Renaissance Art: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #129

by Geraldine A. Johnson

Artists like Botticelli, Holbein, Leonardo, Durer, and Michelangelo and works such as the Last Supper fresco and the monumental marble statue of David, are familiar symbols of the Renaissance. But who were these artists, why did they produce such memorable images, and how would their original beholders have viewed these objects? Was the Renaissance only about great masters and masterpieces, or were women artists and patrons also involved? And what about the "minor" pieces that Renaissance men and women would have encountered in homes, churches and civic spaces? This Very Short Introduction answers such questions by considering both famous and lesser-known artists, patrons, and works of art within the cultural and historical context of Renaissance Europe. The volume provides a broad cultural and historical context for some of the Renaissance's most famous artists and works of art. It also explores forgotten aspects of Renaissance art, such as objects made for the home and women as artists and patrons. Considering Renaissance art produced in both Northern and Southern Europe, rather than focusing on just one region, the book introduces readers to a variety of approaches to the study of Renaissance art, from social history to formal analysis.

Genres: Art, History, Nonfiction, Art History, Renaissance, Italy, Ebooks

157 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2005

Reviews

[Daniel Clausen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interestingly, this book avoids talking about Renaissance Art in terms of the "greats" and instead focuses on the form, functions, and context of much of this period's art. Very short, but still very interesting.

[george · Rating 5 out of 5]

my first actual book off the reading list that i read! and an amazing one to start with to be honest. i had vague knowledge of the renaissance obvs from my previous readings however i really appreciated how broad this book was in what it chose to talk about. it was written in a very accessible yet still academic fashion which i really appreciated and made the book lovely to read in general.

i loved the emphasis on how the viewing experience we have of the surviving artefacts from the renaissance is incredibly different from how people living in the 15th century viewed it, and how the book opens with this in relation to goethe viewing a work of raphael’s. i also like how this is repeated throughout the book and how through our removal of things such as altarpieces and domestic objects from their original places our viewing experiences have entirely changed. the segregation of objects in museums was of particular interest and i really liked how there was a chapter on objects that are now considered “lesser” than certain renaissance masterpieces so we got a wider view on the entirety of the art scene.

i also really appreciated thé social aspect of the book, the emphasis on how it was to be an artist through the chapter on michelangelo and the emphasis on what it was like to be a woman in the renaissance, an area where i felt other books such as the story of art really fell short on. i also loved the chapter on florence and the social connotations such as the patriarchal systems of power and the autocracy of the medici family which were widespread throughout and how public art actually changed its meaning through time to abide by the current social setting. i found this fascinating and i rlly want to visit florence now. i also love how it wasn’t exclusive to italy, artists such as durer and van eyck were covered extensively also which is interesting as one might not always consider these names to go with the renaissance as it seems very italian. i also liked how it was very blatant about the renaissance only being accessible in idea and form to the upper echelons of society and how, despite the fact that we view this now as a hugely important cultural pivot, most of society remained unfazed.

my fave part was the little discourse on realism. and the stories that came with it (painting flies on works of art and people thinking they are real)

[Castles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice and short book. Well written and easy to follow, and though it’s full of anecdotes that even a well-educated art lover can find as new, I’m still not sure I’d mark this book as an introduction. It’s a little scattered, but dealing with such a vast subject, that’s understandable.

A repeating claim in this book claims that what we now see as a work of art by an artist, was not how renaissance people saw. They saw a functional work, mostly religious and devotional, made by a craftsman.

How we romantically look at art and artists, the author claims, is much founded in the 19th century.

In that sense though, Michelangelo was different, with the help of Giorgio Vasari, he was the first art “rockstar”.

[AC · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series which can be dubbed "X for Dummies with Short Attention Spans" -- and which therefore suits me to a 'T' -- is, like Oxbridge scholarship generally nowadays -- uneven. This seems to be one of the better volumes -- a brief and sober, jargon-free (and free of obvious eccentricities) treatment of Renaissance Art.

