The Early Italian Renaissance

The true flowering of the Renaissance makes its appearance in the city-state of Florence at the onset of the 15th century. Marked by humanism and competitive patronage, artists in Florence strove to decorate their city with images giving a window onto the world. In this course, we discuss the rediscovery of linear perspective by Filippo Brunelleschi, how artists such as Masaccio and Paolo Uccello were able to paint more realistic and convincing images, and how the art of Sandro Botticelli embodied the ideals and concepts of Neoplatonism. We also look at sculptors such as Donatello who began to master human anatomy, setting the stage for the High Renaissance, and how these stylistic traits began to spread and present themselves throughout Italy in centers such as Mantua, Rome, and Venice. This course will be recorded. Students will have access to videos for the duration of the course.