Architecture of Italy

The Artistic Influence of Italy
The Artistic Influence

of
Italy
Exploring the Legacy and Impact of the Art and
Architecture of Italy on Contemporary Society

Architecture of the Roman Empire
& Art of the Italian Renaissance

Italy is full of a rich cultural and artistic history. Some of the most iconic works of
Western art were created in Italy during the ancient Roman Empire and the Italian
Renaissance, helping to establish the conventions of Western art still present today.
Explore, analyze and evaluate the lasting impression of the art of Italy, from the
architecture of ancient Rome to the paintings of the Renaissance through research,
discussion, critical thinking, and studio art activities. Discover how this artistic legacy
has influenced your own surroundings and the art that is made today.

Written by Susan Uhlig, 2005-2006
for West European Studies of Indiana University

This unit of The Artistic Influence of Italy: Exploring the Legacy and Impact of the Art and Architecture of
Historic Italy on Contemporary Society addresses national standards in the Visual Arts, Science, Geography,
History, Geometry, and English and is adaptable for grades 5-12. It consists of two main topics: Architecture
of the Roman Empire and Art of the Italian Renaissance.

About this unit on the Artistic Influence of Italy

Use this lesson plan unit as a guide or starting off point to enhance your own
lessons.
The set of plans is geared towards grades 5-12. While this is a wide range,
individual teachers can adapt the lessons to meet the needs of their own students by
making the lessons more challenging or by lessening the amount of work required.
Locate maps of Italy. Use a current map to compare to the past. Locate several
maps of the Roman empire in various stages, especially at its height. Examine a
map of the borders during the Renaissance to see the different duchies and states.
BCE means Before Common Era. CE means Common Era.
The Suggested Artworks in every lesson are listed for you to use with the
corresponding lesson activities. Find these images in books or by doing a simple
search on the internet.
The accompanying PowerPoint corresponds in order of the lessons in the unit. Use
these images in other areas as needed or print images for students to refer to.
All photos taken by Susan Uhlig unless otherwise noted.
Symbols:
Materials
? Questions
Suggested Images/Photos

Lessons in The Artistic Influence of Italy

Unit 1: Architecture of the Roman Empire
Lesson 1: Innovations
Lesson 2: Colosseum and the Arena
Lesson 3: Roman Basilica to the Cathedral
Culminating Activities
Ideas for Further Exploration
Terminology
Resources
Unit 2: Art of the Italian Renaissance
Lesson 1: Spatial Constructs
Lesson 2: Representing the World Around
Lesson 3: Importance of the Artist
Terminology
Resources
National Standards Addressed

Unit Section One
The Architecture of the Roman Empire

The founding of Rome was in the 8
th
century BCE- April 21, 753 BCE to be exact. Legend has it that
twins Romulus and Remus were thrown into the Tiber River by their great uncle, who thought that
the twins (whose father was Mars) would one day overthrow his rule. The twins were found by the
she-wolf, who suckled them. Raised by a shepherd, the twins grew strong, found out their heritage,
killed the great uncle who tossed them into the river, and settled on the Palatine Hill. Remus thought
Romulus wasnt properly building the walls on the hill, so Romulus killed him. To get women for
his new city of Rome (named after him), Romulus and the largely male population of Rome carried
off the women in the nearby Sabine tribe.

From the Republic and its senators (509 27 BCE) to the Empire and its emperors (27 BCE 476
CE), Roman culture quickly flourished through its expansion. By 117 CE, the last year of Emperor
Trajans reign, the Roman Empire spread around the Mediterranean Sea, including western Europe,
north Africa and east Asia. The Roman legacy and influence spread with the expansion, bringing the
language of Latin, the use of coins, the building of roads, and other building projects. A variety of
emperors went on building sprees, building larger and grander structures than the last.

The Romans spread their influence, but also assimilated the culture of those conquered. The Greeks
were probably the most influential culture the Romans conquered, and the Romans copied their
statures, admired their craftsmanship, and assimilated their architecture into their own.

One of the purposes of Roman architecture was to show their strength and might, the Romans hold
over its vast empire. The structures were massive and innovative, making use of new technologies,
such as the dome, and new materials, such as concrete. The design of many of todays buildings,
especially governmental and civic buildings, have been based on Roman structures, and the
architectural innovations of the Roman Empire, such as the arch and the use of concrete, are still
present today

In 476 CE, Rome was sacked and the Empire fell. Their legacy, however, continues.

Unit One will explore how the architecture of the Roman Empire
continues to influence the architecture of today.

Architectural Innovations of the Romans: The Arch, the Dome, and Concrete
The Colosseum: Arena Prototype
Basilica: From Meeting Hall to Christian Church

Architectural Innovations of the Romans:
The Arch, the Dome, and Concrete

Background of Architectural Innovations

Although the arch was not invented by the Romans (the Sumerians were the first to invent the arch,
and the Etruscans applied it in their architecture), the Romans did develop the use of the arch for its
full potential. The arch became a basic feature in Roman architecture, seen in the arcading of the
Colosseum and the expansive property of the aqueducts, as the arch could span a great distance with
great stability due to the balance of compression and tension of its structure. The arch could be made
by using a variety of materials, such as brick, stone or concrete, a new building material made from
lime, sand, water, and stones, rock or pottery combined with volcanic stone to delay drying time. The
design of the arch also had personality: Baker and Baker thought the Roman arch portrayed power
and strength of individual.

The arch was also the basis of other structural forms. By extending the arch, it becomes a barrel
vault. By intersecting two barrel vaults perpendicularly, a cross or groin vault occurred. By rotating
the arch 360 on its axis, a dome is formed.

An arched doorway in Florence



Background of Architectural Innovations and the Pantheon

The Pantheon embodied the architectural innovations of the dome and concrete and is one of the most
iconic and intact Roman buildings from antiquity. The Pantheon, a temple dedicated to all of the
gods, was rebuilt by Hadrian in c. 118-125. The original temple was built by Marcus Agrippa in 27-
25 BCE. Much of the original building was destroyed by fire in 80 CE, so Hadrian honored Agrippa
by the inscription on the portico. It reads: M-AGRIPPA-L-F-COS-TERTIUM-FECIT, "Marcus
Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, built this."

The dome of the Pantheon is the largest from antiquity and was the largest dome in the western world
for approximately 1300 years until the early 15
th
century when Brunelleschi built the Duomo in
Florence. The height of the dome, approximately 139 feet (some sources list as 141 feet), is the same
as its diameter, forming a sphere in its negative space. The Pantheon was meant to be entered from
the front, and in antiquity, a welled courtyard was constructed in the front to funnel visitors through
the portico. Once through the large, Greek styled portico, the grand effect of the domed interior
would then be revealed. Today, the wall is gone, and visitors can walk around the massive,
cylindrical exterior.

The dome of the Pantheon was formed by using concrete. To reduce the weight as well as to
accentuate the design, coffers were used, creating a honeycomb pattern made by inserting wooden
plates into the concrete and removing them once the concrete was dry. An oculus, or eye, of 30 feet
in diameter allows light to filter in. The oculus is the only source of light, and is said to symbolize
the sun.

The Pantheon in Rome

National Standards
NAVA 1, 3, 4
NS 2, 5
NSS GK 2
NSS WH 4
NM GEO 1, 4

Learning Objectives
Students will learn:
1. How to construct a dome.
2. How to apply terminology of the arch and the dome
3. That the arch and dome are structurally very sound.
4. To appreciate the ancient Roman innovations of the arch, dome, and concrete.
5. That the Roman development of concrete allowed for slower drying times, enabling larger,
more complex structures to be built.
6. That the Pantheon has influenced the look of architecture for the past 500 years.

Materials
Per student:
Worksheet: Parts of the Pantheon
Toothpicks
Modeling Clay
Pipe cleaners
Plastic or metal dish

In general:
Suggested Images
A large utility sponge
Permanent marker
Styrofoam arch (one to demonstrate to
a large group, or several for small
groups of students to explore)
X-acto knife
Concrete and mixing material
Newspaper
cooking spray

Suggested Images
Diagram of an arch
Diagram of a barrel vault
Diagram of cross or groin vault
Diagram of dome
Roman aqueduct
Pantheon, both interior and exterior
Giovanni Paolo Paninis painting of Pantheon interior, c. 1734
Palladios Villa Rotunda
J effersons University of Virginia Rotunda
J effersons home in Monticello
Examples of domes in your state, region, town


Introduction/Motivation: Creating an arch

The arch was developed by the Romans for use in their architecture because of its tensile strength.
Use a large utility sponge to demonstrate the use of compression and tension. On the longer side of
the height of the sponge, draw a line horizontally (parallel) down the middle with a permanent
marker. Above the line, write TENSION and below the line write COMPRESSION. When the
sponge is bent slightly, an arch is formed. Tension occurs on the outside of the arch, as the sponge is
stretched apart, whereas compression occurs on the inside of the arch as the sponge is bunched
together. It is the balance of the two that make the arch structurally sound.

Now apply this same idea with the Styrofoam arch. Measure the inside of the Styrofoam arch and
divide by 5 for larger pieces or 9 for smaller pieces (just make sure the number of pieces is an odd
number). With the permanent marker, mark the inside accordingly. Now measure the outside of the
arch, divide by the same odd number as used on the inside, and mark accordingly. Connect the marks
with a ruler. Number each section. Cut the Styrofoam with the X-acto. Each wedge is called a
voussoir. The top center wedge is the keystone, the last and most important piece of the arch as it
locks the other voussoirs into place with compression. Stack the voussoirs back into the arch, placing
the keystone in last.

? Where is the area of compression in the Styrofoam arch?
? What is a keystone? Why is it important?
? What materials do you think an arch could be made of?
? Where are arches found in your school? Neighborhood? Community?
? What would happen if the Styrofoam arch was extended or if many Styrofoam arches were
placed together? (Introduce term barrel vault)
? What would happen if two barrel vaults were placed perpendicularly, in a cross shape?
(Introduce term cross or groin vault)
? What would happen if the arch were rotated 360 on its axis? (Introduce term dome)


The Arch

Keystone

Voussiors



Main Lesson: The Pantheon and the Dome

Reinforce idea of arch as stable structure.

Introduce the Pantheon- application of dome as a solid structure, which is essentially an arch rotated
360 on its axis.
? If buildings have personality, and the arch portrays power and strength as Baker and Baker
suggest, what does the Pantheon represent?

Many buildings are based on the Pantheons exterior; Thomas J efferson based the rotunda at the
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 1817-26, on the Pantheon. J efferson was also inspired by
Palladios Villa Rotunda, 1550-59, which was also inspired by the Pantheon. Michelangelo was
inspired by the Pantheon in his construction of the dome of St. Peters, and Brunelleschi was inspired
by the Pantheon for the Duomo in Florence.
? Where are Pantheon-like domes found in the U.S. today?
? Why is the dome used extensively in government buildings?

Look at the parts of the Pantheon. The portico is the entryway. It consists of columns and the
triangular pediment. The dome is visible at the top of exterior. In the interior, the oculus is visible as
well as the coffered ceiling.

Replicate the Pantheons majestic dome using simple building materials.
1. Use either pipecleaners or toothpicks and balled up modeling material to replicate the dome.
Pipecleaners can be twisted together to connect them. The toothpicks can be connected with
modeling material or other suitable material (peas or mini-marshmallows could also be used).
2. Include an oculus, or opening, at the top of your dome.
3. Test the strength of your creation by stacking increasingly heavier weight of the top of it.
4. See who can build the strongest dome, the best looking dome, and the dome that looks most
like the Pantheon.


