Post #2- Mohammed Ahmed

The Renaissance was a period of time where people had great enlightenment and the start of a new way of thinking in Europe. This new method of thinking could be seen in many aspects of  the European culture, such as art,architecture, and literature. During the Renaissance, many great thinkers and artists started to present the idea of humanism and how people should embrace the intellectual achievements of others(Stokstad 646). Humanism was a key components during the Renaissance because it promoted expressiveness and clarity in art (Stokstad 646). Some of the most renowned artists of this period shaped the development in Europe during the Renaissance. Artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni,Raphael, and Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi. The works of these artists shaped the way we look at the Renaissance today and how humanism reached people over time.

Mona Lisa, Leonardo Da Vinci 
(1503-1506)

Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the people who was largely recognized as one of the greatest minds of the Renaissance. With no formal education, Da Vinci was still known as a genius due to his imagination and being able to see things in a way that no else could. Da Vinci expressed his imagination through his work of arts. His artworks have become some of the world's most valuable pieces of art. One of his most recognized painting would the Mona Lisa and it is the perfect exhibit to demonstrate Da Vinci’s skills as a painter and as an artist. According to Stokstad,“Mona Lisa seems to be the likeness of a specific woman who turns with calm assurance to engage viewers, hands relaxed in her lap. Her expression has been called enigmatic. It hides rather than reveals her thoughts and personality, and it lacks the warmth one expects to see in her eyes, which have shifted to the side to look straight out at us. The psychological complexity Leonardo has given to this face may explain the spell it has cast over viewers”(Stokstad 645). He painted the Mona Lisa in a fashion where the eyes of the subject painted would seem to follow anyone who is viewing the painting. Furthermore, anyone looking at the painting would be perplexed as to what emotions were being displayed by the subject due to the subtle work that Da Vinci did on the lips of  Mona Lisa . Da Vinci displayed a technique of painting which was new and unique to himself and something that would make people marvel at his artwork.

Sistine Chapel,Michelangelo
(1508-1512)

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni or otherwise known as Michelango, was the rival of Leonardo Da Vinci and other great minds of the Renaissance. Unlike Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo was not an avid painter nor did he care about excelling in painting. His forte encompasses making sculptures. His most acclaimed work would the his marble sculpture of David. Michelangelo was very young when he was commissioned to sculpt David. He had to be very persuasive to get the job and created a fine piece of work. Also, Michelangelo made his mark in Renaissance architecture when he made the statue Pieta and when did the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo was hesitant to work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel due to being asked to paint but he could not deny a strong minded Pope. In the text, Stokstad quoted Michelangelo stating “ This miserable job has given me a goiter…. The force of it has jammed my belly up beneath my chin. Beard to the sky….Brush splatterings make a pavement of my face…. I’m not a painter”(Stokstad 660). The results astonished people and had created a new way of painting during the Renaissance (Stokstad 662). This shows how multi talented Michelangelo was and why he revered as one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance period.

St.George, Donatello (1415-1417)

Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi or better known as Donatello was a genius sculptor. His style of sculpting differentiated the Renaissance art from the art of the Middle Ages. Donatello was a leading for in developing architecture during the renaissance.He focused his work on realism and showing emotions in his work. One is most known work was Saint George which was made for armorers and sword-makers in Florence(Stokstad 617). Donatello approach was more realistic than the gothic style that people were used to from the Middle Ages. He was able to convey emotions into every piece of work he did and he was well known for getting commission by wealthy families (Stokstad 616). Donatello was most notable for doing many statues for cathedrals in Florence and from there people recognized him. Donatello was also the first person to make a statue of David made completely out of bronze (Stokstad 618). This inspired many artists to find different ways to make their art. Donatello created the shallow relief technique which makes a sculpture look deep while it was actually done on a shallow plane and it can be seen in his work on Saint George. Stokstad states, “Donatello carved a remarkable shallow relief showing St. George slaying the dragon and saving the princess, a well-known part of his story. The contours of the foreground figures are slightly undercut to emphasize their mass, while the landscape and architecture are in progressively lower relief until they are barely incised rather than carved, an ingenious emulation of the painter’s technique of atmospheric perspective” (Stokstad 618). Donatello was an innovator during the Renaissance and that resulted in statue were used to his visions. His style of sculpting was a niche to himself and admired by many. His Innovation in sculpting made him stand out from other artists of this time period.

The School of Athens, Raphael (1509-1511)

Raffaello Santi or Sanzio, better known as Raphael, was also genius painter of his time and most renown during the Renaissance. His painting were known for clarity and implementing human grandeur in his work.  His most influential work was done when he was commissioned by the Pope to paint the papal apartments (Stokstad 652). In one of the rooms, Raphael painted his most notable work, The School of Athens. Stokstad describes Raphael’s work and states, “the painter summarizes the ideals of the Renaissance papacy in a grand conception of harmoniously arranged forms in a rational space, as well as in the calm dignity of the figures that occupy it”(Stokstad 652). His work further lead him to be commissioned for paintings in the Sistine Chapel and thus lead him to impacting the art and architecture during the Renaissance. His unique way of painting made it possible for him to have a significant impact on the arts of the Renaissance and his work became most recognizable artworks from that time period.



These artists had the most impact during the Renaissance and their work can be recognized from all over the world. There artworks have become some of the world’s most valuable artwork. They innovated the way art was done and brought a new way of thinking when looking at art. Not only did they have a profound impact on the Renaissance and they made major contribution to the world of art.

Works Cited

Stokstad, Marilyn, and Michael Watt Cothren. Art History. Sixth ed., II, Pearson, 2018.