[Apothecary · Rating 3 out of 5]

หัก 1 ดาวตรงที่บอกว่าเป็น 'a very short introduction' ซึ่งจริง ๆ มันไม่อินโทรเท่าไหร่ 5555

ด้วยการใช้ภาษาเชิงวิชาการ และการอธิบายงานศิลป์ต่าง ๆ ที่ค่อนข้างอาศัยพื้นความรู้ด้านประวัติศาสตร์ศิลป์และประวัติศาสตร์ยุค Renaissance เลยคิดว่ามันไม่เหมาะที่จะอ่านแบบ 'a very short introduction' ตามชื่อหนังสือเท่าไหร่ ที่บอกแบบนี้เพราะว่าเคยเรียนเกี่ยวกับ art history มาบ้าง การตีความงานศิลป์ชิ้นนึงอาจต้องลากยาวไปถึงประวัติของตระกูลนู้นตระกูลนี้ที่จ้างทำ เรื่องราวตามพระคัมภีร์ etc. มันเยอะจนไม่สามารถยัดทุกอย่างลงหนังสือเล่มเล็ก ๆ ได้

ถ้าอยากอ่านผ่าน ๆ เอาสนุกเล่มนี้ก็อาจจะไม่ตอบโจทย์เพราะศัพท์เฉพาะเยอะ ใช้ภาษาเชิงวิชาการเขียน ถ้าไม่ชินอาจจะงง ๆ นิดนึง ถ้าอยากอ่านเอาเนื้อก็อาจจะไม่เหมาะเพราะแตะหัวข้อหลายข้อแบบกว้าง ๆ ทีละนิดทีละหน่อย

ต้นฉบับจะไม่มีโน้ตท้ายบท ตรงนี้เลยขอให้เครดิตผู้แปลสำหรับการจัดทำนิดนึง ช่วยให้คนอ่านเข้าใจ context ของเรื่องราว ๆ ต่างได้มากขึ้นเยอะ

[alissa:) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative without being too dense. Framed the renaissance in a way that isn’t often considered and can be easily understood. Fantastic points and wonderful
analysis of some major renaissance works. Great contextual information that allows further insight into major themes and practices during the time.

[a duck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geraldine Johnson (art historian, University of Oxford) introduces readers to Renaissance Art. Like other entries in the VSI series, this book is supercritical but incredibly helpful to anyone new to the field. The introduction sets up the reader to the historiography of Renaissance art history, following this with chapters dedicated to the altarpiece, narrative art, humanism and the influence of the Classical world, portraiture, women in the Renaissance, public squares and displays, and the impact of the Renaissance genius.

[Beinrangel]

nice

[Kamons · Rating 3 out of 5]

หนังสือความรู้ฉบับพกพาที่อ่านรู้เรื่องบ้างไม่รู้เรื่องบ้าง
แบบไหนน่ะเหรอ-....ก็แบบเวลาที่เราอ่านหนังสือเรียนเปี๊ยบเลย

มานั่งพิจารณาดูแล้วเราว่าส่วนหนึ่งคือการแปลที่เหมือนถอดความภาษาอังกฤษมาตรงๆ และยังมีศัพท์วิชาการเข้ามาร่วมด้วย มันไม่ใช่ความรู้ทั่วไปฉบับที่คนเริ่มต้นจาก 0 มาเริ่มอ่าน ไม่ได้อ่านง่ายและสนุกขนาดนั้น คนอ่านที่มีความรู้มาบ้างแล้ว มีความเข้าใจในศัพท์แสงทางศิลปะน่าจะสนุกกับเล่มนี้มากกว่า ถึงอย่างนั้นเราก็พอจะจับใจความได้สักครึ่งนึงของที่อ่านไปละนะ

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a pretty decent introduction to the the current field of Renaissance Art, but does suffer from the problem common to many VSI's of really focusing on the context of its subject while assuming you already have a basic understanding of the subject itself. It assumes, for example, you know what Leonardo's 'pyramidal composition' is, without ever actually explaining it. It doesn't really cover much on composition at all.

It get's a lower review than just the text warrants, though, because this book depends heavily on close inspection of images, but the images in the kindle version are not fit for purpose, whether viewing them on a kindle, tablet or computer. They are of such low resolution (whether viewing on the normal page or highlighting and zooming in) that that are repeated moments where the text is asking you to observe some detail that simply is not visible.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone with a passing interest but only a fairly rudimentary knowledge of art and art history ("but I know what I like..."), and who needs a quick crash course in Renaissance art, this "Very Short Introduction" does an excellent job of introducing key works, genres, individuals, and contexts. Johnson's book, which is let down only by its over-frequent use of bland and even occasionally platitudinous summary statements at the end of sections and chapters, is very well organized (by themes, roles, and contexts, rather than by time or place, while never losing a sense of the chronology and geography of Renaissance art), easy-to-follow, and well illustrated: just what I was looking for.

