The Art of the Renaissance and the 20th Century - Essay Example

of the of the Compare & Contrast: Art of the Renaissance vs. 20th Century Art Introduction Art has no boundaries, no restrictions, and no taboos. What we consider art in one era is likely to be considered monstrous in another. The art movement- or what has been considered popular art has varied and changed in topic and substance from time to time. This is what gives art its widest berth. Art is but an expression of meaning- it can reflect anything from an artist’s particular point of view regarding the realities of life, cultural phenomena, political satire- the artist’s brush and his mind are the only tools needed. This paper will compare and contrast the art of the Renaissance as against the art of the 20th century. I will do so by choosing two artists, one from each era and comparing and contrasting their styles on the basis of the ideas, methods, materials and media they employed. Further I will discuss at least three works of each artist to prove my point. For the purpose of this assignment I have chosen to compare and contrast the works of Michelangelo in the Renaissance Era to that of Salvador Dali in the 20th century. Both of these artists were incredibly talented and hardworking, worked on a variety of mediums and in a sense became the iconic artists of their eras. While surrealism dealt with imagery, this is no less important in the spiritual paintings of the Renaissance. The Art of the Renaissance The Renaissance can be characterized as a time during the fifteenth century in Europe when there was a rebirth or reawakening of the human mind and spirit in almost every way. Every discipline of importance was affected, including art. The Early Renaissance started in Italy round about the year 1400. It can be said that the Renaissance took Europe from the medieval times to the modern ages. All art forms like sculpture, paintings and even decorative art of this period bear some similar and distinctive characteristics that indicate the change in thinking as well as the creation of new artistic sensibilities. Among the prominent artists of the Renaissance are Titian, Raphael, Michelangelo, Bellini, Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Boticelli. The opening work of this era is characterized by the bronze doors of the Baptistry of the Florentine cathedral designed by Lorenzo Ghiberti. Its culmination may be seen in the work on the Sistine Chapel done by Perugino, Ghirlandaio, Boticelli and Rosselli through their frescoes depicting the Life of Christ and the life of Moses. The Art of the 20th Century Twentieth century art had its beginnings in the movement towards modernism from the late 19th century. It is also called Modern Art. Its beginnings lie in Art Nouveau and Post Impressionism. The art of the 20th century espoused many forms and used a variety of mediums. It was characterized at various times by Cubism, Fauvism, Dadaism and Futurism. Prominent among the artists of the 20th century are Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Damien Hirst. Each of these artists has used a different medium and some a variety of mediums to express their feelings and ideas. Ideas, Methods, Materials and Media Michelangelo was a versatile artist and a great painter and sculptor. He is said to have been a keen observer of the human body and even studied corpses for anatomical details. The results are clearly evident in his sculptures of the Pieta and David, classical masterpieces completed before he was thirty years old. Michelangelo studied painting under Domenico Ghirlandaio and sculpture under Bertoldo di Giovanni and emerged as one of their best pupils before embarking on his own career as an artist. He fashioned works of art out of wood, marble and stone, besides painting numerous frescoes. His work on the Sistine Chapel which took four years to complete (1508-12) and Pope Julius’s Tomb which due to various interruptions was completed in forty years remain outstanding as some of the hallmarks of Renaissance work (Hibbard, 48). Salvador Dali who was one of the chief proponents of the surrealist movement used wood, paper, precious metals- anything that inspired him to create an artistic masterpiece. His work is characterized by its ability to shock and provoke the onlooker. Salvador Dali also expressed himself in a variety of mediums, from films to drawings to set and fashion design. He has designed a perfume labeled 2045 for Christian Dior which will hopefully be unveiled in that year. For Italian designer Elsa Schiaperelli, Dali designed a hat shaped like a shoe and a pink belt having a buckle in the shape of lips. Description of Three Art Works of Each of These Artists Michelangelo’s work on the Sistine Chapel has been for many his most monumental work. The project was commissioned to him by Pope Julius II in May 1508 and took four years to complete. Contrary to the Pope’s original wishes for the twelve apostles, Michelangelo was persistent to follow his own ideas and was finally allowed artistic license to do so. It has been recorded that he painted a total of 343 figures in this effort. There are a total of nine scenes depicted from the book of Genesis in the Old Testament, from the Separation of Light and Darkness, Creation of the Sun, Moon and Earth, Separation of Land and Water, the Creation of Adam, the Creation of Eve, the Temptation and the Expulsion, the Sacrifice of Noah, the Great Flood and the Drunkenness of Noah. Some figures begun in the early parts are clearly larger than others started later. Michelangelo had to paint the entire ceiling standing up which must have been challenging (Hibbard, 157). Michelangelo always regarded himself to be a better sculptor than painter. His 17 foot sculpture David is a clear evidence of this fact. The sculpture took four years to complete from 1501 to 1504 and was unveiled on 8th September of that year. It is a figure of a tall nude. The expression on the face is tense and determined- that is why it is it supposed to be before the fight with Goliath. This is in marked contrast with the other artists of the time, notably Donatello and Verruchio, who preferred David holding the head of a slain Goliath. However Michelangelo’s lone figure evokes memories of the classical Greek sculptures of antiquity. It denotes both youth and strength. Michelangelo’s Pieta which he completed between 1498 and 1499 is housed in the Basilica of St. Peter’s. It depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion. Christ bears no scars as Michelangelo wanted the work to depict humanism and serenity despite abandonment. Mary’s face depicts youthfulness and chastity. Salvador Dali’s ‘The Persistence of Memory’ (1931) remains a masterpiece of surrealist art. The painting consists of watches melting in the sun, much like a Parmesan cheese. The melting watches symbolize the passing of time- a fleeting state, an unconscious symbol of the relativity of space and time. It is in effect a Surrealist comment that defeats our ideas of a fixed cosmic order. In the middle of the painting one may glimpse a hidden figure, a portrait of the artist himself. Dali has said that the idea for this particular piece of painting appeared to him in a dream. He therefore sought to recreate the dream like experience in the painting itself, hence its surrealist nature. Among the other famous works by Dali are the Mae West Lips Sofa made of wood and satin and Lobster Telephone. In fact there are four models of the telephone all present at various museums today. The former was inspired by the actress Mae West whom Dali found fascinating. She is also the subject of his 1935 portrait ‘The Face of Mae West.’ Another masterpiece of Salvador Dali that took years to create was a heart that was fashioned from jewels and precious stones. The work was started in 1941 and completed in 1970. It was labeled The Royal Heart and has moving pieces. It is presently on exhibition in Spain. Commenting upon this work, Dali himself remarked that it is the audience that is most important, for it is the eye of the beholder and their appreciation that gives the piece its legacy (Dali, 55). Works Cited Dali,S. The Secret Life of Salvador Dali, 1948. Hibbard, H. Michelangelo, 1974. Read More