The Period of Renaissance

Assignment Description: This assignment asks you to analyze a Renaissance work of art, or a Renaissance theme as expressed in several different works, using the Renaissance timeline as indicated in the course resources to identify relevant works. Assignment Guidelines: Analysis: • Minimum 2-page written description of the work(s). • Should contain a thesis: the purpose of this analysis is to look closely at one Renaissance work of art, or a few related pieces, in order to better understand the Renaissance itself. Your thesis should reflect this. An example is as follows: The color, shapes and subject of Raphael’ s Madonna exemplify the style of High Renaissance. • For those of you who choose a topic that just one particular work, consider defining/explaining the topic (ex: golden ratio) and then describing a few examples of how it occurs in Renaissance art. • Focus on the work and not the biographical information about the artist(s). • Works Cited page in MLA style. Renaissance Paper Ideas Famous Artists: e.g. Titian, Brueghel, Donatello, etc. If you choose this option, you might either analyze one work in depth and explain how it exemplifies both the Renaissance and his/her style or choose 2-3 works and show the similarities between them. For example, Van Eyck is known for his incredibly rich colors and representations of fabric and texture. • Portraits: The Renaissance marks the rise of the portrait! Narrow your focus here and choose an interesting aspect of portraits: fashion, jewelry, etc. Consider one portrait artist and perhaps look at two or three of their portraits for themes or changes throughout their life. • Woman Artists: Conduct a search and see what names come up! For this topic, it could be interesting to see how they became an artist in a time when most women were not able to, and also to see what they focused on in their work. • Specific Themes: e.g. nature, science, medicine etc. as seen in a few Renaissance paintings • Characters: e.g. David. Think of the sculptures we looked at in class! • Representations of Mary: You might compare/contrast different interpretations of Mary. She becomes a very popular figure in renaissance art! Artists’ interest in Mary – sometimes called, “Cult of Mary” – suggests that artists become interested in her as the human figure in the Biblical story. • Figures from Myth: The Italian Renaissance reimagines the Greek gods and goddesses. You might closely examine images of a specific god or goddess, and explain how they are different from those of ancient times. Or, you could compare different portrayals, e.g. of Zeus, Venus or other mythical figures.