AP European History

The Autonomy of Art and the Social Status of the Artist

The Renaissance was a revolution – a revolution in the way people thought, acted, and lived their lives. Art was not excluded in this ‘rebirth’; rather it underwent a transformation akin to the other elements of European life. Art mirrored the changing view of the individual in society, religion, attitudes toward the sciences, as well as Humanistic values. Artists too became more respected as their art became less of a commissioned craft and more of an expression of creativity.
During the Middle Ages, art was created to inspire religious fervor and provide guidance in prayer. These goals were conveyed in the Gothic style. In Giotto di Bondone’s The Kiss of Judas (1305), key Gothic elements are evident such as the stiff posture and perfect profile of the figures, and the painting’s two-dimensionality. Also common in the Middle Ages was the use of separate spaces to show difference scenes on a flat surface.
Prominent though the Gothic style was, it did not last much longer after “The Kiss”. Lorenzo Ghiberti’s ten panels from the Gates of Paradise (1425-1452), which depict ten stories of the Old Testament, marks the transition between Gothic and Renaissance art. The panels show a definite modulation from the Gothic style of absent of perspective and separation of scenes to the Renaissance innovations in mathematical perspective, the study of anatomy, and the concern for an esthetically pleasing and unified image. The first panel, depicting Adam and Eve, stays faithful to the Gothic style. Each particular section of the narration is separated and the relief is two-dimensional. In the second panel however, the separation of the story is achieved both by division of the images and by depth using the foreground, center, and background of the panel. A vanishing point is discernable, hinting at the beginning ideas of perspective, and is used to create a unified image. The later panels in the Gates of Paradise suggest even more use of mathematical perspective. The use of perspective as well as the use of architecture draws the eye to specific parts of the piece and aid in creating unified images, rather than small illustrations representing different parts of the narrative. Thus the Gates of Paradise is the fundamental evidence for the evolution of art from the Dark Ages to the ‘rebirth’.
With the dawning of the Renaissance, a new social class emerged – the wealthy merchants. Previously only the aristocracy was able to afford art, but now so could the middle-class. Art became a way to express one’s individuality and establish one’s place in society. Here, a change in portraiture can be recognized. Gothic style portraits were only of the elite, and the person depicted was often more idealized than portrayed accurately. In the 1420 painting Portrait of a Princess, the woman is in perfect profile, has sharp graphic features, and is brightly lit. The portrait does not suggest much about the women herself, other than her wealth, evident in her rich, luxurious clothing. In comparison, Renaissance portraits were almost of an entirely new genre, in which the individual had a new role. A person’s character was revealed, as well as their social status. Expressions were more realistic and personal. In Jan van Eyck’s The Amolfini Marriage (1434), the first full-length portrait, the illustrated couple is captured in an intimate moment in their bedroom. Van Eyck was one of the first to use oil paints. He was able to create details, rich texture, and depth with oil paints like no other medium. Here too for the first time, a painting is used as a document, in this case a marriage. Symbolism was common during the Renaissance, and not ignored by van Eyck, who used the one light in the chandelier as the eye of God, blessing the marriage. The ten circular spots in the mirror in the back of the painting represent the ten stories from the Old Testament. Van Eyck was also fond of leaving a signature, as he does in The Amolfini Marriage, by painting himself in the reflection of the room in the mirror.
Jan van Eyck also painted a commissioned alter piece, The Virgin of Chancellor Rolin (1433-1435). Courtly art was used as a kind of publicity, to display the grandeur of the court. In The Virgin, the chancellor is portrayed as a powerful man, controlling the town painted in the background. The virgin actually symbolizes the Virgin Mary, while the baby on her lap is baby Jesus. Perspective is used in this painting, and prominent architecture creates a sense of divided space – inside the room versus the outside scenery. An aura of wealth is conveyed in the painting by luxury items and rich clothing.
In the 15th century, a strong demand for art - from the both the upper and middle classes, as well as the church, immediately raised the artists’ place in society. No longer a craftsman, the artist could produce art rather than be commissioned to paint certain things. For the first time, self-portraits began to be produced. Albrecht Dürer painted two self-portraits, one in 1498, the other in 1500. These two paintings show Dürer’s concern with his social identity, and how society views him. Self-portraits were an expression of the individuality of the artist not seen during the Dark Ages. For once, art was created for the sake of art rather than to provide an income.
The study of nature was the next idea to transform art. The genius Leonardo da Vinci was the first artist to incorporate Humanistic values, such as the individual and Naturalism, into his masterpieces. Da Vinci studied the anatomy of the human body, and used his studies to make his creations more realistic, his expressions more human-like. Da Vinci was the preeminent artist to break away from the idea of imitating the “Masters” and pioneered Naturalism and its use in creating art. Several prodigious artists followed da Vinci, namely Michelangelo di Lodovico and Raphael Sanzio. Michelangelo, in keeping with Humanistic ideas, looked to classical antiquity, particulary Roman sculpture, for inspiration. A new relationship was formed, that between the Humanists and the artists. Michelangelo created the sculpture David (1501-1504) using Humanism, Naturalism, and Classicism elements. David is alone, without the head of Goliath (as was previously popular), in between thinking and acting. Michelangelo reached such a high level of artistic genius that he was known as “The Divine One”.
Raphael’s School of Athens, a fresco in the Vatican, is often regarded as the portrait of the Renaissance. Raphael paints both scientists and artists of his time as well as revered classical intellects. For example, da Vinci, Michelangelo, and the artist himself are present in the painting, next to Plato and Aristotle. School of Athens combines all revolutionary elements of Renaissance art, such as harmonious composition, perspective, and Naturalism, and also incorporates the Humanistic homage to Greek and Roman ideas.
The height of Renaissance art is defined by Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo, after painting the chapel over a period of four years, achieved the highest artistic accomplishment. He creates something that isn’t just art – but something supernatural, and thus earned his title of “The Divine One”.
The transformation of art and the artist, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, forever shaped the history of art. Artists enjoyed positions of power, were defined as geniuses, and their art celebrated as masterpieces.

by: Madeline Stecy

Posted on October 16th, 2007 by Ms. Laurie Rojas
Filed under: Art History