1. RENAISSANCE: INTRODUCTION
 Means “rebirth” in French
 Term first used by Giorgio Vasari* to describe
the renewal of classical Greek and Roman arts,
movement toward perfection
(* Biographer of the artists, and contemporary art historian)

2. THE “DIGNITY OF MAN” AND THE REVIVAL OF HUMANISM
 Man is God’s most excellent creation.
 Man is excellent because he alone can know God.
 Man also has the ability to master his fate, and live happily in this
world.
 Humanism replaced Medieval Scholasticism.
 Focused more on ethical and political philosophy.

3.  Going back to the ancients
 While some ancient authors, especially Aristotle, were very
well known and were used for medieval thought as well as
Catholic theology and cosmology, many others had fallen by
the wayside.
 There were several reasons for this.
There was the general decline in literacy and learning
during the medieval period, but, more importantly, Greek
and proper Latin were no longer spoken or read.
Therefore, most people couldn’t read the ancient works
even if they had them.

4. Going back to the ancients
Another reason is that many of the works were lost to
western Europe.
 Once the Renaissance was under way, people
started hunting them down.
 Some were found in monastery libraries where
they had gathered dust for centuries.
 Many others came via Muslims. They had
preserved many works that started finding their
way back to Europe due to trading and also
because of the Reconquista of Spain.
The influence came not just from the original works, but also from
Muslim commentaries on the works.

5. The printing press
 Johann Gutenberg, born 1398, a German metal-worker
 Added the innovation of movable-type – metal, interchangeable
characters
 Replacing wood block type - expensive
 Borrowed from China?
 The Gutenberg Bibles, beginning 1455
 Legacy: will allow for future “turning points” including the
Renaissance, Protestant Reformation and the Scientific Revolution

6. WHY DID THE RENAISSANCE ORIGINATE IN ITALY?
 Strongest urban development.
 Very little distinction between landed aristocracy and wealthy
merchants.
 Commerce and trade created a greater demand for literacy.
 Italy was littered with reminders of its classical past.
 Wealthiest in Europe (trade and banking).

7. PATRONAGE OF THE ARTS
 Demonstrating civic pride
 Competition between wealthy families.
 Types of works: building of palaces, chapels,
decoration of churches…use of family coat of
arms

8. RENAISSANCE PAINTING
IN SPAIN
Characteristics

9. Characteristics
 Rejection of mythological themes or the cult of
the nude.
 Religiouse painting basically.
 Normally completed in oil.
 The figures are all of the same size and
anatomically correct.
 The colors and the shading are applied in tonal
ranges.
 To accentuate the Italian style: a candelieri and
Roman ruins on foreground.

11. Techniques
 The use of perspective
 Foreshortening (the appearance that the object of
a drawing is extending into space by shortening the lines with which that
object is drawn)
 Sfumato (the application of subtle layers of translucent paint so that
there is no visible transition between colors, tones and often objects)
 Chiaroscuro (use of exaggerated light contrasts in order to create the
illusion of volume)
 Balance and Proportion

12. Techniques
 The use of perspective

14. Techniques
 Foreshortening (the appearance that the object of
a drawing is extending into space by shortening the lines with which that
object is drawn)

15. Techniques
 Sfumato (the application of subtle layers of translucent paint so that
there is no visible transition between colors, tones and often objects)

16. Techniques
 Chiaroscuro (use of exaggerated light contrasts in order to create the
illusion of volume)

17. Techniques
 Balance and Proportion

18. Techniques
 Balance and Proportion

19. Spanish Renaissance
Architecture

20. 1. Plateresque style
It’s called like that because of the extremely
decorated facades, which remind the decorative
motifs of the silversmiths’ work.

24. PLATERESQUE STYLE: Seville Town Hall
Diego De Riaño

25. 2. Classical style
The decoration decreases and the influence of
Italian Renaissance is more important

26. CLASSICISM: Palace of Charles the 5th in Grenade
PEDRO MACHUCA

28. Cathedral of Grenade
Diego de Siloé

30. 3. Herrerian style
The decoration disappears. Naked buildings

31. The Escorial (Madrid)
JUAN BAUTISTA DE TOLEDO Y JUAN DE HERRERA
Historical residence of the king of Spain
It was a monastery and royal palace

32. The Escorial: main facade

33. The library

34. MANNERISM
• unnaturally elongated features
•purposefully asymmetrical or unbalanced
•unusual light sources
•figura serpentina: twisting movement of body
similar to that of a serpent’s

35. MANNERISM

36. Renaissance painting: El Greco

37. LIFE AND CHARACTERISTICS
 His real name was Doménikos Theotokóupolos.
 El Greco (The Greek) was a nickname, a reference to his Greek origin.
 He was an important architect, painter and sculptor.
 He was born in Crete in 1541. At 26 years old he travelled to Venice, and
in 1570 he moved to Rome, where he opened a workshop.
 Seven years later, he moved to Toledo, in Spain, where he lived and work
until his death. In Toledo he produced his most famous paintings.
 He wanted to work with the King Philip the 2nd, but he couldn’t reach his
dream. The King didn´t like his style.
 He gave much importance to the colours and liked to elongate the
figures. His style was really original.
 He died in 1614

38. TECHNIQUE
 Color have primacy over form
(the painter liked "the colors crude and unmixed in great blots
as a boastful display of his dexterity“)
 Tendency to dramatize rather than to describe.
 Each figure seems to carry its own light within or
reflects the light that emanates from an unseen source

39.  It represents the moment before he
Crucifixion.
 Christ looks up to Heaven with an
expression of serenity. There are a lot of
people surrounding him.
 His red robe symbolizes the sacrifice he’s
going to do to save the Humanity.

42.  It represents a legend of the
beginning of the 14th
century: the count of Orgaz
was a very generous man,
and because of that, when
he died, Saint Stephen
(Esteban) and Saint
Agustine (Agustín)
descended in person from
the heavens and buried him
by their own hands.

43. The painting is divided into
two zones:
Upper zone
Heaven (Paradise) with
Christ, the Virgin, Saint Joan
and other saints.
Lower zone
The burial of the Count with
Saint Stephen, Saint
Agustine and the people
present at the ceremony.

44. Two monks Self-portrait Count of Orgaz
Saint Stephen Saint Agustine
El Greco’s son

47. Christ, the Virgin, Saint Joan and
Saint Peter the angel form an oval
The angel holds in his hands the soul of the Count to
take it to the Paradise.

48. Elongated figures