RENAISSANCE IN VISUAL ARTS

In 1550 Giorgio Vasari published the "Lives of the greatest Italian architects, painters and sculptors from Cimabue to nowadays". This work is divided in three parts which refer respectively to XIV, XV and XVI centuries. Every part shows a specific style or manner. Vasari used the term Renaissance to indicate the painting renovation introduced by Cimabue and Giotto. The last artist mentioned is Michelangelo, who along with Leonardo, Bramante and Raffaello is one of the protagonists of the modern style.

The Renaissance is a rivival of the classical world. Also in Art there is a return to classical modes of representation in a three-dimensional setting. The aim of Greek and Roman Art was imitation of nature. The Renaissance saw the birth of an empiric science, which studied natural phenomenons (in the Middle-Ages instead nature was seen like a divine manifestation). The main instrument used for representation was perspective which is based on mathematical laws. A very interesting perspective, created by Leonardo da Vinci, was the aerial perspective.

From the study of Vitruvio’s treatise on architecture the proportions theory was elaborated. Proportion indicates the correspondence between two or more parts, expressed by mathematic rapports. The discipline on which proportions are especially applied is architecture.

In the Renaissance there is a trades specialization: Leon Battista Alberti became exclusively an architect and didn’t perform manual work anymore. In the 16^th century the social condition of the artist changed. The artist wasn’t an artisan anymore but he became an intellectual. Thus painting, sculpture and architecture lined up with music, grammar, rethoric, poetry, philosophy, astrology and law.

In the first twenty years of the century thanks to Popes Giulio II and Leone X of the Medici family Rome became the main centre for the arts. Under Pope Clemente VII of the Medici family Rome was sacked by Charles V troops. The Vatican and the other main churches of the city were looted and destroyed. Despite this the 16^th century is certainly the time during which Rome was at its height and Italian art was widely appreciated and spread around Europe.