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Changes Of The Human Figure Portrayed In Sculptures Throughout The ...

Changes of the human figure portrayed in sculptures throughout the Renaissance Period

The period of the Renaissance was a time of extraordinary change and development in all areas of society, belief and culture in Europe. Up to the 14th and 15th centuries society was mostly governed by Catholicism and a feudal system, but the emergence of humanism and developments in science and learning caused an explosion of new ideas and ways of living. These changes had an influence on most areas of the arts: literature, music, theatre, but most particularly in the visual arts. This discussion will look closely at the way changes in religion, ideas and behaviour had an effect on some of the well-known artists and sculptors of the period.

The development of humanism, expressed by such philosophers as Erasmus and Machiavelli, brought a secularising force to the ideologies of Europe. Humanists were very interested in classical, pre-Christian philosophies and attempted to apply these ideals to contemporary culture. For Erasmus, the emphasis was on man's individual relationship to God, and ‘Erasmiansstressed the love of God for men rather than God's stern judgment upon men's actions'.

These influences are echoed in the Protestant and Catholic reformations that swept across Europe.

Up until the 14th and 15th centuries, the importance and authority of religion and the church can be seen in all forms of culture. Secular art was virtually non-existent. Sculpture was used for the depiction of religious figures and often used for worship. Furthermore, most art had a lifeless, static quality. The new classical ideas, focusing on man as an individual, brought a new chapter to the history of art, beginning with the sculpture-like frescoes of Giotto (1266?-1337). Giotto depicted biblical scenes realistically, in stark contrast to the flat, inexpressive, story-telling wall paintings of Byzantine and Gothic tradition. His use of perspective and space was revolutionary.

In his ‘The Mourning of Christ', ‘we seem to witness the real event as if it were enacted on a stage.'
This new style created the beginnings of the Renaissance in Italy and many artists such as Donatello (1386?-1466) and Botticelli (1446-1510) continued to develop the new ideas of the depiction of the human figure. Classical mythology became a subject matter as Italian thinkers revived the ideas of Greek and Roman culture. This can be seen, for example, in Botticelli's ‘The Birth of Venus', commissioned by a member of the powerful Medici family, who was well-versed in classical literature. Furthermore, the human face began to express emotion and feeling, whereas before the face had appeared without expression. For example, the face of Donatello's ‘St George' shows a sensitivity and vulnerability not seen before in traditional art.


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