PAINTING AND SCULPTURE

Painting and sculpture also the new mentality. This can be seen in the way the subjects (landscapes, cities, the human body and portraits) were realistically represented. New pictorial techniques were realistically represented. New pictorial techniques were also adopted (perspective and the use of oil paints).

New interests

The artistic reflected the new interests of society. This way reflected in the following characteristics of style:

- Idealism and serenity: painters and sculptors tried to reflect reality. At the same time influenced by the ideas of the Greek philosopher Plato, they aimed to portray an ideal beauty. This idealism can be seen in the perfect faces and bodies depicted by artists like Botticelli and Raphael Sanzio, who were both famous for their Madonnas, or virgins, with angelic faces; and Leonardo da Vinci (whose work Mona Lisa has become one most famous portraits of feminine beauty). Michelangelo differed from the others because he portrayed intense emotions in his works.

- The human body: the Italian painters and sculptors were interested in the anatomy of the human body. They revived the nude as a subject, which had been abandoned in the Middle Ages. Examples of this are the Venuses by Giorgione and Titian (both from the Venetian school) or the paintings in the Sistine Chapel and the statue of David, which are both by Michelangelo.

- The search for balance and proportion: Renaissance artists studied the elements of a scene and arranged them symmetrically, in an order that guided the view of the observer. They often used a pyramidal composition. The figures were portrayed in proportion, although once again, Michelangelo broke with this convention by introducing imbalance in his work.

New techniques and materials

- In the case of sculpture, more expensive materials like marble were used more frequently. Reliefs were replaced by freestanding sculptures (three dimensional representations), which could be contemplated from all angles.

- Ancient techniques continued to be used in painting (frescoes on walls and tempera on wooden panels). However, eventually the new oil technique was adopted and used to paint on cloth canvasses.

New subjects

- In addition to themes related to Christianity, mythological themes were adopted from Classical Antiquity.

- More portraits were painted due to the increase in demand from nobles, clergy and the upper bourgeoisie. Equestrian portraits also became popular.

- Nature, landscapes and buildings substituted the gold backgrounds of the Gothic artists and became the defining feature of all compositions. They were portrayed with enormous accuracy and detail.