ENF 3 unit 7

Exploring the Work of an Artist: Renaissance Art

The selected topic for my research is renaissance art. This category of art dominated the period between the 14th and 16th centuries. It was during this period that the famous painter Leonardo da Vinci lived. Two questions regarding the selected topic include these: What were the characteristics of the renaissance art? What changes in art were experienced during the renaissance period? The carefully chosen works for this discussion include Mona Lisa, the last sapper, and Saint John the Baptist which were all painted by Leonardo da Vinci (Cole, 2018).

Just in a few words, Leonardo da Vinci was born on 14th April 1452 in a Tuscan town called Vinci which was located in the lower valley of the Armo River. He was an out-of-wed-lock son raised by his adopted farther Messer Piero Fruosino di Antonio and Caterina who was his mother. Before being adopted, Leonardo spent his early years in the home of his mother called hamlet of Anchiano. His love for painting was motivated when his family moved to Florence where he was employed as a studio boy in a workshop that belonged to Verrocchio (Karahan, 2017). At the time, Verrocchio was the leading painter.

One of the major works that Leonardo da Vinci ever did was Mona Lisa. This painting was done do honor the wife of Francesco del Giocondo called La Gioconda. The painting is painted as oil on wood. In terms of size, the original size of the painting is 77 x 53 cm. the painting is currently owned by the French government (Cole, 2018). The painting is also found on the wall in the louvre located in Paris, France. Presented here below is the Mona Lisa painting.

My opinion regarding the Mona Lisa artwork is that this painting is very interesting for the reason that it is balanced and composed. Leonard appears to have used the design principle of balance by locating the human figure at the center. What I mean by this is that the figure is neither inclined to either the left or right. The significance of this is that it enables a viewer to have a full view of the painting. Being located at the center is a strategy that appears to have been employed to ensure maximum use of space (Karahan, 2017). Moreover, the painting has bright colors that make all the features to be easily seen.

The second major work that Leonardo da Vinci ever did was the Last Sapper. This painting was completed in the 1490s using a tempera, gesso medium. In terms of dimension, the original last supper painting is 460 cm x 880 cm. The scene depicted in the painting refers to the biblical last supper that Jesus had before ascending to heaven. This is as described in the gospel of John in the bible. It was a time in the bible when Jesus announced that one of His disciples would betray him. Presently, the last supper painting is housed at the covenant of Santa Maria delle Grazie which is located in Milan, Italy (Cole, 2018). Presented here below is the image painting of the last supper.

My view regarding the last sapper artwork is that this painting is important for the reason that it helped act as an educational image for the Christians. Leonardo in this painting employed the design principle of directional forces by opting to draw human figures that are attempting to pay attention to Christ who was at the center. The other fascinating thing about this painting is that the artist employed emphasis by ensuring that the figures trying to be very close to Christ do not lean on him (Cole, 2018). This was aimed at ensuring that the image of Christ was very clear to the viewer of the image.

Another major work that Leonardo da Vinci ever did was that of Saint John the Baptist. It is estimated that this painted was done between 1513 and 1516. The medium that was used to complete the image was oil on walnut wood. In terms of dimension, the Saint John the Baptist measures 69 cm x 57 cm. The image is a reflection of the Biblical John the Baptist who baptized Jesus when on earth (Karahan, 2017). By being Baptized, Jesus was being trying to fulfill one of the Christian rituals of passage.

My opinion concerning john the Baptist painting is that this piece of work is that it is fascinating. Looking at the image, for example, Leonardo employed the design principle of directional forces by drawing upward-pointing fingers. The significance of the upward-pointing finger is that it makes the viewer to shift the focus from the center and then look for other important features that the artist is trying to present (Cole, 2018). The artist also employed the design principle of repetition by drawing curled hair.

Generally speaking, both works of art point out different subjects and themes. Some of the main subject and theme in the painting include religion and honor. The image of the last supper and that of Saint John the Baptist, for example, illustrate religious events. In the last supper event of the bible, for example, Jesus told his disciples that one of them was going to betray him. The disciples got worried wondering the person that would do such a thing. The image of Saint John the Baptist illustrates the Baptism that Jesus went through when young (Karahan, 2017). The Mona Lisa image, however, is not connected with religion since it was created to honor the wife of Francesco del Giocondo called La Gioconda.

In terms of style, the three pieces of artwork are perfect in illustrating the feature of the rendering of shadow and light to create the illusion of depth. This is as evidenced in the image of John the Baptist. The style employed in the Mona Lisa brings out the feature of individualism. It is important to note that there is only one human figure in this kind of painting.

Work Cited

Cole, Bruce. The Renaissance Artist at Work: From Pisano to Titian. Routledge, 2018.

Karahan, M., D. Donmez, and S. Cikmaz. "Embalming techniques of the Renaissance period." Scripta Scientifica Medica 49 (2017): 53.