Extension/Enrichment: Using Concrete

Concrete is a common building material today. Structures like Frank Lloyd Wrights Guggenheim
Museum in New York City couldnt have been built without the use of concrete. We value concrete
for its relatively slow drying time (enabling work to be done on it), its strength, and its versatility, all
things the ancient Romans also valued it for. The Romans were the first to find a suitable recipe for
concrete. It consisted of mortar made with lime (from burned chalk or limestone), rubble (for
strength), water, and pozzolana (volcanic ash).

The interior of the Pantheons dome was made in concrete, and it had coffers, translated as box or
chest. The coffered ceiling not only added architectural interest, but also helps to reduce the
weight of the dome. The coffers were created by inserting wooden molds into the wet concrete and
removing them once the concrete was dry.

Create a stepping stone or other small relief sculpture using concrete to experience working with this
material.
This will get messy, so plan on lying down newspaper around the work surface.

1. Each student should have a plastic or metal mold in the desired size. Put a light layer of
cooking spray in the mold to act as a release.
2. Follow the directions on making concrete on the package.
3. Pour the concrete into the mold.
4. As the concrete is setting, insert objects into it. As the concrete sets a bit more, impressions
or indentations can be made into the concrete. Modeling clay can be made into stamps to
stamp coffers into it if desired.
5. Once dry, pop out the stone.


Parts of the Pantheon

The exterior of the Pantheon
Dome

Pediment

Portico

Column

The interior of the Pantheon
Oculus

Coffers



Label the Parts of the Pantheon
Name _________________________________________

The exterior of the Pantheon
___________

___________

________

________

The interior of the Pantheon
____________

___________


Background:

A large numbers of Romans enjoyed watching events such as gladiator fights. This gave rise to the
construction of the circular arena to hold all the spectators while allowing for direct sight of the
action. The Colosseum, while not the only arena built in ancient Rome, was the largest and is
certainly the most well known today.

The Colosseum was ordered by Vespasian and completed in 80 CE under Titus. The Colosseum was
built on the large residence and swimming pool of Nero. It was originally named the Flavian
Amphitheatre, but has been known since the Middle Ages as its present name due to the colossal
statue of Nero that once stood alongside the structure. The Colosseum is set at the southeast end of
the Forum, and was the largest permanent arena, or amphitheatre built in Rome. (Others were built,
though they were temporary ones made from wood.) An amphitheatre means double theatre. It is
an elliptical shape, and is approximately 615 by 510 feet in diameter. It stands approximately 160
high, and has four floors. The first three floors on the faade have eighty arches with columns in the
Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian order (respectively). The top floor had consoles that supported posts
onto which awnings would be stretched to shield the audience from sun and rain.

The Colosseum supported up to 50,000 people, and admission was free. Each class or group had
different sections to sit in the amphitheatre and different entrances to use, reflected in the ticket
needed for admission and the numbered archways to enter. Four arches were restricted to ordinary
citizens and were used by the emperor and his family, the senators, vestal virgins, priest, and
magistrates. The Colosseum was primarily used for gladiator fights, where the fight would be until
death. Often, exotic beasts were added for excitement and thrill of the hunt. According to many
sources, the Colosseum was also able to hold water, flooded for mock naval battles. (Scholars are
divided on that issue, however. Some have concluded that early in the Colosseums history, the arena
was able to be flooded, but after the subterranean floor was divided up into many hidden entrances
for the gladiators, this was no longer possible.)

Other events besides gladiator fights included performances by jugglers, dancers, acrobats, and
parodies of legends. Events were publicized with posters. The savage gladiator events stopped in
404, but public executions continued. From the 6
th
century up until the 19
th
century, the Colosseum
fell in disrepair by plundering and neglect. It still stands today, but it suffers from 20
th
century
pollution.
The Colosseumin Rome


National Standards
NA VA 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
NS 5
NSS GK 1
NSS WH 9
NM GEO 4
NL ENG 7, 8

Learning Objectives
1. That todays sports arena has its roots in the Roman arena, such as the Colosseum.
2. That the Colosseum used a ticketing system to let event goers know where to sit.
3. To appreciate the longevity of the Colosseums shape for use in allowing thousands of people
watch an event.
4. That the faade of the Colosseum incorporates the Greek orders in the order of their
appearance.

Materials
Per student:
worksheet The Colosseum VS. the
Modern Sports Arena
graph paper
2- 12 x 18 sheets of white paper
thin Sharpie marker
pencil
eraser
2 x 5 piece of cardstock
paper tube (from paper towels, toilet
paper, gift wrap)
paper
glue

In general:
suggested images
access to computer with color printer

Suggested Images
Roman Colosseum, both interior and exterior
Diagrams of the Greek column orders
Pantheon, exterior of portico
Plans and photos of major sports arenas and stadiums around the United States, such as Soldier
Field in Chicago
Plans and photos of sports arenas in your area


Introduction/Motivation: Tickets, Please!

A recent advertisement for Rome; Engineering an Empire on the History Channel has a drawing of
the Colosseum with the corresponding text The Worlds First Superdome (with parking for
thousands of chariots.) The comparison of such an ancient building to the superdome of today helps
bridge that gap between ancient and modern.

It seems today that most people, kids included, have been to an event in an amphitheatre.
? Has anyone been to a sports event or a concert in an arena?
? What did you see?
? Describe how you went from the outside to the inside of the arena, then how you ultimately
found your seats.
? Where were your seats?
? How did you know where to sit?
? How was your view of the action?
? Typically, where are the expensive seats located?
? Where are the cheap seats located?

There were 80 entrances to the Colosseum. While the events at the Colosseum were free, each
audience member needed to have a ticket to enter. The Romans developed the ticket system so people
could locate their seats by knowing what section their seats were in and what entrance to go into.
The privileged (emperors, vestal virgins, and senators) had the better seats while other citizens sat
according to their rank in society. The seats highest up went to plebeians and women.

Use the worksheet Colosseum Vs. Modern Sports Arena worksheet to compare more information
about the Colosseum with students event experiences in arenas.


Main Lesson: Design an Arena

The Colosseum was built solidly of marble and stone, allowing it to stand for almost 2,000 years.
Contemplate what the Venerable Bede, English historian and Benedictine monk (672/3 735) said
regarding the Colosseum:
While the Colosseum stands, Rome will stand; When the Colosseum falls, Rome will fall;
When Rome falls, the world will fall.
? What does that mean? To what extent would you agree? Disagree?

There are hundreds of arenas in the United States, and every year, old ones are being torn down as
new ones are built. (Interesting that our old arenas are usually only about 50 years old!) For
example, plans are underway to build Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, a $625 million project.
Architects design new features, such as retractable roofs and VIP seating. But the basic shape and
structure remain similar to the arenas of the past.

Design your own stadium. (And try to make it last as long as the Colosseum has lasted!)
1. Look at internet sources, such as Stadiums of the NFL (http://www.stadiumsofnfl.com/).
Also look at a variety of plans and both exterior and interior photos of arenas. Be sure to look
carefully at the plan of the Colosseum.
2. Consider the following when planning your design:
? What is the main purpose? For sporting events? Which sport?
? What other events can be held in there? Conventions? Circuses? Flea Markets? A
temporary storm shelter?
? Will it be open or enclosed with a roof?
? How many people can it seat?
? How many entrances will it have?
? What will the exterior look like?
? Will food stations be included? How many?
3. Make a plan of the stadium on graph paper. Indicate where the main action will be taking
place, how many sections there are, how many balconies there are.
4. Draw a plan for the exterior of the stadium on a 12 x 18 sheet of paper. Use pencil to lightly
sketch your idea, and then go over with the thin marker. Erase your lines. Will your
inspiration be classical, modern, or eclectic?
5. Finish off the arena by staging an event.
? What type of event will you have? An NBA playoff game? A circus? A football game?
A concert?
6. Create a poster advertising the event with markers on the 12 x 18 piece of paper.
7. Make a fake ticket to accompany your event on the 2 x 5 piece of cardstock. Make sure
to include suggested entrance gate, section number and seat number.


Extension/Enrichment: Capitals & Columns:

There are five orders of columns. The Greeks developed the Doric order, the Ionic order, and the
Corinthian order. Romans added to these orders by incorporating the Tuscan order and the
Composite order, both hybrids of the Greek orders. The Doric order uses a cushion-like capital,
tapered shaft, and lack of base. The Ionic order of column uses a curved volute capital, straight fluted
shaft, and stepped base. The Corinthian order uses acanthus leaf capital, straight fluted shaft, and __
base.

Each tier of the Colosseum incorporates the three Greek orders in corresponding sequence of
invention. Identify each order.

Look at other examples from Roman buildings, such as the Pantheon. What order of column is used?
Find examples in your community and identify the type of column used.

The Romans borrowed the orders from Greek architecture. They combined different styles to create
their own orders. Design another order of column. How did you come up with the design? Use a
paper tube (paper towel, gift wrap, toilet paper) as a basis to create a type of column. Use paper to
add a capital and base.

The Colosseum Vs. the Modern Sports Arena

Name _________________________________________

Colosseum Your arena:

__________________________
What is its main
purpose?

When was it
built?

Who built it?

Is it open or
enclosed?

What is the
seating capacity?

What does it look
like?

What is the
typical cost of
admission?

What other
functions does it
have?

The Roman Basilica to the Christian Church

Note: This lesson addresses the religion of Christianity and requires study of the basilica structure
and its application to churches in the Christian faith today.

Background:
The year was 313 CE. The Emperor Constantine signed the Edict of Milan, which allowed the
tolerance of all religions in the Roman Empire, including Christianity. Soon after, Christianity
became the official religion of the Romans. Christian worship went from clandestine meetings in
homes to avoid persecution to many worshipping together in large groups. A new type of building
needed to be constructed to hold the growing Christian congregations, something other than reusing
the pagan temples. The basilica, which served as a hall for a covered market and courthouse, became
the new building model for worship. The basilica is a rectangular building divided along its long axis
into the nave, the central portion, and side aisles. At one end of the nave is a hemispherical apse.
Once the basilica shape became adapted for the new Christian religion, architects began adding
features. The transept is perpendicular to the nave, and the shape of its crossing the nave resembles
a cross. The narthex is opposite the apse, and is the entrance to the basilica. Arcading, or repeated
arches, were used for the interior side aisles. Clerestory windows, place in the area above the nave,
allowed light to filter in.

Basilica of Maxentius/Constantine in the Roman


National Standards
NA VA 1, 4, 5, 6
NS 5
NM GEO 4

Learning Objectives
1. That the building plan of many churches today is based on the Roman basilica shape.
2. How to apply terminology associated with the basilica.
3. How to design a new structure based on the basilica shape.

Materials
Per student:
worksheet Roman Basilica
pencil
In general:
suggested images

Suggested Images
Plan of Roman basilica
Plan and elevation of Basilica of Maxentius/Constantine
Plan and elevation of Old St. Peters
Plans and photos of a variety of churches and cathedrals
Church in your town or area that follows a basilica plan


Introduction/Motivation: Intro to Basilica

Introduce the Roman basilica shape by showing a plan of the basilica shape. This type of structure
was used initially as a covered market or courthouse.
? What are the advantages of this type of structure?
? When Christianity was legalized in the 4
th
century in Rome, worshippers needed a place to
gather together. Why was the basilica shape utilized?

Show examples of churches.
? What do the churches have in common?
? How are they structurally similar?
? How are the churches similar to the Roman basilica?

