Painting’s historical evolution - IV

Russian painting. When Russia received Christianity from Byzantium in the late 1000's, an important part of the culture transplanted onto Russian soil was the early medieval art that Byzantium had brought to a level of great sophistication. For the Orthodox Church, icons (images of holy personages or events) where an integral part of worship and theology, testifying to the reality of the incarnation. Characteristically icons were painted in tempera on wooden panels, though they may be of other materials, and the fresco wall paintings (occasionally mosaics) with which early churches were always adorned as equally «iconic». After the Tatar conquest contacts will the Mediterranean world revived: Serbian painters worked in Novgord; the learned Greek Theophanes (in Russian Feofan) worked both there and in Moscow. But home-bred talents made this the great age of Russian painting; notably the monk Andrew Rublyov (c. 1370-1430). He is first recorded as one of the painters of the Moscow Annunciation Cathedral in 1405. He was evidently aware of new stylistic currents in Byzantine art of the time – and also conveys the Hellenistic impetus behind Byzantine art generally.

Beginning about 1400, European painting flourished as never before. This era of great painting took place during the period of history called the Renaissance. The Renaissance began in Italy about 1300 and spread northward. By 1600, it had effected nearly all Europe.

One very important aspect of the Renaissance was a great revival of interest in the art and literature of ancient Rome. This revival had an enormous influence on painting. Religious subject matter remained important. But artists included elements of Roman architecture in their pictures. The Italian city of Florence and the northern Europe – an region of Flanders became the major centers of painting in the early Renaissance.

Sandro Botticelli, one of the greatest Florentine masters, became the leading interpreter of Neoplatonism. Leonardo da Vinci was probably the greatest artist of the 1400's. Leonardo, as he is almost always called, was trained to a painter. But he became one of the most versatile geniuses in history. Leonardo's paintings made him famous, and his more graceful approach marked the beginning of the High Renaissance Style.

By the early 1500's, Rome had replaced Florence as the chief center of Italian painting. Two of the greatest artists in history - Raphael and Michelangelo - worked there. The style of painting that centered in Rome during the early 1500's is called High Renaissance.

Venetian painting. Venice ranked second only to Rome as a center of Italian art during the 1500's. Their works also show a trend away from interest in the hard outline and sculptural and heroic figures found in the paintings of Florence and Rome. Venetian oil painters tried to please and relax the viewers rather than inspire them to noble deeds. Giorgione, Titian and Tintoretto were the most famous.

Date: 2015-01-02; view: 994