Brown Ajah History Week: The Renaissance

[Dar'Jen Ab Owain]

The Renaissance in Retrospect

While the Renaissance spanned the 14th to the 17th century, we shall focus our attentions on the 1400s and 1500s.

So many fascinating individuals were born and came to "power" during this period. Names such as Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, Botticelli and Raphael should most likely be familiar to you. (I am not referring to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, so this will be the only reference to those green reptiles.) We will consider the artists themselves. And some of them were known for more than their artistic abilities. For example, Da Vinci was also an inventor, though sadly few of his creations likely ever came to fruition. Still, it is fascinating the brilliance of there individuals, and to see how their spark was to encourage and inspire generations to come.

To start with, let us consider the artist of the Renaissance. Who is your favorite? Is there a particular piece that you have always liked? Do you see something of their artistic advancements reflected in any art of today?

Pieces most recognizable are likely Da Vinci's painting of Mona Lisa and Michelangelo's statue of David. Do these come to the top of your list?

One of my personal favorites was Jan Van Eyck.

One of his more famous pieces was The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434.

[Adella]

I am unfortunately unfamiliar with the art of the Renaissance period, but I do look forward to learning some of it here *pulls up a chair in the front row*

[Ryrin]

Galileo is an interest if looking at scientific knowledge. 

Edited August 14, 2017 by Ryrin

[Guest]

I really like Botticelli. I had the chance to go to Florence and see some of his masterwork.

 

One of the things that caught my interest was the mythology theme he favoured :

 

 

[Ryrin]

That was awesome that you were able to see it in person, Chae.

[Guest]

Thanks! I was lucky with my high school :)

They always tried to organize affordable but still very interesting trips for the students.

[Elgee]

I've been obsessed with Leonardo da Vinci since early childhood. I did several papers on him at school. Did you know that he drew plans for helicopters, flying machines, scuba diving gear, motorised vehicles, parachutes, a robotic knight - to just name a few!

 

 

My favourite painting of his is Lady with an Ermine.

 

Quoting Wiki:

 

Lady with an Ermine (Italian: Dama con l'ermellino [ˈdaːma kon lermelˈliːno], literally "Lady with the Ermine") is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci from around 1489–1490. The subject of the portrait is Cecilia Gallerani, painted at a time when she was the mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, and Leonardo was in the service of the duke.

 

 

Here's a pic of the painting, with some very informative annotations:

 

 

 

Just a 15 year old child, mistress (willing? unwilling?) to a powerful man. 500 years later, and the world still knows about her. I find her fascinating.

 

A close-up of her face makes it clearer how young she actually was:

 

[Dar'Jen Ab Owain]

Elgee, thank you for sharing. That is a beautiful painting, and the annotation material extremely insightful. Looking at the past can be challenging, as it is important to be aware of the period itself, rather than trying to look at the past with modern mentality.

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Elgee that was a fantastic post - I always am a little lost when it comes to paintings but having it explained like that made it come much more to life!

 

Also Chae, I'd love to go to Florence.

 

I've always been struck by just how complex some of the paintings done by Raphael are

 

[Dar'Jen Ab Owain]

Most Art from the Middle Ages had religion has its focus. It depicted religious themes and messages, events from the Bible, depictions of saints. While it often had a great deal of detail, it lacked perspective and emotion.

 

Art from the Renaissance drew on the classics for inspiration. The whole period shifted from religion as the center, to a rebirth of the classics, and the development of humanism with examining oneself and ones place in the world. The art of the period reflected this shift. Themes now came to include the classical work of ancient Greece and Rome, and incorporated new elements, such as perspective.

[Elgee]

Elgee that was a fantastic post - I always am a little lost when it comes to paintings but having it explained like that made it come much more to life!

 

Also Chae, I'd love to go to Florence.

 

I've always been struck by just how complex some of the paintings done by Raphael are

 

 

I just finished building this as a facebook gamesroom jigsaw puzzle last night ... lol

But yes, I do love Rafael's work too. His colours are amazing!

[JamesBrown]

 

 

I watched a short video just today about this painting, about the development of foreshortening. Very interesting.

[Dar'Jen Ab Owain]

 

Galileo Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist, engineer, philosopher, and mathematician, earning the names,"father of observational astronomy", "father of modern physics", "father of the scientific method", and "father of science".[8][9] Among his areas of study were speed and velocity, gravity and free fall, the principle of relativity, inertia, and projectile motion.

 

He championed heliocentrism and Copernicanism, both controversial during his lifetime, and he was investigated by the Roman Inquisition in 1615, which concluded that heliocentrism was "foolish and absurd in philosophy, and formally heretical since it explicitly contradicts in many places the sense of Holy Scripture" and was found "vehemently suspect of heresy", and forced to recant. While he spent the rest of his life under house arrest, he wrote one of his best-known works, Two New Sciences.

 

During his lifetime Galileo made numerous contributions to science: the scientific method, astronomy, Kepler's supernova, Jupiter's moons, Venus, Saturn, and Neptune, Sunspots, the Moon, Milky Way and stars. He made other contributions to Engineering, Physics, and Mathematics.

 

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It's absolutely insane to me that someone knew about the milky way 400 years ago! 

 

How did he even see it?

 

Off to research!

[Dar'Jen Ab Owain]

Yes, research. That is the fun part.