneous and was characterized by specific features in each country. Art historians divide it into several directions: French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Polish, English, etc.

The awakening of Europe took two paths: the development and spread of a humanistic secular worldview, and the development of ideas for the renewal of religious traditions. Both of them touched, sometimes merged, but at the same time they were antagonists. Italy chose the first path, and Northern Europe - the second.

The Renaissance had virtually no influence on the art of the north, including painting, until 1450. From 1500 it spread throughout the continent, but in some places the influence of late Gothic remained until the advent of the Baroque.

The Northern Renaissance is characterized by a significant influence of the Gothic style, less close attention to the study of antiquity and human anatomy, and a detailed and careful writing technique. The Reformation had an important ideological influence on him.

French Northern Renaissance

The closest thing to Italian is French painting. The Renaissance was an important stage for French culture. At this time, the monarchy and bourgeois relations were actively strengthening, the religious ideas of the Middle Ages faded into the background, giving way to humanistic tendencies. Representatives: Francois Quesnel, Jean Fouquet (pictured is a fragment of the master's "Melen Diptych"), Jean Clouse, Jean Goujon, Marc Duval, Francois Clouet.

German and Dutch Northern Renaissance

Outstanding works of the Northern Renaissance were created by German and Flemish-Dutch masters. Religion continued to play a significant role in these countries, and it greatly influenced painting. The Renaissance took a different path in the Netherlands and Germany. Unlike the works of Italian masters, the artists of these countries did not place man at the center of the universe. Throughout almost the entire 15th century. they portrayed him in the Gothic style: light and ethereal. The most prominent representatives of the Dutch Renaissance are Hubert van Eyck, Jan van Eyck, Robert Campen, Hugo van der Goes, the German - Albert Durer, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Hans Holbein, Matthias Grunewald.

The photo shows a self-portrait of A. Durer from 1498.

Despite the fact that the works of northern masters differ significantly from the works of Italian painters, they are in any case recognized as priceless exhibits of fine art.

Renaissance painting, like all culture as a whole, is characterized by a secular character, humanism and so-called anthropocentrism, or, in other words, a primary interest in man and his activities. During this period, there was a real flowering of interest in ancient art, and its revival took place. The era gave the world a galaxy of brilliant sculptors, architects, writers, poets and artists. Never before or since has cultural flourishing been so widespread.

The spiritual awakening of Europe, which began in the 12th century, was a consequence of the rise of medieval urban culture and was expressed in new forms of activity - intellectual and cultural. In particular, the flourishing of scholastic science, the awakening of interest in antiquity, the manifestation of individual self-awareness in the religious and secular spheres, and in art - the Gothic style.

This process of spiritual awakening followed two paths (due to socio-economic, national and cultural characteristics):

· development of elements of a secular humanistic worldview

· development of ideas of religious “renewal”

Both of these currents often came into contact and merged, but in essence they still acted as antagonists. Italy followed the first path, Northern Europe followed the second, still with the forms of mature Gothic, with its general spiritualistic mood and naturalism of details.

The Italian Renaissance had little influence on other countries until 1450. After 1500 the style spread across the continent, but many late Gothic influences persisted even into the Baroque era.

Main differences: greater influence of Gothic art, less attention to the study of anatomy and ancient heritage, careful and detailed writing technique.

In addition, the Reformation was an important ideological component.

Conclusion

So, Renaissance, or Renaissance- an era in the life of mankind, marked by a colossal rise in art and science.

The art of the Renaissance, which arose on the basis of humanism - a movement of social thought that proclaimed man as the highest value of life. In art, the main theme was a beautiful, harmoniously developed person with unlimited spiritual and creative potential. The art of the Renaissance laid the foundations of European culture of the New Age and radically changed all major types of art. Creatively revised principles of the ancient order system were established in architecture, and new types of public buildings emerged. Painting was enriched by linear and aerial perspective, knowledge of the anatomy and proportions of the human body. Earthly content penetrated into the traditional religious themes of works of art. Interest in ancient mythology, history, everyday scenes, landscapes, and portraits increased. Along with monumental wall paintings decorating architectural structures, painting appeared and oil painting arose. The creative individuality of the artist, as a rule, a universally gifted person, came to the fore in art.

In the art of the Renaissance, the paths of scientific and artistic were closely intertwined.

comprehension of the world and man. Its cognitive meaning was inextricably linked with sublime poetic beauty; in its desire for naturalness, it did not stoop to petty everyday life. Art has become a universal spiritual

need. Of course, the Renaissance is one of the most beautiful eras in human history.

Unlike Italy, the Renaissance came to France, Germany and the Netherlands later. Medieval traditions reluctantly gave way to the new, therefore, in the art of the Northern Renaissance, limited to the first third of the 15th-16th centuries, the mystical worldview and Gothic style were combined with the classicist trends of modern times.

