An Analysis of Images in the High Renaissance Through Impressionism, Essay Example

Introduction: Thesis Statement

The High Renaissance through Impressionism is the period the period from 1400-1800. It is characterized by a rich discovery of both the art and scientific history. Products of the art history include art oil-paintings from the Italian Proto-Renaissance. These works of art depict antiques with fully captured classic knowledge. The cities of Rome and Venice are centers of these High Renaissance artworks in Italy. Great masters of art include Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, and Giorgione and titian of Venetian art. They were inspired by the Greco-Roman sculptures and architecture that led to an explosive study of art and creative writings. Below is a comparative study of two images which will lead to an in depth understanding of the works of art in this period.

Image Identifications

There are two types of images indentified in this study:

1508. The Tempest, Italian la Tempesta, the artistic work of Venetian painter Giorgione from 1506 to 1508. It is currently in the antiques of Gallerie dell Accademia in Venice, Italy. Its dimensions are 83 by 73 cm.
1509. The School of Athens, Scuola di Atene, the artistic work of Italian painter Raphael from 1510 to 1511. It is a decorative fresco called Stanze di Raffaello in the antiques of Apostolic Palace in Vatican. Its dimensions are 500 by 770 cm.

Analysis of Style

Descriptive and Analytical Style

The Tempest is a type of oil painting on canvas (Buttner 74). On the foreground is the image is a man holding a long staff taken in a soldiery posture and stands on the left of the stream. He is smiling and looking to the opposite direction. Seated on the right is a woman breastfeeding a child seated under the shade of a tree. She is almost nude revealing most of her body on the lower side. On the background stand pillars both firm and broken. There are also storks on the rooftops of buildings and an incoming stormy cloud.

There are contrasting features of a stormy background compared to the silent and serene foreground. There is also a natural environment of trees, stream and natural beings in the foreground as matched up to to the more artificial architecture in the background. Color has been used contrast images. Green and brown has been used to depict natural environment while white indicates the artificial. This may be a depiction of the Eden myth of creation; Adam, Eve and their firstborn Cain. Changes in creation have been tempestuous with the wars that may be symbolized by the broken pillars. A raging storm may depict times that change from good to worse.

The School of Athens is a type of frescos painting which is ca masterpiece depicting the classical spirit of philosophy. The immediate context might be a stage of a palace or an academic centre.  A low lying wall of the stage is covered by four written plaques. The people on this stage are ancient philosophers thus ‘school’ may depict philosophy (Britannica Online, 2009). There are numerous discussions among these people some in groups and others in pairs. They use rhetorical gestures in communication. An example is the pairs at the centre, one long bearded, old with a fatherly figure on the left while the other is youthful and listening to old wisdom. They have contrasting gestures, the younger pointing downwards while the older pointing upwards.

From ancient writings these two may symbolize Plato and Aristotle, the former being teacher to the latter. These two agreed to disagree in their philosophical views. They arouse importance as fathers of modern philosophy. There is both male and female participation in the discussions which portrays that both male and female philosophers contributed to knowledge and discovery. There is a crowned female figure in the background which depicts both the royal crown and a majestic authority of a queen (Rewald 85). This symbolizes commitment by the early monarchy to development of knowledge and philosophy.

Function

The Tempest’s purpose may vary from the artistic view to the scholarly view. It depicts a moral allegory from a naturalistic to an artificial environment. It can be used as symbolic plaque of man’s evolution. The title ‘the tempest’ functions as an indication of raging times in the futures of mankind.

The School of Athens is used to show the fathers of modern knowledge and a combined effort of male and female figures. The aggressiveness of discussions shows zeal by both young and old to pursue knowledge. It can be used therefore as decorative antique and inspiration to latter day philosophers.

Cultural Context

The social context of the Tempest show a society where men were defenders while the woman is a symbol of beauty and nurturing. This is shown by the spear on the man’s hand and the nude breastfeeding mother. The political influence in this image can be traced from the broken pillars which might be a result of war. The society is also advanced in architectural design.

The School of Athens is in the context of Greek philosophy where the language was used in writings and also by philosophers. This might have been an assembly of philosophers in the Italian Renaissance. The religious influences to this painting are the sculpted gods on the background. One on the left might represent the god of music since he is holding a lyre. A political influence to it is seen by the presence of the majestic figure of the royal crown.

Comparative Structure

Similarities

The images have been painted in relatively the same period of art history. Both the female and male figures, the animate and inanimate beings are present. Color has been used to contrast images equally.

Differences

The Tempest is a landscape painting a while, the School of Athens is a frescos. The Tempest captures both artificial and non-artificial scenes while the School of Athens is purely artificial.

The tempest has only three human characters and is not engaged in conversation. The School of Athens has figurative gestures among the people in it.

The Tempest may depict different times in history from the contrast of fore and background scenes unlike the uniformity of the time in the School of Athens.

Conclusion

These artworks are both rich and fine images while their themes can be applauded. From which modernity originate. Modern knowledge originates from classical philosophy while the current problems by mankind originate from the Eden Sin of Adam and Eve. Hence these two images help us to understand modern times making them interesting for critical discussion.

Works Cited

“The Tempest.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online 2009. retrieved 06 Dec, 2009 from <http:// www.britannica.com/EB checked/topic/586736/The-Tempest>.

Rewald J. History of Impressionism, The Museum of Modern Art, 4th ed. 1973 (1st 1946, 2nd 1955,   3rd 1961), p.85.

Büttner, N. Landscape Painting History. New York: Abbeville Press Publishers. 2006 pp. 74–77.