Week IV: Chapters 8 - 9

From Botticelli to Da Vinci

An Exposition of the Italian Renaissance

During the turbulent era in Italy during the 14th to 16th centuries , in the midst of economic and political turmoil , a definitive ideology was born - bringing new life to science , humanities , and the arts . History has classified this as the Italian Renaissance (WSU , 2008

A major upheaval during this period is credited toward the arts , with the presence of the classic paintings of Sandro Botticelli , whose interpretation of still life depicts an emphasis on melancholy and line (CSU , 2008 the great

artist Michelangelo Buonarroti , who created the impressive Sistine Chapel ceiling , and was famous for his temper and terribilita or grandeur of work and the famed Leonardo da Vinci personification of the uomo universale or Rennaisance Man , who has conquered both the arts and sciences . From Da Vinci , the painting techniques of sfumato (softening of sharp outlines to give illusion of depth ) and chiaroscuro (use of strong contrast to achieve the same effect ) were introduced . Other noted artists like sculptors Lorenzo Ghiberti (who created the Gates of Paradise ) and Donatello (of naturalism and antique art , architect Filippo Brunelleschi (credited with The Dome of Florence Cathedral , painters Masaccio (a mentee of Brunelleschi , who adopted his style of perspective and of Donatello and Raphael Sanzio (whose work on the papal apartments earned him the title Prince of Painters ) all contributed to the glory of the Italian Renaissance (Harness . To add to the colorful art scene , new ideologies like Mannerism - the use of distorted and complex figures and colors - were discovered (Wikipedia

Patrons , rich people who took on artists to do commissioned work for them , were in vogue during the era . Some of the famous patrons were Isabella d 'Este of one of Italy 's oldest families , and popular leader of Florence Lorenzo de Medici , descendant of Cosimo de Medici , and Pope Julius II (Tse

More personalities that made up the impressive arts culture if the Italian Renaissance included composers Josquin des Prez , acclaimed master of polyphonic vocal music , and Maddalena Casulana , the first female composer to have her work published . Several terms used in music and composition surfaced at this time , like the monody (a monnophony or single melodic line , the frottola (a classification for popular Italian songs , the madrigal (music composed according to the emotions expressed by each line , and word painting (where music copies the literal meaning of the song (Wikipedia

A notable movement called the Renaissance Humanism also made headway at this time , which is a social and intellectual philosophy that called fro a return to personal independence , individuality , and pleasure (Kreis 2000 . A result was Imitation , a teaching method of speech that counteracted rhetorical theory (Silva Rhetoricae , 2007

Other icons that defined the times were Dominican priest Girolamo Savonarola , who upheld religious reform the Basilica of Saint Peter (or St . Peter 's Basilica , acknowledged as the greatest Christian church and Castiglione 's The Book of the Courtier (a documentation of court life during the Renaissance , which included...