Main Lesson: Design a Basilica

Design a structure based on the basilica.

1. Use or trace the plan of the basilica from the worksheet.
2. Think of a purpose for the basilica. Will it be a church? A town forum? A covered shopping
market?
3. Add features on the plan such as a nave, aisles, apses, transepts or any feature you think
would make a good design.

Extension/Enrichment: Tour a Church
Go to a local church and tour the interior.

Can you locate the following:
? Narthex?
? Trancept?
? Apse?
? Nave?
? Side aisles?
? How is this church different from a Roman basilica?
? What other features do you see?

The Roman Basilica
Name _________________________________________


Roman Basilica Plan

Apse

Side Aisles Side Aisles

Nave

Apse

Basilica Church with Transepts

Apse

Transept Transept

Side Aisles Side Aisles

Nave

Narthex

Culminating Activities for Architecture of the Roman Empire

Learning Objectives
1. How to create an architectural model
2. How to apply Roman architectural aspects to create a new design
3. To appreciate the architecture in their own community
4. How to recognize architectural innovations from ancient Rome in their own communities.

Materials:
Per Student:
Graph paper
Acetate sheet
Permanent marker
Bristol or tag board
White glue

In General:
Foam core board
Corrugated cardboard
Cardboard tubes
Variety of materials for building
Designing a Classical Building

Roman architecture has been influential for two thousand years. Many homes, museums, and
governmental buildings have direct inspiration from Roman sources. For example, the architect
Richard Meier designed the complex and gardens of the Getty Center in Los Angeles (1984-1997)
with inspiration from Hadrians Villa located just outside Rome in Tivoli (118-134). William
Randolph Hearst was a world traveler, and designed the Neptune Pool at Heart Castle (1919-1947) in
San Simeon, California after a Greco-Roman Villa. And the majestic dome of the Pantheon, of
course, inspired Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Thomas J efferson, and countless state capitol buildings!

Draw a structure. Before you begin designing, be able to answer these questions:
? What will it be used for? (worship, personal residence, sports arena, government building,
etc.)
? Where will it be located?
? How big will it be? (This may depend on its purpose.)
? What aspects of classical architecture will it incorporate?

Getting started:
1. Create a plan, which shows the layout of each floor, of your structure on the graph paper.
2. Draw the section, which is the vertical cutaway of the interior (like a doll house) on a
sheet of paper.
3. Tape an acetate sheet over the section to draw the elevation, or side view of the exterior,
with permanent markers.
4. From the small plan on graph paper, enlarge it to the scale, or size, you want the model to
be on bristol board.
5. Now begin construction on your classical building. Use any variety of construction
materials such as foam core board, cardboard, modeling clay, papier mache, stiff paper,
etc.


Community Architectural Hunt
Discuss the innovations of Roman architecture, including:
the arch
the dome
concrete
arenas
basilica shape

Your community is probably filled with many of these innovations as well as designs based on
classical elements!

Walk around your neighborhood to find Roman/Classical inspired designs and innovations. Use the
Community Architectural Hunt worksheet to make a tally of how many times you saw that
architectural innovation and use a specific location to write down exactly where you saw that feature
and sketch it in the box.

Community Architectural Hunt
Name _________________________________________

Walk around your neighborhood to find Roman/Classical inspired designs and innovations. Next to
each item, jot down every time you see that innovation/design. Then, in each box, include a specific
location of where you found the innovation and draw a quick sketch of it.
Arch - Dome - Arcading -

Vault (type?) - Concrete - Column (type?) -

Arena - Oculus - Coffers -

Basilica - Other: Other:

For Further Exploration on the Art of the Roman Empire

Ideas that relate to Roman art and architecture and have applications for today
Mosaics
Romans are well noted for their beautiful and practical mosaics on the floors and
walls of homes and baths, such as the Cave Canem (Beware of Dog) mosaic
used to warn visitors of their family dog in a Roman home. Mosaics are designs
made of bits of tile or glass called tesserae. Today, mosaics are found
everywhere, from public art sculptures such at Watts Towers in Los Angeles to
candleholders found at a local store. Where else can you find mosaics? Create a
mosaic using tile or glass and mortar. Or, for a simpler, more classroom friendly
option, use construction paper tiles.

Roman Frescoes
The Romans decorated their walls with paintings in the form of frescoes. There were four major
styles of frescoes:
simple, little color, copying Greek pictures or those that resemble marble
pictures to resemble architecture, landscapes, and vistas in a trompe loeil fashion
landscapes in background, figures in foreground
Combo style: filled with figures, statuary, landscapes
Where are wall paintings seen in your own community? (Perhaps public art murals?) Create a fresco
based on one of these styles or plan a mural for the wall of the classroom.

Roman Sculptures
The ancient Romans admired Greek statuary so much that they made
reproductions of them. In fact, most of the sculptures we know as Greek are
really Roman copies of Greek originals that have since been lost or destroyed
over time. The Romans did, however, create original portrait sculptures,
capturing the expression and details such as wrinkles of a real face, as opposed
to an idealized Greek appearance. Look at sculptures at your school, local art
museum, and around town. Do the sculptures you see contain these kinds of
details? How is Roman influence noted? Create a clay bust of someone
(yourself?). Try to capture all of the details of the face, including wrinkles and
facial hair.

Roman baths
Roman baths were large, and each had a specific purpose, such as a room for hygiene and a room for
exercise. What does that sound like? Spas and gyms! Compare this relationship further to what was
offered in the Ancient Roman baths vs. what is offered in todays spas and sports complexes. Also
compare the plans and overall architecture of a modern facility with that of the Roman ones. How
are they similar? How are they different?


Graffiti
The word graffiti is a plural derivation from the Latin word graffito, which was derived from the
Greek word graphein meaning to write. Some of the earliest graffiti was found in Pompeii, carved
into the walls of homes and monuments. Subject matter included quotations from literature, insults,
political statements and caricatures, and love declarations.
(Sound familiar?) Today, graffiti continues from its
ancient legacy to evolve into writing by using spray
paint. Graffiti is prevalent in the streets of Rome today,
and can be found on virtually any viaduct or railroad car
in the United States. Examine more of this history and its
evolution to an artform (albeit illegal artform) today. In
Indiana, a great place to see artistic and legal graffiti is in
Broadripple. Which then begs the question, is it really
graffiti if it is legal? Should graffiti be an area of study
given its illegal history in the U.S.? Why is it illegal if it
has been practiced for thousands of years?

Aqueducts and Fountains
Aqueducts carried water from springs in the countryside to
Romes fountains, baths and some individual homes. Some
of these systems are still in use today, enabling fresh, clean
water to continuously stream out of fountains around the city,
allowing anyone to quench their thirst as they walk around
the city streets. How do the drinking fountains look in your
community? Is it safe to drink the water coming out of
public fountains? Why or why not? Design your own
fountain for drinking that incorporates Roman designs.

Vitruvian Man
Vitruvius was a Roman engineer, architect, and author of De architectura (On Architecture),
which as written c. 27-23 BCE. De architectura was a 10 book treatise on architecture. In these 10
books, Vitruvius wrote clearly and simply on both theoretical and practical applications of
architecture and construction. Vitruvius was rediscovered during the Renaissance and greatly
influenced architects such as Alberti and Palladio (who subsequently wrote their own books on
architecture in the 16
th
century). He also influenced other Renaissance artists such as Leonardo da
Vinci, who drew the iconic Vitruvian Man in the 16
th
century based on the proportions of man set
forth by Vitruvius in his books. Vitruvius continued to influence the direction of architecture through
the early 20
th
century, until modernist values rejected his theories. Read all or some of the books of
De architectura (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Vitruvius/home.html).
View Leonardos Vitruvian Man and test to see if the proportions Vitruvius wrote of are correct. For
ideas on lesson plans, see the Drexel Math Forum site
(http://mathforum.org/alejandre/frisbie/math/leonardo.html).

Terminology for Roman Architecture
aisle
amphitheatre
apse
aqueducts
arcading
arch
arena
barrel vault
basilica
clerestory windows
coffers
Column Orders: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian
compression
concrete,
dome
Edict of Milan
graffiti
groin vault
keystone
mosaic
narthex
nave
oculus
pediment
portico
portrait sculptures
Roman baths
tensile strength
tension
tesserae
transept
voussoir

Resources

Children/Juvenile/Illustrated Books
Ancient Roman Art
Book to introduce students to Ancient Roman art and architecture.
Susie Hodge. Heinemann Interactive Library, Reed Educational & Professional Publishing; 1998.

Ancient Rome
Well-illustrated book on the architecture and culture of ancient Rome.
Peter Connolly. Text by Andrew Solway. Oxford University Press; 2001.

Ancient Rome: Monuments Past and Present
Descriptions of Roman buildings such as the Forum, the Pantheon, the Colosseum, and St. Peters
with transparency overlays to help reconstruct what the original building looked like.
Romolo Augusto Staccioli. Vision S.R.L. Roma; 2006 (new edition with CD-DVD ROM)

Classical Ingenuity: The Legacy of Greek and Roman Architects, Artists, and Inventors
Activity book focusing on the art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome.
Charles F. Baker and Rosalie F. Baker. Cobblestone Publishing; 1993.

The Colosseum
Cartoguide (English version) resource for the Colosseum.
Text edited by Nunzio Giustozzi. Ministero per i Beni e le Attivit Culturali, Soprintendenza
Archeologica di Roma, mondadori Electa S.p.A., Milan; 2003 (reprint).

Crafts of the Ancient World: The Crafts and Culture of the Romans
Wordy childrens book with limited illustrations, but includes some unique ideas for projects based
on the culture of ancient Rome.
J oann J ovinelly and J ason Netelkos. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.; 2002.

Masters of Art: The Story of Architecture
Well-illustrated book of architecture through history.
Francesco Milo. Illustrated by Lorenzo Cecchi, Studio Galante, and Andrea Ricciardi. Peter Bedrick
Books. 1999.

Rome Antics
Childrens picture book concerning a pigeon that flies across Rome; drawings are done from a
variety of vantage points providing unusual perspectives of the urban landscape.
David Macaulay. Houghton Mifflin Company. 1997.

Smart Structures: Stadiums and Domes
An in-depth look at the technology and history of stadiums and domes, well-illustrated with
photographs of actual structures and drawings illustrating vocabulary and concepts.
J ulie Richards. Minnesota: Smart Apple Media. 2004 (2003 MacMillan Education Australia).

Technology in the Time of Ancient Rome
Well-illustrated book helps to simplify the innovative technology of the ancient Romans.
Robert Snedden. Raintree Steck-Vaughn Company. 1998.

The Colosseum
In-depth look at the Colosseum and its history, well illustrated.
Lesley A. Dutemple. Lerner Publications Company. 2003.

The Pantheon
In-depth look at the Colosseum and its history, well illustrated.
Lesley A. Dutemple. Lerner Publications Company. 2003.

Adults/Older Readers
Classical Architecture: An Introduction to Its Vocabulary and Essentials, With a Select Glossary of
Terms
Well-illustrated resource on the history of architectural styles.
J ames Stevens Curl. W.W. Norton & Company; 1992, 2001.

