Renaissance Art, Literature and History - Essay Example

Lecturer: Renaissance Art, literature and history Introduction: The Renaissance of Art, Literature and History, has always been recognized as the most significant way of expressing and illustrating many things especially in the history of Spain, Madrid and other places and mostly during the 16th century. With artists and playwrights using paintings, carvings, sculptures, drawing and verses to portray reality or the images of the most significant and influential leaders of the past times. The symbols are also seen to have been used on things or events that were foreseen and were expected to come. This style of art was widely used in the most respected premises like the palaces and empires where the princes, kings, queens and other leaders had important occasions or even ceremonies performed and held (Pedro p. 33) In this particular renaissance art and literature, everything about the history, leadership or certain countries are brought out. The artist could use their works to illustrate realities that had passed and also the imaginary events expected to be faced by the leaders and their countries in the future. Most works done in literature by playwrights like Pedro Calderon whose hero is the Ruler of Madrid Prince Segismundo? Pedro stressing the fact that Madrid is central entertainment point of the world and prince Segismundo is the ruler (Pedro p. 99). Pedro also seemed to be influential in the sense that he is able to bring inspiration into bringing the possibility of the Plaza being rebuilt. We also have the verses being used by other artist such as Pedro Rosete who uses a collection of verses to praise the palace of Buen Retiro. He names the Poem after the ruler of the Palace with very unique composition. So many decorations of the palace were put in a way that conveyed very strong messages with some of them giving beautiful pictures of memorable events and great leaders. Some art portrayed good works of leaders and mostly victories of wars and some were showing battles. In Retiro there was the most important room which was meant to be occupied by the royals at the time of celebrations and ceremonies. The hall which was a place where the king spent time sometime to enjoy himself and to work during other moments had to be made very attractive with arts which had different strong meanings (Levin p. 56). The rooms also according to the artist had to be the most comfortable place for the king or a leader to spend most of his time. As seen from the Hall or Reams the artists did a crucial job to ensure the best outcome for the look of the palaces, all significant historic portrays were used to decorate the inside of the palace, starting from the floor, the walls, and even the roof. The most beautiful paintings, showed the four kingdoms of the Monarchy of Spain. Other art painting which decorated the room were those of victories won by Phillip IV armies (Pedro p. 105) The paintings were done all over the room including on the doors. They gave a richly oriented decoration. Mostly the works done by two artist Velazquez and Maino were the best and the most unique. These were artist known for their excellent artwork hence being chosen to do the work for the most important places where royal’s ceremonies were carried out. The palace was full of arts of different beautiful illustrations from those of war, to victories such as Elizabeth in procession to black friars 1600 by Robert Peak, to images of young Prince Baltasar Carlos on horseback 1634. The artist works shows how the arts and the palace are very friendly in the sense that the kings are comfortable with the works as the decorations portray old tradition which matches the kingship old history. The arts of decorations from the great artists were done in parables, similarity and recitations. They illustrated, huge family occasions, victories made by the armies, triumphal entries, dynastic marriages, diplomatic coups through narrative way. Others like wisdom, justice among others were shown through representation or referred to biblically (Louis p. 92) The artist is seen to be able to create art that can be carried around by a leader who is always in the move like Charles V. This art was a portable decorations invented in form of Tapestries showing the conquests of the leader both in Pavia by Bernard Van Orley in 1531. The leaders in Madrid Especially Phillip II to were so accustomed to painting as the decorations for places and other royal’s premises. The leader requested the battle painting to be used a gallery decoration. Artist as well as their leaders was all sailing together on the art styles because whatever the artist did always was satisfied the leaders. In Madrid History was important to the kings and other Leaders hence causing them to enhance arts which could keep important memories of events. The renaissance art and literature relates together very well with the history because everything that is carried by the art of drawing, painting and writings by different artists goes very well with the historic events in places like Spain, Europe and Madrid. Some of the art for instance show the way Madrid was a very small town or village like, and goes on to illustrate steps of how it started growing and within a span of thirty to forty years, it had become a great beautiful and modern city with so much activity. It also shows how after the growth, the populations grew too while in Spain things were the opposite. In the book The Plaza Mayor of Madrid and it is illustrated also in writing and painting (Levin p. 100). The process of Madrid growing is a significant portrayal for the artist and the leaders and therefore the more reason the process is