[Amy Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

These Very Short Introductions are great. Though short this was surprisingly informative and broad-ranging. It’s pocket size makes it great for travel or just having in your bag. My only criticism - black and white plates mean you have to look pictures up to fully appreciate them.

[Rajat Narula · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simply-written introduction to art from renaissance period. The author keeps it basic, provides a lot of illustrations, and lets readers know the reason the art is special. At no point, does it get a bit much for the uninitiated.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great summary of what makes Renaissance art distinct as compared to it's predecessors. I read this book as a preparation to a trip to Florence and Venice and it made me appreciate the visits to museums and galleries much more than I would have without the book.

[Sadaf · Rating 3 out of 5]

با اینکه کتاب رو باید برای ارائه کلاسی در یک مدت زمان مشخصی می خوندم، ولی واقعا ازش لذت بردم. شاید قطرش کم به نظر می رسید اما سراسر جزئیات و نکات جذاب بود. فقط بعضی جاها مترجم متن رو پیچونده بود و غلط ترجمه داشت 😒
در کل بسی لذت بردم 😁

[Simon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Aside from the final chapter on Michelangelo, I find it chaotic and superficial. I have been left with the impression that the author doesn’t really know what she’s talking about.

[Fatih Kutan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oldukça tadında bir Rönesans Sanatı başlangıç kitabı. O dönemin detaylarına girme isteği oluşturmayı başarıyor.

[Estefânia]

a nice introduction to art of the Renaissance and the study of it, read it for class, but I'm intrigued in seeing what the others books in this collection have to offer!

[A. B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic but informative.

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

some good bits of information in there, overall decent was not interested in the specifics.

[mahatmanto · Rating 3 out of 5]

bagi orang eropa, babak yang disebut renaissance itu bener-bener ada. punya awal dan akhir, dapat diterangkan kapan dan di mana bermula dan ke mana menyebar. babak renaissance ini bagi kebanyakan orang dianggap sudah "jadi", sudah "selesai" sebagai unit peristiwa.
tapi buku ini melonggarkan anggapan itu. kapan dan di mana bermula sengaja dikaburkan. tidak bisa dipastikan, misalnya di kota florence, ketika keluarga medici berkuasa di sana.
renaissance di buku ini masih menempatkan seni sebagai ranah sentral dalam babak sejarah eropa yang dinamai renaisasnce ini. perubahan-perubahan dan inovasi di bidang peralatan [navigasi, pertahanan, transportasi, komunikasi...dst.] kurang mendapat perhatian. padahal, bagaimana sebuah gerakan sosial yang historis dapat berlangsung bila hal-hal material itu tidak terlibat?
ditulis oleh seorang perempuan, maka ia juga menyisipkan pertanyaan "apakah renaissance juga dialami oleh para perempuan?". sebuah pertanyaan masa kini yang diajukan pada masa lalu yang dianggap sudah jadi. akibatnya, babak renaissance itu pun mengalami pengayaan tafsiran.
semua uraian disajikan secara singkat dan padat.
pada hemat saya, ini cocok untuk memberi gambaran awal mengenai bagaimana babak historis renaisasnce ini ditetapkan batas-batasnya, dan apa saja yang menarik dipetik dari sana untuk masa kini.

[David Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I read to research this post was Renaissance Art A Very Short Introduction by Geraldine A Johnson which is a very good book which I bought from kindle. This book tells you all about the Renaissance period with emphasis on some of the best pictures of that era. There were a lot of wealthy people who could the best artists lots of money and in effect sponsor them. Many artists realized that if they were to become good at drawing people they had to study subjects like physiology. Many pictures were of religious scenes and were like atar pieces in their own right. This was an era where if a portrait was drawn by a top artist it would definitely resemble the subject. Before this era though wealthy people did commision portraits but often they were difficult to recognize the subject. In religious pictures artists used carefully selected imagery that many people nowadays don't understand. One thing my art teacher at school told was that in a typical picture Jesus or God would be portraited as biggest then the angels and saints. This had the effect that God seemed closer than anything else. Gradually artists understand this and started working in perspective with the closest elements biggest and the furthest elements smallest. All this occurred in the 15th & 16th centuries.