In the works of Northern Renaissance artists, interest in the human personality and its environment was more acute than in the paintings of the Italians. The idea of ​​Divine harmony was also expressed very clearly in them; religiosity is noticeable even in the smallest details of the paintings of French, German and Dutch masters: it seems that they deify every leaf on the tree and every blade of grass on the ground.

One of the characteristic features of Northern Renaissance painting is naturalism. Emphasizing individual features, artists give biblical characters a resemblance to their sitters. This is characteristic of the works of H. Baldung Green, J. van Eyck and A. Dürer, who sought to combine Gothic naturalism and expressiveness with the idealization of classicism. In the works of many artists, naturalism sometimes took on crude and even repulsive forms.

Another feature of the art of this period is expressiveness. The human figures in the paintings are very dynamic, often their proportions are deformed. Expression and tension are also characteristic of the landscape, draperies, and clothes surrounding the characters. The mysticism and detachment inherent in the paintings of Northern European masters are combined with elements of specificity: the artists dress the characters in modern clothes, carefully detailing their details.

The founders of the Northern Renaissance are rightfully considered to be the Dutch painters brothers Jan van Eyck and Hubert van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, Hans Memling, who worked in the 15th century. In its stylistics, Northern Renaissance painting is heterogeneous: in the Netherlands it was distinguished by the features of pantheism and naturalism, in Germany it was characterized by mystical spiritualism, and in France - sensualism.

Renaissance (Renaissance). Italy. XV-XVI centuries. Early capitalism. The country is ruled by rich bankers. They are interested in art and science.

The rich and powerful gather around them the talented and wise. Poets, philosophers, artists and sculptors have daily conversations with their patrons. At some point, it seemed that people were ruled by wise men, as Plato wanted.

We remembered the ancient Romans and Greeks. They also built a society of free citizens, where the main value is people (not counting slaves, of course).

Renaissance is not just copying the art of ancient civilizations. This is a mixture. Mythology and Christianity. Realism of nature and sincerity of images. Beauty physical and spiritual.

It was just a flash. The High Renaissance period is approximately 30 years! From the 1490s to 1527 From the beginning of the heyday of Leonardo's creativity. Before the sack of Rome.

The mirage of an ideal world quickly faded. Italy turned out to be too fragile. She was soon enslaved by another dictator.

However, these 30 years determined the main features of European painting for 500 years to come! Up to .

Realism of the image. Anthropocentrism (when the center of the world is Man). Linear perspective. Oil paints. Portrait. Scenery…

Incredibly, during these 30 years several brilliant masters worked at once. At other times they are born once every 1000 years.

Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian are the titans of the Renaissance. But we cannot fail to mention their two predecessors: Giotto and Masaccio. Without which there would be no Renaissance.

1. Giotto (1267-1337)

XIV century. Proto-Renaissance. Its main character is Giotto. This is a master who single-handedly revolutionized art. 200 years before the High Renaissance. If it were not for him, the era of which humanity is so proud would hardly have come.

Before Giotto there were icons and frescoes. They were created according to Byzantine canons. Faces instead of faces. Flat figures. Failure to comply with proportions. Instead of a landscape there is a golden background. Like, for example, on this icon.

And suddenly frescoes by Giotto appear. They have voluminous figures. Faces of noble people. Old and young. Sad. Mournful. Surprised. Different.

Frescoes by Giotto in the Church of Scrovegni in Padua (1302-1305). Left: Lamentation of Christ. Middle: Kiss of Judas (fragment). Right: Annunciation of St. Anne (Mother Mary), fragment.

Giotto's main work is the cycle of his frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. When this church opened to parishioners, crowds of people poured into it. They had never seen anything like this.

After all, Giotto did something unprecedented. He translated biblical stories into simple, understandable language. And they have become much more accessible to ordinary people.

This is precisely what will be characteristic of many masters of the Renaissance. Laconic images. Lively emotions of the characters. Realism.

Read more about the master's frescoes in the article.

Giotto was admired. But his innovation was not developed further. The fashion for international gothic came to Italy.

Only after 100 years will a worthy successor to Giotto appear.

2. Masaccio (1401-1428)

Beginning of the 15th century. The so-called Early Renaissance. Another innovator is entering the scene.

Masaccio was the first artist to use linear perspective. It was designed by his friend, the architect Brunelleschi. Now the depicted world has become similar to the real one. Toy architecture is a thing of the past.

He adopted Giotto's realism. However, unlike his predecessor, he already knew anatomy well.

Instead of blocky characters, Giotto has beautifully built people. Just like the ancient Greeks.

Masaccio lived a short life. He died, like his father, unexpectedly. At 27 years old.

However, he had many followers. Masters of subsequent generations went to the Brancacci Chapel to study from his frescoes.

Thus, Masaccio’s innovation was taken up by all the great artists of the High Renaissance.

3. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

Leonardo da Vinci is one of the titans of the Renaissance. He had a tremendous influence on the development of painting.

It was da Vinci who raised the status of the artist himself. Thanks to him, representatives of this profession are no longer just artisans. These are creators and aristocrats of the spirit.

Leonardo made a breakthrough primarily in portraiture.

He believed that nothing should distract from the main image. The gaze should not wander from one detail to another. This is how his famous portraits appeared. Laconic. Harmonious.

Leonardo's main innovation is that he found a way to make images... alive.

Before him, characters in portraits looked like mannequins. The lines were clear. All details are carefully drawn. The painted drawing could not possibly be alive.

Leonardo invented the sfumato method. He shaded the lines. Made the transition from light to shadow very soft. His characters seem to be covered with a barely perceptible haze. The characters came to life.

Sfumato will be included in the active vocabulary of all great artists of the future.

There is often an opinion that Leonardo, of course, is a genius, but did not know how to complete anything. And I often didn’t finish paintings. And many of his projects remained on paper (in 24 volumes, by the way). And in general he was thrown either into medicine or into music. At one time I was even interested in the art of serving.

However, think for yourself. 19 paintings - and he is the greatest artist of all time. And someone doesn’t even come close in terms of greatness, yet he painted 6,000 canvases in his life. It is obvious who has the higher efficiency.

Read about the master's most famous painting in the article.

4. Michelangelo (1475-1564)

Michelangelo considered himself a sculptor. But he was a universal master. Like his other Renaissance colleagues. Therefore, his pictorial heritage is no less grandiose.

He is recognizable primarily by his physically developed characters. He portrayed a perfect man in whom physical beauty means spiritual beauty.

That’s why all his heroes are so muscular and resilient. Even women and old people.

Michelangelo. Fragments of the fresco “The Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel, Vatican.

Michelangelo often painted the character naked. And then he added clothes on top. So that the body is as sculpted as possible.

He painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel alone. Although these are several hundred figures! He didn’t even allow anyone to rub paint. Yes, he was unsociable. He had a tough and quarrelsome character. But most of all he was dissatisfied with... himself.

Michelangelo lived a long life. Survived the decline of the Renaissance. For him it was a personal tragedy. His later works are full of sadness and sorrow.

In general, Michelangelo’s creative path is unique. His early works are a celebration of the human hero. Free and courageous. In the best traditions of Ancient Greece. What's his name David?

In the last years of life these are tragic images. Intentionally rough-hewn stone. It’s as if we are looking at monuments to the victims of 20th century fascism. Look at his Pietà.

Michelangelo's sculptures at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. Left: David. 1504 Right: Palestrina's Pietà. 1555

How is this possible? One artist in one life went through all stages of art from the Renaissance to the 20th century. What should subsequent generations do? Go your own way. Realizing that the bar is set very high.

5. Raphael (1483-1520)

Raphael was never forgotten. His genius was always recognized: both during life and after death.

His characters are endowed with sensual, lyrical beauty. It is his who is rightfully considered the most beautiful female images ever created. External beauty also reflects the spiritual beauty of the heroines. Their meekness. Their sacrifice.

Fyodor Dostoevsky said the famous words “Beauty will save the world” about. This was his favorite painting.

However, sensual images are not Raphael’s only strong point. He thought through the compositions of his paintings very carefully. He was an unsurpassed architect in painting. Moreover, he always found the simplest and most harmonious solution in organizing space. It seems that it cannot be any other way.

Raphael lived only 37 years. He died suddenly. From a caught cold and medical error. But his legacy is difficult to overestimate. Many artists idolized this master. And they multiplied his sensual images in thousands of their canvases..

Titian was an unsurpassed colorist. He also experimented a lot with composition. In general, he was a daring innovator.

Everyone loved him for such brilliance of his talent. Called “the king of painters and the painter of kings.”

Speaking about Titian, I want to put an exclamation point after every sentence. After all, it was he who brought dynamics to painting. Pathos. Enthusiasm. Bright color. Shine of colors.

Towards the end of his life he developed an unusual writing technique. The strokes are fast and thick. I applied the paint either with a brush or with my fingers. This makes the images even more alive and breathing. And the plots are even more dynamic and dramatic.

Does this remind you of anything? Of course, this is technology. And the technique of 19th century artists: Barbizonians and. Titian, like Michelangelo, would go through 500 years of painting in one lifetime. That's why he's a genius.

Read about the master's famous masterpiece in the article.

Renaissance artists are the owners of great knowledge. To leave such a legacy, there was a lot to learn. In the field of history, astrology, physics and so on.

Therefore, every image of them makes us think. Why is this depicted? What is the encrypted message here?

They were almost never wrong. Because they thoroughly thought through their future work. We used all our knowledge.

They were more than artists. They were philosophers. They explained the world to us through painting.

That is why they will always be deeply interesting to us.