important to be seen on the drawing and literature as it is part of the most important piece of history of Madrid. Apart from drawings and paintings of past events used as decorations, we also see the importance of the images of the leaders done in the most unique styles by certain artists. The drawings show the images of queens, kings, princes who were well known from the past. All the arts and literature portrayed in the books relate to the history of Madrid and other countries and what took place there. The renaissance as a new beginning show how for instance the ancient town of Madrid was transformed through beautiful art and literature into a big and modern city. This relates the newness of the city and the palaces transformed from their old models into the latest and wider models. That is how the renaissance are relate well with the history and literature. Other events that were shown in the painting were occasions like the burial of Charles V in Brussels at the cathedral. The artist works also have portraits of royal couples together and those of their children. There are some portraying young prices on horse backs too. Some of these images portray how some royal couples or families were close (Levin p.176) The confinement seen in power and renaissance art is evident because it seemed like art was the only preferred way of decorations especially for the royal places. Decorations done by arts of images from different events became the only way of beautifying royal places in Madrid and other parts of the world. Leaders in those particular places were comfortable with the art style and that encouraged the artists to even go into a wide range of art styles in renaissance (Louis p. 111). The society became fully confined to the renaissance art for a long time. Another reason for the confinement was the importance of the way it displayed history of the societies there. The leaders and the people there felt close to their past when they were sounded by arts which portrayed the events of the past that happened in their homelands. They became so comfortable with everything that went with the art and literature and this even lead to the fame of some of the significant artists. In the same era of 26th century, monarchial politics were greatly represented by icons by use of royal images in the government. For instance the portraits of Valois, Habsburg and Tudor princes which gives a required illustration confirmation for consolidation of authority of the dynastic state, and for highly adapted nature of biased procedure, during the early modern era. In Roy’s writings, he says that portraiture was one feature of the enormous development of the idea of dominion that involved broadcasting of the descriptions of rulers in Spain, stone carvings, print and metal molding through out the realm on a scale of uniqueness since traditional relic in the sixteenth century. The Historical condition that changed the portrait of one Tudor dynast which was specified by Simon Thurley was Elizabeth’s Father, Henry VIII (Louis p. 120). The way renaissance is use here, confinement is still evident as the art is best known the give assuring and satisfying beauty that is needed in the royal premises. It carries the old and the new events and portraits of ancient and present rulers. Therefore it is also rich in tradition and that is just what is needed there. That means in Madrid everyone was naturally confined to the art as had all the satisfaction they needed. The art also seem to carry everything that may have been necessary to beautify the places where the rulers were expected carry their duties and other activities for example a place like The hall or realms C 1900. As I mentioned earlier that the paintings in the hall were portraying many images of wars, victories, triumphs celebrations and also images of all the important rulers of the early and latest civilizations (Louis p. 180). The paintings inside the hall have been done in such a way that there is a division making the north hall and South hall. It was most important for the planners of the Hall of realms to come up with work that would impress the emperors and rulers. They knew if the rulers were satisfied everybody else will not have questions. In their work the artist starting by imagining how the hall should look like after the art work was complete. They had to come up with images matching the culture in which the state was living with and it had to be something which went together with the dynastic sequence. This meant that apart from coming up with images showing a group of soldiers in wars and after a glorious win. Pictures of certain rulers were significant in the Hall too, to show that the people had to recognize and be grateful to their rulers for the great works and as respect for the royalty. For example there is the portrait of Elizabeth Hardwick c. 1600 by Rowland Lockley and Elizabeth and R. Dudley c. 1575 by Federico Zuccaro, Sir Christopher Hatton 1589 (Louis p. 200). Generally, we see how leaders, people and artist in Madrid liked their political power and lifestyles to be shown through renaissance exclusively. That shows how important this art was for the people of Madrid and their leaders especially. This art was so much appreciated in Madrid as it brought their culture and traditions close to them, and it came with and exclusive beauty (Levin p. 350). Works Cited: Levin, Carol. Dreaming the English Renaissance: politics and desire in court and culture. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. Print. Louis, Montrose. Idols Of the Queen. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. Print. Pedro, Calderon. Life Is a Dream. New York. Penguin Classic Edition. 2006. Print. Read More