Italian Art Vs Renaissance Art

Looking Assignment One The Renaissance period in art manifested itself differently in the various Italian city-states as the artists in those cities expressed the ideals in their own way. As the style shifted into the High Renaissance, the concepts of ordered space and mathematical precision came to the forefront of artistic thought, especially among the Italian artists. This focus on an intellectual approach to art came as the result of a perceived lack of such intellectualism during the medieval period so a response gradually materialized. Both secular and religious work were given the same profound conceptual notions as patrons for all types of artwork desired to appear sophisticated to other members of their social class. The challenge
Venice was a bustling metropolis allowing for plenty of cross-pollination among artists living in and traveling through the city. Because of Venice being a trading city, patrons were beginning fund artists to produce works that were more recognizably Venetian. At this time, popular styles were beginning to shift away from High-Renaissance to Mannerism since the high emotions of Mannerist artworks were evocative and interesting to wealthy patrons. In addition, Spanish forces were encroaching on Venetian shipping territory creating a tense and chaotic city environment. Therefore, the near monopoly the Venetians had on trade in the eastern Mediterranean is threatened and since Venice is made of marble, they needed that trade network to survive. Undoubtedly, the artwork generated during this time in the city’s history would likely reflect the sociopolitical crisis that many in the upper echelons in society would be worried about
This is an analytical approach to appreciating existence applying rational and ordered thinking as a way to process the information around oneself. In contrast, Esther before Ahasuerus has an emotional core focused on how one reacts to a situation. Since this reaction is spontaneous, the artwork captures an irrational moment in response to an emotionally charged incident. The divergence between the two artworks comes from the different ideologies about artwork that were dominant at each of their respective times especially considering the historical context of each painting. Overall, each work serves as an excellent window into a moment where real life events and artistic expression intertwine to produce quality