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The suggested artworks demonstrate different stages of the Renaissance and cultural “rebirth” after the Middle Ages. Painting Ognissanti Madonna by Giotto di Bondone (1310) is one of the earliest examples of this development. It was initially written for the Ognissanti Franciscan church in Florence. With the extensive use of gold coloring, Giotto’s work resembles the Italo-Byzantine style while still demonstrating innovative attempts to add naturalism to the depiction of Christian stories. Jan van Eyck’s (1434) Arnolfini portrait is a distinct type of Renaissance because of the geographical origin of the painter. Although academic debate continues about who is depicted in the painting, the prevailing view is that it is the Arnolfini family. The Arnolfini was a large merchant and banking family that had a branch in Bruges at that time. The painting has repeatedly changed its location, moving from one European royal family to another. Lastly, the famous Primavera painted by Botticelli (1470-1480) is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of all time because of its special mythological allegory. For more than 400 years, the painting was in the private collection of the Medici family and later in the vaults of the Uffizi Gallery.
Depiction of Human Figures
What makes the comparison of these paintings special is the difference in how the authors portray human figures. Di Bondone revolutionized the way of depicting human bodies and faces by preferencing naturalism as an important criterion. It is achieved through the range of lights and darks and the three-dimensional representation of figures. At a glance, one can detect differences from van Eyck’s Arnolfini portrait of a man and a pregnant woman. The way how figures are depicted shows that these people are not saints but ordinary people of the upper-middle class. Their skin is also different from Di Bondone’s figures – it is pale as opposed to the previous Byzantine style. Finally, Botticelli has also created his unique style of depicting figures. In this painting Primavera, the peculiar effect is created by the centrality of the main goddess, Venus. Another fact is the dressing of the characters – they are dressed, albeit in thin, transparent clothes. Kleiner (2020) also admits that Botticelli’s style of painting figures stands apart from the mainstream, which was influenced by the rational representation based on the evolution of anatomy. Primavera depicts women of quite a special body structure, distinct from di Bondone’s naturalism.
Analysis
After a brief review of three distinct paintings of the Renaissance period, it makes sense to critically assess the changes that happened through time. The first and foremost development is that the role of religion gradually diminished through the 14th-16th centuries, giving room to the natural world and the individual (Kleiner, 2020). Although these paintings were created before the Reformation, one may surely find a departure from Christian standards. There is a clear shift from di Bondone’s religious standards of depicting saints to the more naturalistic approach of van Eyck. Religion was replaced by Italian humanism, a philosophical doctrine proclaiming the fundamental role of civic virtue and human beauty. The height of admiration for the human body is manifested by Botticelli, where the clothes are semi-transparent. Botticelli’s palette of colors also emphasizes people through a dark background and light focus on human bodies, which show the first signs of the chiaroscuro technique. As for the Northern European style of van Eyck, it is a classical example of secular portraiture. It is achieved through a three-dimensional approach and a set of natural colors.
Explanation of Change
Taking into account the possible drivers of change, the development of science seems to have a great influence. Although the Enlightenment period, which ultimately proclaimed the principles of reason and rationalism, started slightly later, Renaissance is still closer to sciences than previous art styles. A more dramatic development was achieved in the sphere of anatomy (Kleiner, 2020). Therefore, one may trace the development in the complexity of human figures’ depiction.
Another factor that may explain change is the rapid growth of capitalist market economies that contributed to the possibility of rich people buying the paintings they wanted (Kleiner, 2020). In these cases, customers wanted more naturalistic and closer-to-earth stories and portraits. For example, gold mining in Italy in the mid-13th century influenced the emergence of new noble families such as the Medici, Fuggers, and Berenberg. Lastly, the decline of philosophy and culture in the Middle Ages influenced the perception that art must be reborn. The Middle Ages were characterized by the rejection of classical texts of philosophy and works of art, so artists tried to find new meanings and ideas. This thirst for new ideas is the most important factor in the spread of the ideas of the Renaissance.
References
Botticelli, S. (1470-1480). Primavera [painting; tempera on panel]. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.
Di Bondone, G. (1310). Ognissanti Madonna [painting; tempera on wood, gold background]. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.
Kleiner, F. S. (2020). Gardner’s art through the ages: A global history. Cengage Learning.
Van Eyck, J. (1434). Arnolfini portrait [painting; oil and oak panel]. National Gallery, London, UK.
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