Discussion: History of Art from Middle Ages to Modern Times
Question A: Renaissance and Baroque Sculpture in Italy
The biblical hero David was a popular subject for sculpture and painting throughout the Renaissance and into the Baroque period. By studying, comparing, and contrasting sculptures of David created in the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries, you can begin to see the stylistic changes that occurred across these centuries. In a minimum of 3 well-developed paragraphs, compare and contrast the following 3 sculptures of David:
a) Early Renaissance: Donatello. David. 1446-1460.
b) High Renaissance: Michelangelo. David. 1501-1504.
c) Baroque. Gianlorenzo Bernini. David. 1623.
In your comparison, discuss:
1) What specific visual similarities do you observe in these three sculptures?
2) What specific differences do you see? Consider the representation of the figure, additional objects portrayed, and the role of the viewer for each sculpture
3) How has the attitude of David changed between these three representations?
4) How is each sculpture representative of the time period and style in which it was created?
Question B: Dutch Baroque Painting
As we learned this week, Dutch Baroque art showed the influence of Protestantism and the middle-class merchants and traders who served as patrons. Dutch Baroque artists created portraits, still lifes, landscapes, and genre scenes of domestic life.
In a minimum of 2 well developed paragraphs, discuss how the following paintings reflect the social and historical context of sixteenth-century Holland. Consider the influence of religion, commerce, social structure, and/or patrons of the art in your response. Offer specific examples of how the subject of each painting reflects the society and culture in which it was created.
a) Frans Hals, The Women Regents of the Old Men's Home at Haarlem, c. 1664
b) Rembrandt van Rijn, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp, 1632
c) Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance, c. 1664
The response should include a reference list. One-inch margins, Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space and APA style of writing and citations.