Web-sites
Architectural glossary
http://www.usi.edu/artdept/artinindiana/Glossary/glossary.html

Architecture lesson plans, with National Standards
http://www.sanford-artedventures.com/play/arch1/arch_teacher.html

Great Buildings: The Roman Colosseum
http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Roman_Colosseum.html

Create a 3-D model of the Colosseum from Great Buildings
http://www.greatbuildings.com/models/Roman_Colosseum_mod.html

Comprehensive coverage by Andrea and Daniele Pepe and Catherine McElwee of the history and
architecture of the Colosseum
http://www.the-colosseum.net/idx-en.htm

Rome Guide of the Colosseum
http://www.romeguide.it/MONUM/ARCHEOL/colosseum/colosseum.htm

Rome Guide of the Pantheon
http://www.romeguide.it/MONUM/ARCHEOL/pantheon/the_pantheon.htm

Stadiums of the NFL
http://www.stadiumsofnfl.com/

Odyssey Online: Themes of Rome
http://www.carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/ROME/homepg.html

Vitruvius De architectura
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Vitruvius/home.html

Drexel Math Forum with Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian Man lesson plans
http://mathforum.org/alejandre/frisbie/math/leonardo.html

Unit Section Two
The Art of the Italian Renaissance

The word Renaissance means rebirth. Rebirth of what? Of classical thought and values. The
ancient Greeks and particularly the Romans were of direct inspiration to the thinkers and artists of the
Renaissance. So what about the Middle Ages? There were approximately 1,000 years between the
fall of Rome and the beginning of Renaissance thought, a period lasting roughly from 1400 to 1530.
Those many years were looked on with disdain by the Renaissance thinkers, a dark period where
nothing useful was created and much of intellectual classical thought was destroyed. Although Italy
was politically unstable after the Middle Ages, it seemed to recover economically faster than the rest
of Europe. Having money and resources, Italy, especially the city of Florence, became the center of
trade and manufacturing. The ruins of ancient Rome surrounded these late 14
th
/early 15
th
century
thinkers and artists, enhancing the atmosphere for such a rebirth in the art of the Renaissance.
Subject matter during the Renaissance also sought inspiration from the ancients through classical and
mythological imagery while focusing largely on Christian themes.

The Renaissance is considered to be the beginning of modern thought and was a time for scientific
discoveries, humanistic thought, and the fervent exploration of far away lands. Certainly, there were
many innovations during the Renaissance, such as the invention of the printing press in mid-
fifteenth century Germany and the formulation of oil paint as a painting medium in early fifteenth
century Flanders, that are worthy of further study for application to todays world. However, this
unit focuses solely on the artistic innovations that came from Italy during the Renaissance, a period of
approximately 130 years spanning the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Many of the
conventions of how contemporary Western society views the arts were formed during this time in
Italy, such as:
the concept of the fine arts and the importance of the artist
the use of space and proportion in painting
and the realistic modeling of the figure.

According to Wumdram, who alludes to Vasari, two factors were introduced to the art of the early
15
th
century: the perfect imitation of nature (idealizing only to show the divine beauty of an object)
and the mathematical application of spatial constructs (i.e. linear perspective). According to
Lematre and Lessing, the study of geometry, measurement, and other mathematical principles were
introduced in schools for children about 11 years old, mainly for future use in business purposes.
These mathematical principles were not just for specialists and had practical and direct application
for merchants, architects and artists.

Note: The subject matter of Renaissance art often portrays religious scenes in Christianity. Some of
the artworks also contain nudity.

Unit Two will explore how the art of Renaissance Italy continues to influence art of today.

Spatial Constructs: Linear and Atmospheric Perspective
Representing the World Around: Modeling the Figure
Concept of Fine Arts and Importance of the Artist: Exploring Giorgio Vasari
Culminating Activities for Renaissance Art


Spatial Constructs

Background
Artists during the Renaissance were concerned with representing the idea of space and volume in art.
Space and volume, however, are three-dimensional concepts. How does an artist represent what has
depth on a flat surface, like paper, that only has height and width? To represent architecture and
other geometric masses in a convincing way, linear perspective was developed. To represent the
landscape and other vistas that reach into the distance, aerial or atmospheric perspective was used.

View from Villa dEste in Tivoli
Fra Carnevale, Presentation of the Virgin in the
Temple (?), c. 1467, Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Spatial Constructs

National Standards
NA VA 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
NS 2, 5
NSS WH 6
NM GEO 1, 4

Learning Objectives
1. How to represent space on a flat surface using linear perspective.
2. How to represent space on a flat surface using atmospheric perspective.
3. How to construct a fresco.
4. That fresco painting is a very durable method due to the chemical bonding of plaster and
pigment.
5. That linear perspective was developed by the Renaissance architect Brunelleschi who wanted
to use mathematical reasoning to depict architectural space on a flat surface.
6. That Leonardo da Vinci observed that in atmospheric perspective, the further in distance
objects are in the landscape, the bluer they become.
7. That objects seem to get smaller and less distinct the further in distance they become.
8. To appreciate the Renaissance innovation of linear and atmospheric perspectives.
9. To appreciate the method of creating a fresco.

Materials
Per student:
ruler
marker
a few sheets of white paper
pencil
watercolor paper
wooden board larger than the water
color paper
paintbrush
pie tin or 5 x 5 piece of wood
nail
vine charcoal

In general:
camera
permanent marker
acetate sheet (overhead transparency)
suggested artworks
masking tape
water containers
paper towel
plaster of Paris
trowel
watercolor or tempera paints
powdered or crushed charcoal
large dry brush


Spatial Constructs: Linear Perspective

Linear Perspective

Linear perspective is a system to indicate spatial depth.

It is based on the idea that straight lines seem to recede back into space to the vanishing point, a
single point on the horizon line. As objects recede into space, they appear to get smaller, they appear
more vertical on the picture plane, and are obscured by overlapping objects in the foreground.

Masaccio (1401-1428) was one of the first artists to employ the use of linear perspective. Masaccios
The Trinity, 1425/26 (located at Santa Maria Novella in Florence) is said to be the one of the first
paintings of the Renaissance. The mathematical concept of linear perspective was invented by the
architect Brunelleschi (see The Importance of the Artist), a contemporary of Masaccio, and
Masaccio translated this theory visually onto the large fresco with reference to the interior of
Brunelleschis San Lorenzo. Masaccios work later became a model for other artists, such as
Leonardo da Vinci, who would go and sketch his frescoes of The Trinity and the Brancacci Chapel
fresco cycle located at Santa Maria del Carmine.

Suggested Artworks
Masaccio, The Trinity, 1425/26
Brunelleschis perspective experiments
Albertis diagrams of perspective
Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper, 1495-98
Raphael, School of Athens, 1510-11
School of Pierro della Francesca, The Ideal City, ca 1460

Fra Carnevale, Presentation of the Virgin in the
Temple (?), c. 1467, Boston Museum of Fine Arts
School of Pierro della Francesca, The Ideal City,
ca 1460, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums


Introduction/Motivation: Converging Lines in the Built Environment
Go outside and observe the landscape. Look at the school building itself- notice the edges of the
building.
? Do all the vertical lines of the building remain parallel?
? What happens to the horizontal edges of the building?
Take photographs of the school or surrounding buildings from different vantage points (stand in
different places and photograph from different angles). Make a copy of the photographs so a pair of
students gets at least one copy. Use a ruler to determine where the major horizontal lines converge
and to indicate where the orthogonal lines are.
Use a copy of one of the suggested artworks and lay an acetate sheet over it. Use a permanent marker
to determine converging lines.

Main Lesson: Draw in one-point linear perspective
1. Examine the terminology of linear perspective, such as horizon line, vanishing point, and
orthogonal.
2. Practice drawing in linear perspective. Start simply with boxes.
3. Draw a square or rectangle on the paper. Above the quadrilateral, draw a horizontal line that will
act as the horizon line. Create the vanishing point by drawing a dot on the horizon line.
4. Use your ruler to draw lines (the orthogonals) from each corner of the quadrilateral to the
vanishing point. Draw a line from each corner that makes a direct line only.
5. To complete the box, determine what you want the depth of the box to be. Draw a line parallel
to the horizontal edge of the original square, and then draw a line parallel to the vertical edge of
the square. Erase the unnecessary lines to the vanishing point.
6. Draw a few more boxes at different areas of the paper. Try stacking boxes for a challenge.
7. Proceed to more complex shapes, such as your name in block letters or drawing an interior
hallway.

Challenge- Draw an exterior scene of buildings or use two-point linear perspective where two
vanishing points are used

Spatial Constructs: Aerial Perspective

Aerial or Atmospheric Perspective

Aerial or Atmospheric Perspective
The Renaissance artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci, sought to reproduce the landscape as it appeared
in nature. Leonardo was one of the first artists to discover that as the distance became greater in the
landscape, objects became
less detailed and distinct
contrasts of lights and darks lessened
and a bluish haze appeared
In Leonardo on Painting, Leonardo addresses aerial perspective by stating, if you wish in
painting to make one appear more distant than the other, you should represent the air as rather dense.
This is done by making the objects appear more blue the further away the landscape, and that which
is five times more distant make five times more blue. (pp. 80-81) This is called aerial or
atmospheric perspective. Some artists, such as Giovanni Bellini and Giorgione, used the landscape
as an integral and important part of the composition. Later artists, such as Pieter Bruegel in Northern
Europe, focused the attention on the landscape itself.

Suggested Artworks
Leonardo da Vinci, Lady of the Rocks,1483-86; Mona Lisa, 1504-06
Raphael, The Alba Madonna, ca. 1509
Giovanni Bellini, The Agony in the Garden, c. 1465
Giorgione, Three Philosophers, 1505-1509
Masaccio, The Tribute Money, 1427-28
View from Villa dEste in Tivoli
Masaccio, The Tribute Money, 1427-28, Brancacci
Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence


Introduction/Motivation: Seeing the Distant Landscape
Go outside and observe the landscape. Look off into the distance at the natural shapes where there is
nothing to obstruct your view.
? What happens to the landscape as it recedes into the distance?
? What is the color?
? What happens to the details of objects?
? What happens to the size of objects?
Take a photograph of this vista for a few consecutive days in different times of day. Study what
happens to the viewpoint with the different position of the sun or during different atmospheric
conditions.

Main Lesson: Make a painting using aerial perspective
1. Go outside and look at the landscape. An open vista or mountain view is best to see the effects of
atmospheric perspective.
? What do you notice?
? A bluish haze, as Leonardo had written?
? Do colors start to fade and become lighter in value?
? Do details seem to disappear?
Look at examples of artists who incorporate atmospheric perspective, such as Leonardos Lady of
the Rocks or Raphaels The Alba Madonna.
2. Take a sheet of watercolor paper and tape down to a wooden board for sturdiness. (The paper
will stretch when wet and then will buckle when dry if not taped down first.)
3. Use a pencil to lightly sketch the main areas of the landscape.
4. Use watercolors to reproduce your atmospheric experience. Painting on dry paper gives greater
control and keeps colors separate. For a more organic shape, try a wet-on-wet technique where
you wet the paper first before applying watercolor, then watch the colors bleed together. Paint in
layers- put the lightest colors down first, and gradually build up the darker values. Paint details
last; dry paper is best.
5. Once the painting is completed and dry, carefully peel off the masking tape.

