Renaissance+-+Group+5

Michelangelo’s //Pieta// is a flawless example of the Renaissance ideals. **what ideals?** In the //Pieta//, Michelangelo depicts Christ’s dead body having been taken down from the cross and layed **laid** across his grieving mother’s lap. Here Michelangelo clearly embraces the crucial Christian theme, while exploring the humanity of Christ. He does this by the careful attention towards the body of Christ. In fact, Michelangelo was known to study and dissect corps to more accurately depict traits such as muscle structure to give his sculptures a more realistic look. Michelangelo also used the concept of shading or light and shadow. He used this technique in both his paintings and his sculptures. Michelangelo was one of the greatest Renaissance men who not only devoted himself to sculpting, but also had a extraordinary talent for architecture, engineering, and painting, as well as writing poems. Clearly he was gifted in many fields, which made him a true Renaissance man. His constant devotion to the Christian faith and Renaissance humanism are clearly shown in his sculptures. This is another reason he was one of the ideal Renaissance men. Clearly, Michelangelo was able to draw upon all of his skills to create his masterpieces. He used engineering, architecture, and painting to successfully create such a breathless and timeless work of art- the //Pieta//. Summers, David. "Michelangelo." World Book Student. World Book, 2010. Web. 15 Jan. 2010. Hartt, Frederick. Art: A History of Painting Sculpture and Architecture. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1976. Print.

The //Creation of Adam,// painted by Michelangelo, symbolizes the rebirth of man. **relate to Renaissance** Painted in the Sistine chapel in 1511, this painting depicts Adam reaching out and receiving life from God. Not only does this piece of art describe how important religion is, but it also symbolizes the rebirth of man, which is essentially what the renaissance is all about. **add to intro** The Christians believed that God lead the people of western Europe through the times of war and chaos. Then, he led them into new times of time of art, education, and success. Theoretically, it was a new beginning for man. Michelangelo captured this entire theme into one image. Michelangelo is a renaissance man. He was a gifted man with many talents. He was educated and skillful. These characteristics helped him to become the famous artist that he is. A devout Christian, Michelangelo often used biblical themes. The //Creation of Adam// puts forth the idea that God helped to fuel the Renaissance.

The Creation of Adam. 2008. TheCreationofAdam.com. January 14, 2010. [] "The Creation of Adam" __www.associatedcontent.com__ June 05, 2007. January 14, 2010. []



Leonardo da Vinci was considered an ideal Renaissance man because he used his vast knowledge to incorporate new artistic techniques in depicting important Biblical stories. **good intro** As with most Renaissance M**m**en, he not only had a love of art, but a love of science as well. He brought his love of science into his paintings by studying the human body is great detail, allowing him to make the people in his paintings as grippingly realistic and accurate as possible. Da Vinci was also a very quick learner and mastered the new Renaissance techniques of art, such as perspective. In //The Last Supper//, da Vinci used perspective, as well as a lot of shading and color, giving the mural a very three dimensional look. As with much art from the Renaissance period, the painting is an interpretation from a scene in the Christian Bible, and it has a lot of hidden symbolism, all pertaining to the Biblical story. For example, the twelve disciples sat in groups of three, a number referring to the three parts of the Christian trinity. The religious aspect of the painting made it widely accepted and popular with the upper class of the Renaissance period because most of them were devout Christians who also had a love of knowledge and art.

"Renaissance Man." __Museum of Science__. 13 January 2010. [] Martin Kemp. "Leonardo da Vinci." //Grove Art Online//. //Oxford Art Online//. 14 Jan. 2010 <[]>.

All three of these works depict biblical stories, use similar techniques that were new to the Renaissance Era, and were created by Renaissance Men. **good intro** Each piece of art portrays religion as a main theme in the Renaissance Era. In The Creation of Adam, Michelangelo uses Adam and God to symbolize the rebirth **rebirth or birth?** of man. In The Last Supper, Da Vinci shows the 12 disciples eating with Jesus, and lastly, Michelangelo shows a religious theme in Pieta by sculpting Jesus after he had been crucified. Clearly, religion lead **led** the most talented of men through the dark ages to a time where they could express themselves. Each of these artists were also called "Renaissance Men". Michelangelo and Da Vinci both represented the ideal Renaissance Man because they all had a deep passion for all subjects, such as engineering and architecture, and applied their knowledge from these passions to their artwork. They also shared their passions and encouraged others to learn, while still remaining devout Christians. Clearly, both Michelangelo and Da Vinci were able to depict unique and amazing sculptures and paintings that are still fondly remembered today. Each of these pieces tells a story, and possibly more importantly, they tell us about the time. They tell us of each man and his strong religious devotion, as well as his ability to exceed in many different areas. With this ability comes the privilege of education. Without these unique traits, these artists could have never exceeded in the time of the Renaissance.

Citations: 20 points Picture Paragraphs: 26/30 Summary: 18/20 Total: 74/80**
 * Picture: 10 points