Notes

FAMOUS RENAISSANCE ARTIST
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564)
Michelangelo was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet. He was considered
the greatest living artist in his lifetime, and since then he was considered as one of the greatest
artists of all time. A number of his works in paintings, sculpture, and architecture rank among
the famous in existence. He created two of the most influential works in fresco in the history
of Western art: the scenes from Genesis on the ceiling and the Last Judgment on the altar wall
of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. He impacted Europe by setting new standards for sculpting,
painting, and poetry. He was one of the most effective people in art and sculpting.
Leonardo di ser Piero Da Vinci (1452- 1519)
Leonardo Da Vinci was a painter, architect, scientist, and mathematician. He was
popularized in present times through the novel and movie, “Da Vinci Code.” He was known as
the ultimate “Renaissance man” because of his intellect, interest, talent and his expression of
humanist and classical values. He was also considered to be one of the greatest painters of all
time and perhaps the most diversely talented person to have ever lived.
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (Raphael) (1483-1520)
Raphael was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance period. His work
was admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of
interpreting the Divine and incorporating Christian doctrines. Together with Michelangelo and
Leonardo da Vinci, he formed the traditional trinity of great masters of that period. His main
contributions to art were his unique draftsmanship and compositional skills.
Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi (Donatello) (1386- 1466)
Donatello was one of the Italian great artists of the period. He was an early Renaissance
Italian sculptor from Florence. He is known for his work in bas- relief, a form of shallow relief
sculpture.

FAMOUS BAROQUE ARTIST
Michelangelo Merisi or Amerighi da Caravaggio (1571- 1610)
He was better known as Caravaggio. He was an Italian artist who wanted to deviate
from the classical masters of the Renaissance. He was an outcast in his society, because of
his own actions and the lack of modesty and reverence for religious subjects in his own
paintings. Perhaps he started out as a specialist in his paintings of still life, especially of fruits.
Studies of single figures followed, but they are clumsier than the fruit which gives savor of
originality and charm. Caravaggio’s models at this period were either himself or young persons
who have an air of being promising but wicked. Caravaggio’s style of painting influenced artist
throughout Northern and Southern Europe for decades to come.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669)
Rembrandt was a brilliant Dutch realist, painter and etcher. He was generally
considered as one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art. He followed no
particular faith, but was interested in spiritual values and often chooses religious subjects.
Rembrandt shares with Rubens the revolution whereby painting came to depict the more
personal aspects of the painter: his own home and his family. No artist has painted himself as
often as did Rembrandt. His concept of himself continued to deepen in grasp and subtlety,
while his technique grew more daring. His well- known work was his “Self portrait in Old Age”.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598 -1680)
Bernini was an Italian artist and the first Baroque artist. He practiced architecture, and
sculpture, painting, stage design, and was also a playwright. He was also the last in the list of
the dazzling universal geniuses. He was the greatest Baroque sculptor and architect as seen
in his design of the Piazza San Pietro in front of the Basilic. It is one of his most innovative and
successful architectural designs.
Peter Paul Rubens (1577 - 1640)
Rubens was a Flemish Baroque painter. He was well known for his paintings of mythical
and figurative subjects, landscapes, portraits, and Counter-Reformation altarpieces. His
commissioned works were mostly religious subjects, history paintings of magical creatures, and
hunt scenes.
Diego Velasquez (1599 - 1660)
Velasquez of Spain developed out of the Baroque. He was one of the finest masters of
composition and one of the most important painters of the Spanish Golden Age. He worked out
solutions to pictorial problems of design that transcend the style of any period. Velasquez was
the case of a painter who discovered his avocation almost at the very start of his career. The
passion for still life frequently emerges in Velasquez’s art.
The Renaissance artworks were characterized by a gradual shift from religious representation
toward a more accurate depiction of the world. Art during the Renaissance gave high
importance to nature, as well as for the highly detailed and realistic interpretation of the human
form, as magnified through the exceptional masterpieces of the great artist of the Period.
The Renaissance period is usually divided into Early Renaissance period (1420-1500) and the
High Renaissance period (1500-1527).
Characteristics of Early Renaissance
✓ Centered on the revival of ancient forms and content.
✓ Christian theology, which was once the main subject of art during the medieval ages,
was replaced by the growing interest and rediscovery of Greek and Roman literatures.
Characteristics of High Renaissance
✓ Began to fuse and incorporate humanistic and naturalistic themes on their artworks.
✓ Primary concern was the assimilation of achieved ideals of harmony and balance, and
at same time, the natural and realistic representation of the physical world.
✓ Viewed as a great explosion of creative genius.
By closing of the period of High Renaissance, a distinct sub-movement known as
mannerism emerged and influenced a majority of artworks of the time. Whereas High
Renaissance focused on elements, such as balance, proportion, and harmony, mannerism as a
form of art portrayed dramatic, overly exaggerated, and highly stylized artworks, often resulting
in qualities such as distorted human anatomy and complex postures. This exaggeration in art
gave birth to the unique style of art known as Baroque art. The artworks from this period are
characterized by an elaborate ornamentation and a passionate representation.
Art forms in the Philippines are diverse. Western influences can be seen in Philippine
art forms such as: painting, dancing, weaving, sculpting, and pottery.
In 16th century, the Baroque style was brought by the Spanish and Portuguese to the
Philippines where it became the prominent style of building large and small churches. Large
Baroque churches often have a proportionally very wide facade which seems to stretch
between the towers.

During this time, the Spaniards used paintings as religious propaganda to spread
Catholicism throughout the Philippines. These paintings, mostly on the church walls, featured
religious figures in Catholic teachings. The pre-colonial architecture of the Philippines
consisted of nipa huts made from natural materials.
However, there are some traces of large-scale construction before the Spaniards
came. An example of this is the pre-colonial walled city of
Manila which was dismantled by the Spaniards and rebuilt as
Intramuros with its houses, churches, and fortress after the
Spanish colonization. During the three hundred years of
Spanish colonization, Philippine architecture was dominated by
Spanish influences. Art forms in the Philippines are diverse.
Western influences can be seen in Philippine art forms such as:
painting, dancing, weaving, sculpting, and pottery.
In 16th century, the Baroque style was brought by the
Spanish and Portuguese to the Philippines where it became the
prominent style of building large and small churches. Large Baroque churches often have a
proportionally very wide facade which seems to stretch between the towers. During this time,
the Spaniards used paintings as religious propaganda to spread Catholicism throughout the
Philippines. These paintings, mostly on the church walls, featured religious figures in Catholic
teachings. The pre-colonial architecture of the Philippines consisted of nipa huts made from
natural materials.
However, there are some traces of large-scale
construction before the Spaniards came. An example
of this is the pre-colonial walled city of Manila which
was dismantled by the Spaniards and rebuilt as
Intramuros with its houses, churches, and for tress
after the Spanish colonization. During the three
hundred years of Spanish colonization, Philippine
architecture was dominated by Spanish influences.