Spatial Constructs

Extension/Enrichment: Create a fresco

Many of the early Renaissance works, such as Masaccios The Trinity, were done on walls in great
scale with fresco. Although fresco was a technique used by Renaissance artists, it is a painting
process developed thousands of years ago (the Romans, for example, painted the walls in Pompeii
using fresco.) Fresco painting has proven to be a very permanent and stable process because the
pigment (which is colored, crushed minerals) is applied to damp plaster, forming a permanent,
chemical bond. This type of fresco is called buon fresco which is true fresco. It is a laborious
process- artists have to lay down plaster for what they can only paint that day. Michelangelo painted
the ceiling of the Sistine chapel using true fresco. It took him 4 years to cover the ceiling! Another
type of fresco is fresco secco, or dry fresco. In fresco secco, paint is applied to dry plaster. Because
no chemical process takes place to form a permanent bond, the paint usually flakes off, and it has
proven to not to last. Leonardo da Vinci used a fresco secco technique in the Last Supper. He was
experimenting with mixing glue and pigments on dried plaster so the painting process wouldnt quite
be so tiresome. If you compare the restored frescoes of Last Supper and the Sistine Chapel ceiling,
you can see that the true freco of Michelangelo is in much better shape!

Suggested Artworks
Leonardo da Vinci, Last Supper, 1495-1498
Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel ceiling, 1508-1512
Raphael, School of Athens, 1510-11
Masaccio, The Tribute Money and The Trinity

Create a modified fresco with a focus on linear perspective or on atmospheric perspective.
1. First, decide on a subject and sketch out a few ideas. Create either a landscape using atmospheric
perspective or a city or interior scene using linear perspective.
2. Trace around the mold or around the 5 x 5 wood board. Draw your subject in contour line in
the traced border. Use a nail to poke holes every or so along the cartoon, or drawing.
3. Mix up Plaster of Paris and pour in a mold (pie tin, cut milk gallon container, etc.). Shake
container gently to allow paint to settle flatly. Or, if using the wooden board, spread a thin layer
of Plaster of Paris with a trowel.
4. Once set (an hour or so), place the cartoon over it and secure to the sides of the container with
tape. Pounce powdered or crushed charcoal over the surface with a dry brush. Where there are
holes, the charcoal will go through, creating a dot-to-dot to follow as your sketch. Remove
cartoon and connect the dots to recreate your line drawing with vine charcoal.
5. To complete the painting, use paint, such as tempera or watercolor, on the dampened surface of
the plaster.
6. Let the entire fresco dry completely.
7. Due to the chemical reaction of the plaster drying with the pigment of the paint, the painting
should be permanent.
Note: While this process mimics the fresco techniques of Masaccio and Michelangelo, the plaster
composition and the pigments in the paints are different so a true fresco is not achieved.

Spatial Constructs:
Linear Perspective
Vanishing Point
Horizon Line
Orthogonal
Keep lines parallel

School of Pierro della Francesca, The Ideal City,
ca 1460, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums


Atmospheric Perspective

The further back into the distance of the landscape, the:

fewer the details
smaller the objects
less distinct the objects
lighter the values
bluer the objects

Photograph of Tivoli from Villa dEste


Representing the World Around

Background
One of the concerns of the Renaissance artist was to represent the natural world in a realistic way.
And one of the primary artists who advocated the study of the natural world was Leonardo da Vinci.
Leonardo da Vinci kept numerous sketchbooks and created thousands of sketches, inventions, and
scientific notations of the world around him. In order to gain knowledge of the world, Leonardo
drew. And in order to be a better artist, Leonardo studied objects. The study of anatomy was also
very important. Leonardo drew from live models and also studied cadavers to determine the correct
skeletal and muscular structures.

Leonardo wrote volumes in his sketchbooks, including descriptive notes and labeling of objects as
well as offering advice for the young artist. He gave this advice for the young painter, A youth
should first learn perspective, then the proportions of all things. Next he should learn from the hand
of a good master, to gain familiarity with fine limbs. then from work done in three dimensions
along with the drawing done from it, then from a good example from nature, and this you must put
into practice. (Leonardo on Painting, p. 197)

In order to create the idea of volume or depth in a figure or an object, artists during the Renaissance
used chiaroscuro, an Italian word meaning light dark. This basically means that artists used value
to model three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface. Study how light hits an object.
Notice that the lighter areas are where the object sticks out towards the light and the darker areas are
where the object is away from the light. (You may need to squint to help notice the distinctions of
values.) Where the object or figure was rounded was rendered in values of gray. This created a
modeled effect, which gave a three-dimensional quality to the object. Look at one of Leonardos
portraits, such as the Mona Lisa. Where are the lightest values (the highlights)? Where are the
darkest areas? How does Leonardo make the figure come alive?

Raphael, School of Athens, 1510-11, Vatican Museums


National Standards
NA VA 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
NM GEO 1

Learning Objectives
1. That keeping a sketchbook helps an artist observe the world around.
2. How to draw an object using chiaroscuro.
3. How to draw a portrait in proportion.
4. That portraiture can reveal more than just the physical appearance of a person.
5. To appreciate the tradition of portraiture.
6. How to draw in silverpoint.

Materials
Per student:
Sketchbook
pencil
Set of pastels or charcoal
Paper for charcoal or pastels
Gessoed board or clay coated Karma
Cover
Optional: oil pastels or paints
1 of soft sterling wire
Old plastic mechanical pencil with
pencil lead removed
In general:
Suggested artworks
Fixative spray


Introduction/Motivation: Keeping a Sketchbook

Look at examples of Leonardos sketchbooks and make a list of categories of objects he rendered.
(The list will be long and will include flowers, the landscape, animals, figure studies, studies of hands
and heads, biological studies of the body done by drawing cadavers, machinery, inventions,
architecture, and so on.)

? Why did he draw those items?
? Do they look real?
? How was Leonardo able to draw something on a flat, two-dimensional piece of paper and
make it look like a three-dimensional object? Point out the highlights and shadows.

Suggested Artworks
Leonardo da Vinci, assortment of sketchbook drawings (they number in the hundreds if not
thousands!) including Study for a Mans Head in Profile, c. 1490

Have students keep a sketchbook (can be hand made or purchased) to record the world around them.
Leonardo kept a sketchbook with him always! Sketchbooks are great for taking notes, keeping
record of things seen, providing a creative outlet, practicing your drawing skills, and so on. Create
drawings every day in the sketchbook, even of things that you think are boring. Take notes about
what you see as well. To tie in with biology, sketch an animal being dissected.

Heres a suggested list of subject matter for the sketchbook:
Series of chiaroscuro studies
pillow
Egg
Bag
Ball
Landscape
Pet or animal from life
Hands
Feet
Profile of a person
portrait view
Self-portrait
Individual body parts
Plant
Flowers
Drapery/sheet

Main Lesson: Pleasing Portraits
In the early 15
th
century, the portrait became increasingly more important as wealthy patrons wanted
their likeness rendered. Artists initially painted their subjects in profile, such as the portrait of the
Duke of Urbino by Piero della Francesca. Later in the 15
th
century, artists began depicting the figure
in three-quarters view, such as Leonardo da Vincis Mona Lisa. (The Mona Lisa was also innovative
for the inclusion of hands at rest, the pyramid format, and the use of sfumato or smoky layers of
glaze seen around the mouth and hands.) Artists were interested in drawing portraits as realistic as
possible, making sure to apply the correct proportions of the human body.

What can portraits reveal about the sitter? Their interests, a family history and even how the artist
feels about the sitter. The position of the sitter also can provide the viewer with a dialogue of sorts; a
profile view of the sitter rejects conversation while a frontal position can fully engage the viewer.

Look at samples of Renaissance portraits. Focus on one. Discuss the following:
? Where is the sitter looking?
? What is the position of the body?
? How much of the body is being included?
? What is the sitter doing?
? What do you think the personality of the sitter is like?
? What is in the background?

Suggested Artworks
Raphael, Lady with a Unicorn, c. 1504
Titian, Portrait of Pope Paul III, 1543
Domenico Ghirlandaio, Portrait of Giovanna Tornabuoni, 1488
Piero della Francesca, Portraits of Battista Sforza and Federico daMontefeltro, c. 1474
Leonardo da Vinci, Young Woman Holding an Ermine, 1488-1490 and Mona Lisa, 1504-06

All of the suggested artworks were painted in oil paint, a relatively new medium for this time. Oil paints were said to be
discovered in the early 15
th
century in Flanders. By the 16
th
century, most artists across Europe were using this new
versatile painting medium. Compare reproductions done in oil (any of the works above) to ones done with tempera or
fresco. (For tempera, see Botticellis Primavera. For fresco, see the segment on fresco in the Spatial Constructs section).

1. Use the sketch of a person from your sketchbook as a starting point or use a live model
(another student in the class or another teacher- how about the principal?)
2. Before you begin your portrait, consider these questions:
? How much of the body will be included?
? How is the sitters personality included?
3. Sketch out the basic parts in proportion using pencil on paper
4. Model the figure using chiaroscuro or a gradation of values with charcoal or chalk pastels. Set
the charcoal or chalk with a fixative (or aerosol hairspray).
5. Optional: Oil paints were discovered during the Renaissance, so include either the use of oil
paints, or for a less costly and low odor alternative, use oil pastels.
6. For a Renaissance composition, set the model in an architectural setting, which infuses linear
perspective into the composition, or set the model against a landscape (like the Mona Lisa)
that infuses atmospheric perspective.

Portrait of a Young Woman, c. 1505-1510

Drawing a Portrait

These are basic guidelines for portrait drawing. Adjust as needed!

Head:
Look at the overall shape.
Is it egg? oval? square?
Eyes:
fall in center of face
generally almond shape
iris is rounded on bottom, goes
into eyelid on top
pupil is black but reflects light
notice parts such as tear ducts
lashes are not as large/long as
imagined
eye lid has thickness as well
Eyebrows:
arched and follow shape of
eye/brow bone
Nose:
follows contours of brow bone
falls half-way from eyes to chin
nostrils generally have more
definition than rest of nose
Mouth:
1/3 to 1/2 distance from bottom of
nose to chin
notice where corners of mouth fall
to relationship of eyes
Ears:
top of ear usually to bottom of eye
bottom of ears- generally to corner
of mouth
Hair:
hairline starts in forehead, not on
top of head

Before you begin your portrait, consider these questions:
? How much of the body will be included?
? How is the sitters personality included?


Extension/Enrichment: Drawing with Metalpoint

Metalpoint is a type of drawing done with a metal stylus on a gessoed board. Silverpoint is done
with a sterling silver stylus. The resulting line is faint, delicate and permanent.

Metalpoints advantage over pencil or charcoal is that it is permanent, so no fixing is required to set
the drawing. Metalpoint was first used during the Middle Ages, and was also used during the
Renaissance before drawing with chalk became more popular.

Drawing with metalpoint (as well as guidelines and directions for how to mix pigments, create
frescoes, and render subjects) is outlined in the book The Craftsmans Handbook (Il Libro dell
Arte) in the section HOW YOU SHOULD FIRST START DRAWING ON PAPER WITH
CHARCOAL, AND TAKE THE MEASUREMENTS OF THE FIGURE, AND FIX IT WITH A
SILVER STYLE. This is how Cellini explains how to do metalpoint:
First take the charcoal, slender, and sharpened like a pen, or like your style; and, as
the prime measurement which you adopt for drawing, adopt one of the three which the face
has, for it has three of them altogether: the forehead, the nose, and the chin, including the
mouth And then, when you feel that it is about right, take the silver style and go over the
outlines and accents of your drawings, and over the dominant folds, to pick them out. When
you have got this done, take the barbed feather once more, and sweep the charcoal off
thoroughly; and your drawing will remain, fixed by the style. (p. 17)

Suggested Artworks
Leonardo da Vinci:
o Antique Warrior, c. 1472 (metalpoint)
o Study of Arms and Hands, c. 1474 (silverpoint with chalk)
o Perspective Study for the Background of the Adoration, c. 1481 (pen and ink over
metalpoint)
o Study for the Head of a Girl, c. 1483 (silverpoint)

Try your own hand at Silverpoint

1. Gesso a board or paper and let dry OR use the Karma Cover clay paper. The surface should be
slightly rough and have a bit of a tooth so the silver can rub onto the surface.
2. Put the silver wire into the plastic casing of the pencil or attach the wire securely to a dowel rod.
3. You can use charcoal (as suggested above) or use pencil to sketch your subject.
4. Then go over the sketch with the point of the silver.
5. Use hatching and cross-hatching to create value tones.
6. Erase the pencil or charcoal away, leaving the metalpoint intact.

