16th Century Art in Italy

Question 1

Mona Lisa

Answer 1

This was an unusual portrait for its time. Leonardo abandoned the long-standing Italian tradition of painting wealthy wives in profile view, wearing the sumptuous clothing and jewelry that signified their status and their husbands’ wealth. Mona Lisa seems to be the likeness of a specific woman who turns with calm assurance to engage viewers, hands relaxed in her lap. Her expression has been called enigmatic. It hides rather than reveals her thoughts and personality, and it lacks the warmth one expects to see in her eyes, which have shifted to the side to look straight out at us. The psychological complexity Leonardo has given to this face may explain the spell it has cast over viewers.

Question 2

VITRUVIAN MAN

Answer 2

Leonardo da Vinci
1490
The Vitruvian Man is a pen-and-ink drawing that depicts a male figure, standing in a symmetrical pose with his arms and legs outstretched, inside both a square and a circle. The drawing shows how the proportions of the human body can be used to design buildings.
The drawing illustrates the idea that buildings should be as well-proportioned as the human body.

Question 3

CARTOON FOR
TAPESTRY PORTRAYING
CHRIST’S CHARGE TO PETER

Answer 3

Raphael and
assistants
Raphael’s Cartoon for the Tapestry Portraying Christ’s Charge to Peter (c. 1515) is one of the most celebrated works in the history of art, serving as a preparatory design for a tapestry to be woven for the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. It is part of a series of ten tapestries created under Raphael’s direction, depicting scenes from the life of Christ and the apostles. These tapestries, created for Pope Leo X, were designed to be hung in the Sistine Chapel to adorn the walls during important religious ceremonies

Question 4

Michelangelo DAVID

Answer 4

Michelangelo’s David (1501–1504) is one of the most famous sculptures in the world and a prime example of Renaissance art. It stands as a symbol of human strength, beauty, and individual potential, and it is considered one of Michelangelo’s greatest masterpieces. This marble statue was originally commissioned as part of a series of sculptures to decorate the Cathedral of Florence on the top of the dome, but it ultimately became an iconic symbol of the Republic of Florence and its ideals

The statue represent the biblical hero, David, who in the book of Samuel, defeated the giant Goliath

This David in comparison to to Donatello’s David, is much more muscular whereas Donatello’s is not

Question 4

Sofonisba
Anguissola SELF-
PORTRAIT

Answer 4

1554
Sofonisba was a prominent figure in terms of self portraits
Her expression is calm and thoughtful
Attire reflects the fashion of a noblewoman during the 16th century
Style includes realism and detail, psychological depth, and subtle feminine strength (confidence and grace:))

Question 5

THE
TEMPEST

Answer 5

Giorgione’s The Tempest is a masterpiece that showcases his unique ability to blend landscape, light, and human figures into a harmonious, enigmatic whole. The painting’s ambiguous narrative, along with its emotional resonance and atmospheric beauty, ensures that it remains one of the most celebrated works of the Venetian Renaissance.
Its influence on Titian and its role in the development of Renaissance landscape painting cannot be overstated, making it an enduring legacy in the history of art

Question 6

Adam and Eve Albrecht

Answer 6

The branch Adam holds is of the mountain ash, the Tree of Life, while the fig, of which Eve has broken off a branch, is from the forbidden Tree of Knowledge
1504 - 1507
Located in Madrid, Spain

Question 7

Bosch Garden of Earthly Delights

Answer 7

Represents the flesh and sin
1490 - 1510
Same as Adam and Eve, the Museo del Prado in Madrid