Art History from Renaissance to the 20th Century

In this course, we will discuss about the different aspects of Art History from Renaissance to the 20th century as follows:-

Part 1 – Course introduction & precursors to Renaissance art

Course introduction

Precursors to Renaissance art in Italy

• Precursors to Renaissance art in Italy: Roman, Romanesque, and Gothic art and architecture;
• Florence’s beginnings, from its foundation as a Roman colony to the wool trade, to the introduction of a banking network

Part 2 – Florence during the Middle Ages and the shift to naturalism

• 14th-century Florence: The Black Death, Boccaccio, and The Decameron; Petrarch and humanism; Cimabue and Giotto;
• Early Renaissance in Florence: Naturalism and the art of sculpture: Donatello, Brunelleschi, Ghiberti and the Gates of Paradise

Part 3 – The rediscovery of perspective

• Drawing, painting, the rediscovery of perspective, and the chiaroscuro technique: Filippo Brunelleschi, Leon Battista Alberti, Masaccio, and Paolo Uccello; Pre-Renaissance Perspective; One-Point Perspective; Two-Point Perspective

Part 4 – Neoplatonism and symbolism in art

• The role of patronage in Renaissance art, the Medici Family, and the Platonic Academy. Botticelli, symbolism, and storytelling through painting;
• Late Renaissance in Florence: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raffaello

Part 5 – Mannerism

• Introduction to Mannerism with an introduction to the Bargello Museum and Loggia dei Lanzi

Part 6 – Course closure and cultural activities

• Course evaluation: summary of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion

Good luck for all your future endeavors!