Concept of Fine Arts
and the Importance of the Artist

Background
During the Middle Ages, artists worked in guilds and remained largely anonymous. During the
Renaissance focused on intellectual thought and gifted individuals gained prominence and
importance. The High Renaissance, a period from roughly 1500 to 1525, was a peak of achievement
with artists such as Raphael, Leonardo, and Michelangelo creating magnificent works of art. They
were considered geniuses, and they were respected and commissioned by popes and kings.

Renaissance writers, scientists and artists were interested in excelling in their discipline, advancing
new ideas and also advancing their own status. In the 14
th
century, Dante wrote in The Inferno,
He who, without Fame, burns his life to waste
leaves no more vestige of himself on the earth than
wind blown smoke, or foam upon the water.
Humanism was a key aspect of the Renaissance. Humanism was a concept which focused on
individual expression, creativity and thought, on straddling the secular with aspects of religion, on
reviving Greek and Roman philosophies, and on scientific implications on man.

Giorgio Vasari was born in 1511 in Arezzo. True to the idea of the Renaissance Man where one
excelled in many areas, Vasari was an artist, architect as well as a writer. Vasari is often credited
with being the first art historian after the first edition of Lives of the Artists appeared in 1550. Vasari
was certainly the first person to write an extensive set of biographies on the major artists of the
Renaissance, beginning with the late medieval masters Cimabue and Giotto who influenced the
direction of art in the Renaissance. According to the introduction in Lives of the Artists, Vasari
conceived the historians primary task to be that of making distinctions among artists by the quality
and style of their works and explaining the evolution of Italian Renaissance art with a theory of its
organic development. He helped to shape who and what were important in Renaissance art; what he
held in high esteem is still regarded highly today.

The concept of the fine arts also arose from this time. The fine arts consist of architecture,
sculpture and painting- all areas highly revered by the people of the Renaissance. During the Middle
Ages, the arts included stained glass, metal work, textiles- all areas that are considered part of the
crafts today. The craft areas were looked down upon during the Renaissance, and were not highly
respected. Consider the connotation of crafts today. What does the word imply?
The back of the Vasari designed Uffizi in Florence

The Importance of the Artist

National Standards
NA VA 4, 5
NSS GK 2
NL ENG 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9

Learning Objectives
1. how to communicate to a given audience by writing an artists biography.
2. how to research and evaluate primary source information.
3. that Vasari is credited with being the first art historian.
4. to appreciate
5. how to obtain information through interviewing.

Materials
Per student:
Worksheet, Importance of Artist
interview sheet

In general:
Giorgio Vasaris book Lives of the
Artists
An assortment of artists books from
the Renaissance
Access to the internet
Access to local artists
Reproductions from Selected Works

Suggested Artworks
Giorgio Vasari, Self-Portrait
Any of the images from the Selected Works (below in table)

Note: Why are there no women artists listed in the Table of Selected Artists? During the
Renaissance, women were not taken as apprentices in the field of art. In some convents, however,
nuns were taught to paint. (For example, the Abbess Plautilla Nelli painted a large fresco in Santa
Maria Novella in Florence.) A challenge for this section is to find the women artists of the
Renaissance!



Introduction/Motivation: Reading Vasari
Read passages from Lives of the Artists aloud or have students take turns in reading from the text.
(Pick an artist that you have reproductions for or that you have been studying.)
? What kind of information is included in Vasaris biography?
? What information about the artist is important for you, the reader?
? What information about the artist is interesting to you?

Main Lesson: Writing an Artists Biography
Students will further explore an artist from the Selected Artists of the Renaissance table (below)
using at least three different resources (such as Vasaris The Lives of the Artists, internet resources, or
other texts).

Focus on what is unique about the artist. Include an in depth discussion on a work of art. Length of
paper depends on ability level minimum 2 pages for upper elementary/middle school/junior high to
10 pages for upper highschool.

For Enrichment: Researching a Contemporary Local Artist
Write about a local artist (students can work solo or in pairs to research a local artist). They can also
write biographies about one another.

Use the interview sheet The Importance of the Artist: An Artist Biography to make notes. Include
biographical information, and information about a few key artworks by the artist.

Write a one-page artist biography. This information could accompany a local artist exhibition in a
catalog or on the wall labels. Local newspapers might also want to run a local artist segment written
by your students.

The Importance of the Artist: An Artist Biography

Interview an artist and fill in the following information.

What is your name?

Where were you born?

Where are currently living?

What training or educational background do you have?

What material(s) do you usually work with?

Describe your artistic process of creating a work of art.

What goals or intentions do you have when you create your art?

Whats the most interesting or funny thing that happened to you in your studio?

Other Question: _______________________________________________________?

For the interviewer to fill out after the interview

Describe one of this artists works in detail.

Sketch of work:

Table of Selected Artists from the Italian Renaissance
Artist Dates Location Medium Description Selected Works
*Leon
Battista
Alberti
1404-
1472
Genoa Architecture,
poetry,
writing
Architecture ruled by the
law of numbers; the
Ancient Roman architect
Vitruvius influenced
Albertis treatise, De re
Aedificatoria, in the
rightness of proportion and
the comparison of
buildings and the human
body.
The faade of Santa
Maria Novella,
1458-1470, Florence
*Fra Angelico c.
1387-
1455
Vicchio
nell
Mugello
Painting The monks work is
flavored by Gothic flatness,
but also incorporates the
more modeled qualities
evident of Masaccio.
Colors are brilliant and
sparkle with gold. Fra
Angelicos work is rich in
spirituality and Christian
iconography.
Any of the frescoes
for San Marcos,
Florence.
The Annunciation,
ca. 1449, fresco, San
Marco Monastery,
Florence
Giovanni
Bellini
ca.
1430-
1516
Venice Painting Founder of the Venetian
school of painting, Bellini
infused light into his
paintings, mostly religious
works done in tempera or
later in oil.
St. Francis in the
Desert, c. 1480 and
Portrait of Doge
Leonardo Loredan,
1501
*Botticelli 1445-
1510
Florence Painting Created luminous tempera
and fresco paintings. The
Medicis were prominent
patrons, and Botticelli
painted Primavera to
celebrate a Medici
marriage.
Primavera, ca. 1482
and Birth of Venus,
ca. 1482
Bramante 1444-
1514
Urbino Architecture
and painting
Early training as painter,
which helped to shape his
early and later architecture.
Bramante was court
architect to Duke in Milan,
moved to Rome to rebuild
St. Peters.
Tempietto, San
Pietro in Montorio,
Rome, 1502
*Brunelleschi 1377-
1446
Florence Sculpture and
Architecture
Applied mathematical
principles to his
architecture, and innovated
the use of linear
perspective.
The dome for Santa
Maria del Fiore,
1420-1426, Florence
Foundlings
Hospital, 1419-1424,
Florence

*Donatello 1386-
1466
Florence Sculpture Donatello studied and
worked in Florence during
the early Renaissance, was
friends with Brunelleschi
and Michelozzo, was a
member in Ghibertis
workshop, and worked for
the Medicis.
David, c. 1430; St.
John the Baptist,
1438; St. Mary
Magdelen, c. 1457
*Lorenzo
Ghiberti
c.1381-
1455
Florence Sculpture Originally trained as a
goldsmith, Ghiberti
became one of the
prominent artists of the
Renaissance by winning
the commission for the
Bastistry doors for the
cathedral of Florence.
The doors of the
Baptistry in
Florence: The Life of
Christ, 1401-1425,
Northern Doors;
Gates of Paradise,
1425-52 Eastern
Doors
*Domenico
Ghirlandaio
c.
1449-
1494
Florence Painting Excellent craftsman,
prosperous workshops.
Michelangelo trained with
him early in his career. He
is known for his fresco
paintings.
Fresco cycle in
Santa Maria Novella
in Florence.
*Giorgione c.
1478-
1510
Venice Painting Part of the Venetian
School, Giorgione was one
of the earliest artists to
paint for private collectors
as well focusing on
evoking a mood in his
work rather than to focus
solely on subject matter.
Pastoral Concert
(Fte champtre),
1508-1509; The
Tempest, c. 1505
*Giotto 1266/7-
1337
Florence Painting An artist ahead of his time,
Giotto imbued his religious
subjects with life by
modeling the figures and
exploring spatial
constructs. He was a
student of Cimabue.
The fresco cycle in
the Arena chapel at
Padua (1304-1306),
a total of 38 frescoes
illustrating the life of
J esus Christ, such as
The Lamentation and
Adoration of the
Magi which includes
a depiction of
Halleys Comet.
*Leonardo
da Vinci
1452-
1519
Florence
(Vinci)
Primarily
Drawing and
Painting
Leonardo is the
quintessential Renaissance
Man he was an
accomplished artist,
musician, scientist,
inventor. His Last Supper
is often cited as the first
work of the High
Renaissance.
The Annunciation,
1472-75; The Last
Supper, 1498; Mona
Lisa, c. 1503-1505
and thousands of
sketches!

*Fra Filippo
Lippi
c.
1406-
1469
Florence Painting Originally a friar, Lippi
was inspired to become a
painter after seeing the
frescoes of Masaccio.
Using an unnatural
palette and a flattened
approach to figurative
work, Lippi created
fantasy-like scenes and was
patronized by the Medici.
Madonna and Child;
Adoration of the
Magi, c. 1445;
Portrait of a Man
and a Woman; The
fresco cycle in the
Prato Cathedral
(1452-66)
*Mantegna c.
1431-
1506
Isola di
Carturo
(between
Padua and
Vicenza)
Painting Many works are religious;
explored use of illusionistic
perspective and
foreshortening
Agony in the
Garden, c. 1459;
The Lamentation
over the Dead
Christ, c. 1490
*Masaccio 1401-
1428
Florence
(San
Giovanni
di
Valdarno)
Painting Masaccios work The
Trinity is said to be the first
painting of the
Renaissance. He employed
principles of perspective
invented by his friend,
Brunelleschi.
The Trinity, 1427,
fresco, Santa Maria
Novella, Florence
The Tribute Money,
fresco, Brancacci
Chapel, Florence
*Michelangelo 1475-
1564
Florence Sculpture,
Painting,
Architecture
and Poetry
A Renaissance man,
Michelangelo could do
many things well, but
preferred sculpture and was
quite a poet.
The Pieta (1499) in
St. Peters, the
frescoes on the
ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel (1508-1512),
the dome of St.
Peters
Michelozzo 1396-
1472
Florence Architecture Not quite the mathematical
preciseness like
Brunelleschi or Alberti, but
Michelozzo had a
simplicity and an ordering
of parts
Monastery of San
Marco, Florence
Palladio 1508-
1580
(late
Ren.)
Padua Architecture Used classical Roman
principles in his
architecture and wrote
Quattro Libri
dellArchitettura (Four
Books on Architecture),
influencing future
architecture.
San Giorgio
Maggiore, Venice
(1560-1580), Villa
Rotunda, Vicenza
(1566-1571)
*Paolo
Uccello
1397-
1475
Florence Painting Early Renaissance artist
whose late Gothic
influence adds decorative
and detailed elements to his
paintings
The three panels
illustrating the Battle
of San Romano

