Medieval Art Research Paper

Before the Renaissance, the Catholic Church mostly commissioned art, this gave artists strict guidelines about what the finished artwork was to look like, and the themes were usually religious or biblical. Medieval art was decorative, flat, and two-dimensional and did not depict the world or human beings very realistic, but a thriving commercial economy distributed wealth not just to the people but also, to merchants and bankers who were eager to show their status by purchasing art pieces. New cultural movements gave inspiration to artists, while Italy’s trade with Europe produced wealth that created a large market for art. Artists were allowed more flexibility in what they were to make, the materials they accessed, and they took advantage …show more content…
During the medieval era, art was usually flat and and two dimensional, subjects were mostly religious, figures looked flat with little movement, faces showed little emotions, and paintings were vibrant and of bright colors. The purpose of medieval era art was to teach religion to people who couldn’t read or write. On the contrary, renaissance art had evolved into something more detailed and humanistic. Some characteristics of renaissance progression were perspective (add 3-D depth and space), the use of linear perspective, horizon line, vanishing point and most important, the idea of incorporating realism and naturalism. The painting from the medieval era, Madonna and Child on a Curved Throne, 1200’s, is a wood panel painting from the byzantine period; the bodies of Mary and Jesus are bodiless and hidden in drapery. The folds of the drapery are represented by gold leaf, even where you would see knees, you have an accumulation of gold instead of light and shadow. The picture lacks the feeling of depth and space. Also, Jesus is portrayed as an infant, but looks like a miniature adult. “Because their subject is not the temporary appearance of the physical world but a holy and infinite presence, icons avoid direct references to earthly reality and to specific times or places. Instead, their backgrounds are dematerialized with shimmering gold, and figures appear timeless and …show more content…
As for medieval architecture we see a lot of gothic arches, which have distinct peaks at the top of the arch. The designs of the buildings were asymmetrical. Often the number of spires that were used in buildings at the time was different on one side of the entrance than on the other. As for renaissance architectures, the arches that were used were called a keystone. The keystone was always placed at the top of arches and was larger than the other stones in the arches. Arches were rounded at the top and Renaissance Buildings were always symmetrical. In the renaissance, architects used three styles of columns they borrowed from the Greeks. One piece of architecture from the medieval era was the White Tower, whose chief architect was Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester, which was completed in 1097. “The purpose of the White Tower was to provide a power base for the Norman invaders and control and intimidate the people of the City of London.”(unknown2) Although we don’t see some of the traits characterized in the architecture of the medieval era, the White Tower floor plans were similar to the floor plans of architecture from that era. When it comes to architecture from the renaissance we notice, in the Basilica Palladiana located in in the central Piazza Dei Signori in Vicenza, north-eastern Italy, designed by Andrea Palladio, The most notable feature of the edifice is the loggia, which shows one of