Summary
Highlights
This chapter introduces the High Renaissance in Italy, specifically the early 1500s. It will cover the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, focusing on their styles in Florence, Rome, and Milan. The discussion will then move to Venice, which has a distinct artistic style, and finally to Mannerism, a later 16th-century art movement.
Leonardo da Vinci, born in Vinci near Florence in 1452, considered himself primarily a man of science. He studied optics and anatomy, which influenced his interest in accurate perspective, color, and light in painting. He moved to Milan, offering his services as a military engineer but also dabbling in art, embodying the Renaissance man ideal where art and science were not seen as separate disciplines.
The video examines two versions of 'The Virgin of the Rocks' (1483 and 1503-1506), both altarpieces depicting the Virgin Mary, Angel Gabriel, Christ, and John the Baptist. The existence of two nearly identical paintings resulted from a legal dispute over the commission. This work exemplifies Leonardo's style, utilizing weighty figural forms, strong chiaroscuro, linear and atmospheric perspective, and a novel pyramidal composition for stability and symmetry. The use of implied line, through gestures and gazes, guides the viewer's eye through the composition.
Leonardo believed a good painter had two main objectives: to paint man and the intention of his soul. He found depicting the soul's intention through gestures and movements more challenging than physical representation. This emphasis on psychological aspect is key to understanding his works.
The Burlington House cartoon, a full-size preparatory drawing, is introduced as an example of artists working out ideas before painting. It highlights drawing techniques used to create chiaroscuro: hatching (lines close together for shadow), cross-hatching (intersecting lines for deeper shadow), and contour hatching (curved lines to define rounded surfaces and form).
This work further illustrates Leonardo's pyramidal composition, deep chiaroscuro, and recession of space. It showcases his ability to capture complex psychological moments, as seen in Christ grappling with the lamb (symbolizing sacrifice) and the sorrowful, understanding look on Mary's face towards her son and her mother, Saint Anne. This interaction conveys the deep emotional and spiritual connection between the figures, a hallmark of Leonardo's interest in the 'intention of the soul'.