*Piero della
Francesca
c.
1420-
92
Tuscany Painting Painted primarily religious
works. Skilled in
perspective, math, and
geometry.
Baptism of Christ,
1448-50; the series
of frescoes on the
Legend of the True
Cross in the choir of
San Francesco at
Arezzo, c. 1452-
1465
*Pontormo 1494-
1556
(late
Ren.)
Florence Painting Had apprenticed with
Leonardo da Vinci.
Known more for his early
Mannerism work of
religious scenes. Influence
on adopted son and pupil,
Bronzino
Visitation,1528-29;
Medici villa at
Poggio a Caiano
*Raphael 1483-
1520
Urbino Painting One of the main artists of
the High Renaissance. It is
said that when Raphael
died, painting also died,
which contributed to the
end of the High
Renaissance
Numerous
depictions of the
Madonna; the
Raphael rooms at
the Vatican (the
Stanza), especially
the fresco of School
of Athens, 1510-11
*Luca
Signorelli
c.
1441-
1523
Cortona Painting Pupil of Piero della
Francesca, interested in
rendering action and
sensitivity of light.
Lamentation over
the Dead Christ,
1502; Scourging of
Christ, c. 1480
*Titian c.
1487/9
0-1576
Venice
(Cadore)
Painting Studied with/under Bellini
and Giorgione. Leader of
the Venetian School.
Religious works,
such as Assumption
of the Virgin, 1516-
18; Mythological
works, such as
Venus of Urbino,
1538
*Giorgio
Vasari
1511-
1574
(late
Ren.)
Florence
(Arezzo)
Architecture,
Painting, and
Writing
Vasari was a prolific
painter and was successful
as an architect, but he is
best known for his
contemporary biography of
Lives of the Artists.
Artist biographies in
the book, Lives of
the Artists; Uffizi in
Florence; Self-
portrait painting
*Verrocchio 1435-
1488
Florence Painting,
Sculpture,
and
Architecture
Trained as a goldsmith.
Perhaps studied under
Donatello, worked with
Botticelli, and was teacher
to Leonardo da Vinci.
Skilled as painter and
sculpture.
Painting The
Baptism of Christ,
1472-75; Sculpture
The Young David,
1473-75
* artists in Vasaris The Lives of the Artists

Culminating Activities for the Art of the Renaissance

Learning Objectives
1. How to recognize Renaissance innovations in contemporary artwork in their community.
2. To appreciate the Renaissance innovations found in contemporary artwork.
3. That images from the Renaissance are often appropriated in todays contemporary art and
advertising.
4. How to appropriate images from the Renaissance to put in a contemporary context.

Materials:
Per Student:
Worksheet: Find the Renaissance
Innovations
Pencil
Scissors
Glue
Drawing/painting materials

In General:
Access to a gallery or museum in
your community
Magazines
Reproductions from Selected
Artworks

Suggested Artworks
J ames Mundie, whose works include alterations to historical artwork to include the unusual
and side show performers. Works include Portrait of a Big-Fingered Boy, 2004 (based on
Botticellis Portrait of a Youth), The Lady with the Two-faced Kitten, 2006 (based on
Leonardos Lady with an Ermine) and The Woman with the Fegee Mermaid, 1999 (based on
Raphaels Girl with a Unicorn)
The numerous parodies and appropriations of Mona Lisa, including Duchamps L.H.O.O.Q
Boteros Mona Lisa, 1977, Vik Munizs Double Mona Lisa after Warhol, and George
Pusenkoffs Mona Lisa Goes Space, 2005.
Bill Viola, The Quintet of the Silent, 2001 (inspired by late medieaval and early Renaissance
Paintings) and The Greeting, 1995 (inspired by Pontormos The Visitation)
Rip Cronk, Venice Beach on the Halfshell, 1989 in Venice Beach, California appropriating
Botticellis Birth of Venus
Anatomical images by Alexander Tsiaras, who has been described as a multimedia da Vinci
Explore your local museum and peruse magazine advertisements- once you become familiar
with paintings of the Renaissance, youll start to see familiar compositions in contemporary
places.


Find the Renaissance Innovations
Discuss the achievements of the Renaissance, including:
Linear perspective
Atmospheric perspective
Use of chiaroscuro to model the figure or objects naturalistically
Portrait paintings using proportion
Oil paints
Concept of fine arts
Importance of the artist and artist biographies

Go to a local art museum or gallery. Find contemporary artworks and find the innovations of the
Renaissance. How many paintings seen in? Choose a selected work. Include the artist, title and
make a sketch of the work in the box.

visit local museums to evaluate influence of Renaissance (see above)
artists working today basing work on the Renaissance

Appropriated Images
When do you see images from the Renaissance today? There are ads for waterfront condominiums in
Florida and for the J CPenny salon which appropriate the composition from Botticellis Birth of
Venus. J CPenneys ad even touts the birth of a new you. The Birth of Venus is also appropriated in
an updated mural in Venice Beach, California. Scour magazine advertisements, watch
commercials on TV, and look for images that are appropriated, or taken, from the Renaissance and
used in popular culture today. How are the images used? What does it mean to incorporate these
images of the past?

Reuse, or appropriate, images from the Renaissance and put in a more current application.
Appropriate your own Renaissance imagery. Use images or composition from any of the works seen
in the unit, but update the subject matter or composition to show a more current context.


Innovations of the Renaissance
Find artworks from the 1950s to the present. Find the innovations of the Renaissance. How many
paintings seen in? Choose a selected work. Include the artist, title and make a sketch of the work.

Name of museum/gallery visited: _____________________________________________________

Date visited: _____________________________________________________________________

Innovation: Linear Perspective

Briefly describe linear perspective:

How many used linear perspective? __________
Your choice:
o Artist _________________________________________________________________________

o Title _________________________________________________________________________

o Date _________________________________________________________________________

Quick Sketch

Innovation: Aerial Perspective

Briefly describe aerial perspective:

How many used aerial perspective? ___________
Your choice:
o Artist _________________________________________________________________________

o Title _________________________________________________________________________

o Date _________________________________________________________________________

Quick Sketch

Innovation: Chiaroscuro

Briefly describe chiaroscuro:

How many used chiaroscuro? ___________
Your choice:
o Artist _________________________________________________________________________

o Title _________________________________________________________________________

o Date _________________________________________________________________________

Quick Sketch

Innovation: Portraiture

Briefly describe portraiture:

How many used portraiture? ___________
Your choice:
o Artist _________________________________________________________________________

o Title _________________________________________________________________________

o Date _________________________________________________________________________

Quick Sketch

Bonus: How many works used oil paints? _________________

For Further Exploration on the Art of the Renaissance

Ideas that relate to Renaissance art and architecture and have applications for today

The Art of the Euro
The European Union is currently comprised of 25 independent
states countries, including Germany, Greece, and Italy. The EU
uses a common currency of the Euro. On the denomination side of
the Euro coin, the design is the same for each country. On the
reverse side of the Euro, the images are unique to the country that
minted it. Look at examples of the Euro from Italy- Botticellis
Birth of Venus is on the 0.10, Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian Man
is on the 1.00, and Raphaels Portrait of Dante is on the 2.00.

U.S. coins contain images of presidents and important
governmental buildings. What connotations do those images of
presidents and buildings invoke? Why do you think Italy chose to
have works of art on their coins instead of governmental leaders and other political iconography?
Why were those particular artworks selected?

Redesign our coins today to include Americas most iconic artworks. Since 1999, there have been
special U.S. quarters being issued for each state with designs reflecting the special quality of each
state. For example, the quarter for Indiana includes the image of a racing car, reflecting the Indy 500,
the main sports attraction for the state. Redesign your state quarter to reflect the most important
artwork/artist from your state. For example, the state quarter for Indiana may include George Winter,
T.C. Steele, Robert Indiana, or Bruce Nauman.

Sculpture
Sculpture was an important part of the art of the Renaissance. One of the
most important sculptors of the Italian Renaissance was Michelangelo who
carved David, The Pieta, and Moses with remarkable, life-like detailing out
of marble. Another early sculptor of the Renaissance was Lorenzo Ghiberti,
who used relief sculpture and spatial construct techniques to create the relief
panels, the Gates of Paradise, on the doors of the Baptistery on the Duomo
in Florence. Create your own sculpture using the subtractive method of
carving using balsa wood, soap, or carving foam.

Glass Blowing
In Venice from the 13
th
century to today, the art of glass making has been an important part of the
culture for centuries. Venetian glass continues to have an outstanding reputation. In the United
States, Dale Chihuly is a major artist working in glass today. Many communities today have artists
who work in glass or even classes that are offered to the general public. Contact a local glass artist to
provide a demonstration of his or her art.

Printmaking
J ohannes Guttenberg invented moveable type in Germany in 1440 allowing books to mass
reproduced for the first time. The printing press resulted and artists, like Albrecht Drer, were able to
create engravings and etchings utilizing the pressure of the press. Study the prints of Renaissance
artists, such as Drer, and create an inspired print.

The Renaissance Man
The concept of the Renaissance Man came about with artists and intellectuals multitasking and
being proficient at many different skills. For instance, Michelangelo was a poet, a sculptor, a painter,
and an architect. Leonardo da Vinci listed his skills in a resume to Ludovico Sforza, who later
became the Duke of Milan as military strategist, engineer, hydraulics expert, inventor, architect, and,
as a postscript, as sculptor and painter.

Do we have this concept of a Renaissance Person today? What celebrities seem to be
multitalented, working in many different areas and succeeding at all? (Two contemporary examples
that come to mind are Grant Hill, who is an NBA player, an accomplished musician, and an avid
collector of African American art; and -dare I say?- Madonna, who is a singer, dancer, childrens
book author, and actress.)

Architecture of the Renaissance
The classical architecture of the Romans was certainly an influence on the architecture of the
Renaissance. Study examples of Renaissance architecture, such as the cupola on the Duomo (1420-
1436) by Brunelleschi, the Tempietto (1502) by Bramante, and the dome of St. Peters by
Michelangelo (completed in 1590 after his death). How did classical architecture of the Romans
influence these structures? How is the architecture different? What message does the Renaissance
architecture convey?

Brunelleschis Duomo in Florence Michelangelos dome of St. Peters in Vatican City

Terminology from the Artists of the Renaissance

aerial or atmospheric perspective
appropriated
buon fresco
cartoon
chiaroscuro
fresco secco
horizon line
humanism
imitation
linear perspective
metalpoint
oil paint
orthogonal
portrait
printing press
Renaissance
sfumato
silverpoint
space
spatial constructs
vanishing point
volume

Resources

Children/Juvenile/Picture Books* highly recommended

A Boy Named Giotto
A fictionalized childrens picture book of how Giotto, the pre-Renaissance artist, came to be a
painter.
Paolo Guarnieri. Illustrated by Bimba Landmann. Translated by J onathon Galassi.. Farrar Straus
Giroux; 1999 (American edition).

Eyewitness Art: Perspective *
Extremely well-illustrated book focusing on perspective. A great resource to have in discussing the
difficult concept of linear perspective.
Alison Cole. Dorling Kindersley, Inc.; 1992.

