Medieval and Renaissance Art

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

1. Early Medieval and Romanesque Art. From Insular manuscripts to Romanesque pilgrimage churches, early medieval art built toward monumental sculpture.
2. The Rise of Gothic Art and Architecture. Abbot Suger's theology of light at Saint-Denis launched Gothic cathedrals, stained glass, and naturalistic sculpture.
3. The Trecento and Early Netherlandish Painting. Giotto and Duccio broke with Byzantine convention, while van Eyck refined oil painting in the north.
4. Northern Realism: van Eyck, van der Weyden, and Bosch. Van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece, van der Weyden's pathos, and Bosch's visions defined Northern realism.
5. The Early Italian Renaissance (Quattrocento). Perspective, classical revival, and Medici patronage drove Florence's Quattrocento breakthroughs.
6. The High Renaissance: Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael perfected the High Renaissance ideals of naturalism and harmony.
7. Venetian Painting, the Northern Renaissance, and Mannerism. Venetian color, Northern portraiture, and Mannerist distortion diversified Renaissance style after 1500.
8. Patronage, Theory, and the Renaissance Artist's Status. Patronage, guilds, theory, and pioneering women artists shaped the Renaissance artist's rising status.