High Renaissance

            During the Medieval ages many of the art focused on the symbolism, the message of the art. Artists were more abstract in regards with nature and the human form. What was more important was to give a message through art. As the middle ages past the Renaissance began and people were starting to go back to the teaching of the Classical period of the Greeks and Romans. In doing so, humanism was brought forth again, but this time humanism was transformed into many art forms. Artist were delved more into trying to portray realism as much as possible, although by the High Renaissance some idealism came through to humanism and gave it an extra upgrade to the perfection of art.

            Although in the Early Renaissance the illusion of the natural world was attempted through fine detail in objects and people, the High Renaissance artist tried to achieve this illusion through more empirical and analytical means. Using different light textures such as sfumato, the subtle transition from light to dark that Leonardo Da Vinci excelled at, artist were able to create an ideal perfect surrounding or scenery. Another technique used to enhance the illusion is chiaroscuro or implanting implied spotlights on person to enhance the shadows and overall realistic effect of the piece to give the sense of three-dimensionality.

            Many of the artworks created during the High Renaissance period were set into a well thought out space, or more mathematically rational. A way many artists of that time achieved such organized space was through linear perspective. Linear perspective allowed artist to render a three-dimension space on a two-dimensional surface. This was done by first picking a vantage point or a place where everything will recede to. The closer objects are to the vantage point the smaller and more indistinct they will be, the farther the more detailed and larger it will be shown. This manipulation of space allowed the artwork to have the illusion of depth and foreshortening, it gave the viewer a sense of reality, as one would see the real world. Added to linear perspective was atmospheric perspective, which was the illusion of depth through colors, so as one was closer to the vanishing point the colors would be more bland and cooler such as blue or gray and as one is farther from the vantage point the more colorful and radiant they are.

            An example of High Renaissance art would be of The Virgin of the rocks by Leonardo da Vinci. Sfumato is utilized as one can see the overall smoky or hazy look to the piece; it gives the impression as someone is peering in through a light fog. Chiaroscuro can be seen in each individual of the piece, they seem to be radiating light. This gives the viewer a heightened view of the person’s forms and expressions. The pieces are laid out in a triangular form, which was popular at the time, to give the artwork a sense of balance and stability. The Virgin is at the top and the three individuals are placed so as to make an implied triangle. Linear perspective is also employed at around the left middle corner where there is a range of rocky cliffs. The vantage point begins there and the orthogonal lines go out in a eastern direction, the cliffs near the vantage point are smaller and less detailed than the rocky cliffs behind the Virgin. The atmospheric perspective adds to this illusion of depth by making the cliffs near the vantage point cooler in cooler and less distinct. As one can see the Virgin and the people around her are warmly colored and finely detailed to finish off the perception of depth. All these techniques and skills finish off to make a excellent piece of art that renders the illusion or reality well.