Eyewitness Art: The Renaissance *
Well-illustrated book on the Renaissance with a focus on prominent artists and concepts.
Alison Cole. Dorling Kindersley, Inc.; 1994

Famous Artists: Michelangelo
Coverage of the art of Michelangelo with suggestions for activities.
J en Green. Barrons Educational Series, Inc.; 1994

Famous Artists: Leonardo da Vinci
Coverage of the art of Leonardo da Vinci with suggestions for activities.
Antony Mason. Barrons Educational Series, Inc.; 1994

In the Time of Michelangelo*
Well-illustrated book focusing on the work of Michelangelo, and it also looks at the context of the
time period of the Renaissance as well as what was going on around the world in art.
Anthony Mason. Copper Beech Books (Aladdin Books 2001); 2001.

Introducing Michelangelo
Documents the life and work of Michelangelo.
Robin Richmond. Little, Brown and Company; 1992.

Leonardos Horse
The story of the Sforza horse.
J ean Fritz. Illustrated by Hudson Talbott. G.P. Putnams Sons, 2001.

Masters of Art: Michelangelo*
Well-illustrated book on the life and times of Michelangelo.
Gabriella Di Cagno. Illustrated by Simone Boni and L.R. Galante. Peter Bedrick Books; 1996.

Masters of Art: Leonardo da Vinci*
A comprehensive and well-illustrated look at the art of Leonardo da Vinci put in a contextual view.
Francesca Romei. Illustrated by Sergio and Andrea Ricciardi. Peter Bedrick Books; 2000.

The Neptune Fountain: The Apprenticeship of a Renaissance Sculptor
Set in post-Renaissance Rome, this childrens picture book follows the process of creating a marble
sculpture, experienced through the eyes of an apprentice.
Taylor Morrison. Holiday House; 1997.


Renaissance Art*
Well-illustrated and informative book of the Renaissance, with sections broken into portraits,
landscapes, and religious subject matter.
Nathaniel Harris. Thomson Learning; 1994.

The Sistine Chapel: Its History and Masterpieces*
Well-illustrated book on the creation of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling with informative text on each
panel of Michelangelos fresco.
Vittorio Giudici. Illustrations by L.R. Galante. Peter Bedrick Books; 1998

Treasure Chests: Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance *
An interactive kit about one of the prominent artists of the Renaissance with some historical context.
Includes a model of his flying machine, a model of Florences Duomo, a timeline of his life, a before
and after restoration of the Last Supper, a book of Leonardos sketches, a punched cartoon, a
version of Albertis veil, and a small book on the Renaissance.
Andrew Langley. Running Press; 2001.

What Makes a Raphael a Raphael?
An in-depth coverage of the art of Raffaello Sanzio.
Richard Mhlberger. The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Viking; 1993.

Older Readers/Adult Books
Becoming Mona Lisa: From Fine Art to Universal Icon the Incredible Story of the Worlds Most
Famous Painting
A look at the mysteries of the popularity of Mona Lisa.
Donald Sassoon. Harcourt, Inc.; 2001.

Brunelleschis Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture
A look at one of the major architects of the Renaissance.
Ross King. Penguin Books; 2001.

The Craftsmans Handbook: The Italian Il Libro dell Arte
A guide to painting methods and other artistic processes written in 15
th
century Florence.
Cennino dAndrea Cennini. Translated by Daniel V. Thompson, J r. Dover Publications; 1954
(Originally published by Yale University Press in 1933).

The Feud that Sparked the Renaissance
Chronicles the early 15
th
century in Florence, when Brunelleschi and Ghiberti were competing for
commissions.
Paul Robert Walker. Harper Collins; 2003.

Florence and the Renaissance
Alain J . Lematre and Erich Lessing. Telleri; 2003.

Leonardo on Painting
An anthology of writings by Leonardo da Vinci with a selection of documents relating to his career
as an artist.
Edited by Martin Kemp. Selected and translated by Martin Kemp and Margaret Walker. Yale
University Press; 1989.

The Lives of the Artists
Biographical accounts of Italian artists from the 14
th
-16
th
centuries by an artist/architect/writer
contemporary to the times.
Giorgio Vasari. Translation by J ulia Conaway Bondanella and Peter Bondanella. Oxford University
Press. 1991.

Painting of the Renaissance
Scholarly introduction of the art of the Renaissance with biographies and reproductions of the major
artists from Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, France, and Germany. Contains some nudity.
Mandred Wundram. Edited by Ingo F. Walther. Taschen. 1997.

Renaissance
Overview of the Renaissance with listing of the major political events, works of visual and
performing art, and literature. Text and illustrations focus on the architecture of the Renaissance.
Tracy E. Cooper. Abbeville Press; 1995.

Videos
Explore the People, Places and Culture Beyond Borders: Italy. IVN Entertainment, Inc. 1998.
Overall description of Italy focusing on the cities of Rome, Venice, Florence, Tuscany, and Pompeii.

Fresco: The Ancient Art of Fresco Comes Alive. PBS Home Video.
A look at the history of fresco painting while focusing on a contemporary fresco made in Minneapolis
in 1994 by Mark Balma.

The following are available through Crystal Productions:
A&E Biography: Leonardo da Vinci
A&E Biography: Michelangelo
Leonardo: Dream of Flight
Leonardo da Vinci and the Art of Drawing
Leonardo da Vinci: The Visionary Intellect
Michelangelo: Sculptor Who Painted
The Life and Works of Michelangelo
History Through Art: The Renaissance
Art of the Western World- volume 2: Early/High Renaissance and Baroque
Basic Perspective Drawing
Early Italian Renaissance: Brunelleschi, Donatello, and Masaccio

Web-sites
Excellent Teacher Resource guide for The Art of Renaissance Europe from the Metropolitan Museum
of Art
http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/publications/renaissance.htm

Great site for Renaissance artists and art thats easy to use
http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/d/donatell/

National Endowment for the Humanities instructional unit on Leonardo da Vinci
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=624

Outreach World site that has numerous resources on international studies, including Italy
http://outreachworld.org/

National Standards Addressed
in The Artistic Influence of Italy

National Visual Arts Standards
NA-VA.5-8.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
Students select media, techniques, and processes; analyze what makes them effective or not
effective in communicating ideas; and reflect upon the effectiveness of their choices.
NA-VA.5-8.3 Choosing and Evaluating a Range of Subject Matter, Symbols, and Ideas
Students use subjects, themes, and symbols that demonstrate knowledge of contexts, values, and
aesthetics that communicate intended meaning in artworks.
NA-VA.5-8.4 Understanding the Visual Arts in Relation to History and Cultures
Students know and compare the characteristics of artworks in various eras and cultures.
Students describe and place a variety of art objects in historical and cultural contexts.
Students analyze, describe, and demonstrate how factors of time and place (such as climate,
resources, ideas, and technology) influence visual characteristics that give meaning and value to a
work of art.
NA-VA.5-8.5 Reflecting Upon and Assessing the Characteristics and Merits of Their Work and
the Work of Others
Students analyze contemporary and historic meanings in specific artworks through cultural and
aesthetic inquiry
Students describe and compare a variety of individual responses to their own artworks and to
artworks from various eras and cultures.
NA-VA.5-8.6 Making Connections between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines
Students compare the characteristics of works in two or more art forms that share similar subject
matter, historical periods, or cultural context.
Students describe ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in
the school are interrelated with the visual arts.
NA-VA.9-12.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
Students conceive and create works of visual art that demonstrate an understanding of how the
communication of their ideas relates to the media, techniques, and processes they use.
NA-VA.9-12.3 Choosing and Evaluating a Range of Subject Matter, Symbols, and Ideas
Students reflect on how artworks differ visually, spatially, temporally, and functionally, and
describe how these are related to history and culture.
NA-VA.9-12.4 Understanding the Visual Arts in Relation to History and Cultures
Students differentiate among a variety of historical and cultural contexts in terms of
characteristics and purposes of works of art.
Students describe the function and explore the meaning of specific art objects within varied
cultures, times, and places.
Students analyze relationships of works of art to one another in terms of history, aesthetics, and
culture, justifying conclusions make in the analysis and using such conclusions to inform their
own art making.
NA-VA.9-12.5 Reflecting Upon and Assessing the Characteristics and Merits of Their Work
and the Work of Others
Students describe meanings of artworks by analyzing how specific works are crated and how they
relate to historical and cultural contexts.

Students reflect analytically on various interpretations as a means for understanding and
evaluating works of visual art.
NA-VA.9-12.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines
Students compare the materials, technologies, media, and processes of the visual arts with those
of other arts disciplines as they are used in creation and types of analysis.
Students compare characteristics of visual arts within a particular historical period or style with
ideas, issues, or themes in the humanities or sciences.

National Standards in Science
NS.5-8.2 Physical Science
8. Students should develop an understanding of properties and changes of properties in matter.
NS.5-8.5 Science and Technology
Students should develop understandings about science and technology.
NS.9-12.2 Physical Science
Students should develop an understanding of structure and property of matter.
Students should develop an understanding of chemical reactions.
NS.9-12. 5 Science and Technology
Students should develop understandings about science and technology.

National Standards in Social Science: Geography
NSS-G.K-12.1 The World in Spatial Terms
Students should understand how to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and
technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
NSS-G.K-12.2 Places and Regions
Students should understand how culture and experience influence peoples perceptions of places
and regions.
NSS-G.K-12.6 The Uses of Geography
Students should understand how to apply geography to interpret the past.
Students should understand how to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the
future.

National Standards in Social Science: World History
NSS-WH.5-12.4 Era 4: Expanding Zones of Exchange and Encounter, 300-1000 CE
Students should understand major global trends from 300-1000 CE.
NSS-WH.5-12.6 Era 6: The Emergence of the First Global Age, 1450-1770
Students should understand how European society experienced global, economic, and cultural
transformations in an age of global intercommunication, 1450-1750.
NSS-WH.5-12.9 Era 9: The 20
th
Century Since 1945: Promises and Paradoxes
Students should understand major global trends since World War II.

National Standards in Math: Geometry
NM-GEO.6-8.1 Analyze characteristics and properties of two- and three-dimensional geometric
shapes and develop mathematical arguments about geometric relationships
precisely describe, classify, and understand relationships among types of two- and three-
dimensional objects using their defining properties.
NM-GEO.6-8.4 Use visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to solve problems
draw objects with specified properties, such as side lengths or angle measures

use two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional objects to visualize and solve problems
such as those involving surface area and volume
recognize and apply geometric ideas and relationships in areas outside the mathematics
classroom, such as art, science, and everyday life.
NM-GEO.9-12.1 Analyze characteristics and properties of two- and three-dimensional
geometric shapes and develop mathematical arguments about geometric relationships
analyze properties and determine attributes of two- and three-dimensional objects
NM-GEO.9-12.4 Use visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to solve problems
draw and construct representations of two- and three-dimensional geometric objects using a
variety of tools
visualize three-dimensional objects and spaces from different perspectives and analyze their cross
sections
use geometric ideas to solve problems in, and gain insights into, other disciplines and other areas
of interest such as art and architecture.

National Standards in English
NL-ENG.K-12.1 Reading for Perspective
Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of
themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to
respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment.
Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
NL-ENG.K-12.2 Understanding the Human Experience
Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an
understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human
experience.
NL-ENG.K-12.5 Communication Strategies
Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process
elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
NL-ENG.K-12.7 Evaluating Data
Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by
posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print
and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their
purpose and audience.
NL-ENG.K-12.8 Developing Research Skills
Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases,
computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate
knowledge.
NL-ENG.K-12.9 Multicultural Understanding
Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and
dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles

Architecture of Italy

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Architecture of Italy

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Artistic Influence of Italy

The Artistic Influence

You might also like