[Somebody · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book serves as a nice recap of my art history class. It would be an easy and fun read for people who has a little bit but not too much background in art history. Not really for complete beginners. A few main points:
1. The craft involved in making an image or object, together with its function and iconography should be valued equally.
2. The altarpiece tradition serves an important role in Renaissance religious life.
3. Renaissance art, whether sacred, secular, or somewhere in between, was full of stories.
4. Artists modify and adapt reality for their own purposes, artistic or otherwise.
5. The idea of "Renaissance men"
6. Women in Renaissance had roles as patrons, artists and subjects.
7. Images of mythological figures such as Venus or Icarus, and Classical genres like the marble portrait bust or the bronze statuette, these objects were an important part of wealthy 15th- and 16th-century beholders.
8. The sculpture placement in Piazza della Signoria reflects the frequent power shift in Renaissance Florence, especially between the Republican government and the Medici.
9. Vasari is the first art historian; Michelangelo was the first artist whose biography was written when he was alive.

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Geraldine Johnson's no-nonsense approach to Renaissance art contrasts the very different contexts in which Renaissance paintings, sculpture and crafted objects can be viewed. On the one hand she examines attitudes at the time: the very specific demands of the patrons who commissioned these works, and the uses to which the works were put, whether devotional, political, familial or domestic. On the other hand she considers the reverence with which the same objects are regarded nowadays by gallery-goers gazing through a post-Romantic lens in which the artist is seen as a creative genius in conflict with the world, giving expression to his troubled personality through his art

The scope of the book is limited by the parameters of the series in which it belongs. Nevertheless, Johnson does an excellent job, focusing on a series of individual artworks and outlining how they embody the economic, religious and political forces of the time. Clear, precise and informed.

[Kamal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed several books from this series, but this one is my favorite. The author treats Renaissance art with respect, but doesn't elevate it as the greatest artistic achievements ever, as many commentaries do. In fact, the author explicitly examines the idea of the artist-as-rockstar, which we take for granted today, but didn't really exist before the Renaissance. Instead, she tells a story of power and civic rivalry--the contexts that produced much of what we consider high renaissance art. My only real critiques of this book is that it didn't spend that much time discussing the Northern Renaissance, and the book lack footnotes and other forms of marginalia that would have helped to substantiate its claims.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the issues surrounding Renaissance art, illustrated with examples and case studies of artworks, artists, or even cities, rather than a summary of main artists, styles and centres of art etc. I found this more useful for my purposes but it might not be right for other people. The only thing I found annoying were the patronizing conclusions to each chapter, really could have done without them!

[Daniel Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading a number of books about art that attempt, in some misguided post-modern way, to deal with it in an unconventional fashion, it is always somewhat refreshing to come across one that guides the reader through the subject in a methodical and no-nonsense way. This book does precisely that covering all the major themes and artists concisely but effectively.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really a good book for learning about a subject I knew very little about.

"‘Renaissance’, is also more complex than may appear at first glance. The word literally means ‘rebirth’, but has come to be associated more generally with revival and innovation But if we want to use the concept historically, rather than metaphorically, we need to ask when and how it was first deployed."

[Christos Bouras · Rating 3 out of 5]

Μία ενδιαφέρουσα εισαγωγή. Το πλεονέκτημα είναι στο ότι η συγγραφέας έχει επιλέξει κάποια έργα πάνω στα οποία κάνει ανάλυση με βάση τα χαρακτηριστικά της εποχής αλλά και την καινοτομία την οποία έφεραν. Στα αρνητικά είναι ότι έχει τις εικόνες των πινάκων για τις οποίες κάνει ανάλυση αλλά δεν μπορείς να εντρυφήσεις.
Καλό για εισαγωγή όπως και όλη η σειρά αυτή (Very Short Introduction)

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had very little knowledge on the renaissance before reading this book. I definitely found it to be a good introduction. I think it would be too simplistic a read for anyone that has some knowledge on this subject, though. I found chapter 8 to be the most interesting chapter.