Detail from the painting The Creation of Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, done by Michelangelo from

1508-1512

RELIGION MEETS THE RENAISSANCE

The Rise of Modernity

From the fifteenth through the seventeenth centuries, medieval attitudes and institutions broke down, and modern cultural, economic, and political forms emerged. For many historians, the Renaissance, which originated in the city-states of Italy, marks the starting point of the modern Era.

Perry, Peden and Von Laue. Sources of the Western Tradition. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1999

Renaissance = Rebirth

The Renaissance was characterized by a rebirth of interest in the humanist culture and outlook of ancient Greece and Rome. Renaissance individuals valued worldly activities and interests more than the people of the Middle Ages. Renaissance individuals were fascinated by this world and by lifes possibilities; they wanted to live a rich and creative life on earth and to fulfill themselves through artistic and literary activity.
Perry, Peden and Von Laue. Sources of the Western Tradition. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1999

The Purpose of Art

Renaissance art marked a break with medieval culture. The art of the Middle Ages had served a religious function; its purpose was to lift the mind to God. It depicted a spiritual universe in which the supernatural was the supreme reality.

Perry, Peden and Von Laue. Sources of the Western Tradition. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1999

The Purpose of Art

Medieval art perfectly expressed the Christian view of the universe and the individual. The Renaissance shattered the dominance of religion over art, shifting attention from heaven to the natural world and to the human being.

Perry, Peden and Von Laue. Sources of the Western Tradition. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1999

Jaume Serra The Last Supper pre1395

Leonardo da Vinci The Last Supper 14951498

Why Is Da Vincis Last Supper Painting Remarkable?

"The Last Supper" had certainly been painted before However, Leonardo's version was the first to depict real people acting like real people. In his painting the disciples are all displaying very human, identifiable emotions.

The Last Supper by Shelley Esaak

Pre Renaissance Madonna with Child

Thirteenth century Madonna with Child in the Italo-Byzantine style.

Cimabue - Mary & Angels, ca.

Renaissance Madonna with Child

The Madonna of humility Domenico di Bartolo ,1433

Bernardino Luini and Workshop (Italian, Milanese, circa 14851532). Madonna and Child Enthroned with Angels, mid-16th