Early Renaissance Early Renaissance: Music, Architecture, Paint! The Early Renaissance followed the middle ages and was from 1400 to 1600 time period. The Early Renaissances were mainly located in Italy, but they are also located in most of Europe. In this area Music, architecture, and painting became very huge ideas. The literal meaning of the word Renaissance is “rebirth. ” The idea of rebirth applies to the music of this period. A main characteristic was the rebirth of humanism, which is a way of looking at our world, emphasizing the importance of human beings, their nature, and their place in the world.
During the Early Renaissance vocal music was more important than instrumental music, and composers during that period wrote music to enhance the meaning and emotion of the work. Renaissance composers often used word painting, a musical representation of specific human emotions. Word painting was used in madrigals, which is a piece that matches the word of the song with a musical setting. (Early Renaissance 2) For example if the text had words like “Rising,” “flying or soaring” then the music would be fast upward scales. (Stockade, Marilyn and Michael W.
Scooter) The Protestant Reformation actually helped the Catholic Church begin to let the Mass become more active with polyphonic hymns. The musical boundaries were expanded because the invention of printing led to a larger distribution of the text. Even though the church grew towards easier hymns music still gradually move to a secular way of creating music. . Music is an ever-evolving genre and the Renaissance showed that in a matter of 200 years one could create new volumes of the Mass and still come to understanding that secular songs can be a part of worshiping.
From plainchant to polyphony then to homophony are very big steps in the way of Just rhythm and flow. The Renaissance had many artists that provided visual motivation for many composers to write great pieces of art. One of the most influential artists was Leonardo dad Vinci who is still famous 500 years later. He helped to create three- dimensional representation and started to work with oils that showed off the lighting and shades of great art. The talent was so large that he could create a self-portrait with such detail, that many thought that he couldn’t have painted it himself.
One of Leonardo dad Vine’s great works of art is the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa is one of the most iconic paintings in our world today; even though t was painted in the sixteenth century. The painting is a half-length portrait painting and depicts a woman whose facial expression is frequently described as enigmatic. Some also believe that the slight smile is an indication that the figure is hiding a Through the paintings of the Early Renaissance time period; you could see many great things beginning. They showed how they used the skill of color.
To make things more detailed. They also began to use textures, shapes, space to enhance their pieces of art. Some areas of the Renaissance; when painting would express the tartar world, as well as the spiritual and social systems in the world at their time. As the time of the Renaissance went on they began to enhance their work by making them more lifelike, and using greater detail in the living things in their work. During this time is when the painting style of Flemish began. Flemish style of painting is expressing meticulous detail, as well as spiritual power.
One of the most famous Flemish paintings is the Emerged Altarpiece. The piece is 2 feet tall by 3 feet wide, which is quite small piece of work. The annunciation of the painting shows aspects of a normal household, that many feel are religious meanings as well. An example of the religious values in the painting is the lilies on the table, this represent Marry virginity. Another example is the hanging water pot. The pot represents Marry purity as well as her role in the incarnation of god in Christ. (Stockade, Marilyn, and Michael W.
Scooter pig. 294-295) The painting also have numerous other symbolizing ideas. Most painters in this time would disguise their symbols. The meaning of the symbols to the person looking at the painting would always be obvious; due to the religious aspect of the painting. (Stockade, Marilyn, and Michael W. Scooter pig. 97) Although painting was a huge aspect of the renaissance it wasn’t the only. Architecture was also a huge aspect in their time period. One of the most famous works of architecture is the Dome of Florence Cathedral.
The original plans for the dome were approved in 1294, but they ran into some political view issues. The issues stopped the work on the dome until 1357, what is there today is what was mostly constructed in 1357. (Stockade, Marilyn, and Michael W. Scooter pig. 307) The dome represents a gothic construction based on the pointed arch. The dome uses internal ribs to support the vault. It has an octagonal outer shell and lower inner shell, which are connected through a series of horizontal sandstone rings. (Stockade, Marilyn, and Michael W.
Scooter pig. 306) When they were constructing the dome they built it layer by layer, because each section of the dome reinforces another part. To this day the dome has no external support keeping it up; this Just goes to show how great the interior structure of the dome is. Also to this day, the dome still is the source of tremendous local pride for the many people. Although music, painting, and architecture were huge for the Early Renaissance it wasn’t the only thing. Tapestries were also huge during the time of the Early Renaissance.
A tapestry is a textile fabric with pictures or designs formed by weaving colored weft threads or by embroidering on canvas. They were used for wall insulation as well as for decoration. You would find them mostly on castle, church, or municipal building walls. Tapestries were much more expensive than a painting; so this would also show how wealthy a person was. Very few times were tapestries made from Just wool; they were often made from gold and silver colored silk that metals back. That is why to this day not many tapestries are around. Throughout many different tapestries were numerous amounts of symbols for things.
The Early Renaissance had many great tapestries, but one of their greatest is the series of “Hunt for the Unicorn”. The best example is “Unicorn is Found”. Due to the great condition the tapestry was kept, we are able to see the great color fabrics and the foliage of it. The unicorn is seen as a horse like figure that is very fast. It was also only to be captured by a virgin. The unicorn’s horn was believed to be an anecdote for poison. For example in the tapestry the unicorn dips his horn into the stream to riff the water that is in the fountain.
The animal symbol in this tapestry became a symbol of incarnation and a symbol for romantic love. (Stockade, Marilyn, and Michael W. Scooter pig. 303) Throughout the Early Renaissance time period were many great ideas from, tapestry, music, painting, to Architecture. Just look at our world today; we still have all of these things. They may not be quite the same as they were back then, but the Early Renaissance set the structure for all those ideas. All of those ideas even today are evolving, and they will forever be evolving. The Early Renaissance time was where it had all began.
