Some Fast, Art History Facts...
The concept of the dome first emerged during the Renaissance in the form of an architectural marvel that tops the Santa Maria del Fiore, the cathedral of Florence. The construction of the dome marks the beginning of Renaissance architecture; the cathedral and its dome together represent early Renaissance style--one that blends old and new designs.
In constructing churches, Renaissance architects no longer used the shape of a cross as a basis for their structures. Instead, they based them on the circle. Believing that ancient mathematicians equated circles with geometric perfection, architects used the circle to represent the perfection of God.
Mostly hidden away in his notebooks, Leonardo da Vinci's brilliant ideas had little influence on the development of science. Today, however, we can see that his observations and experiments foreshadowed not only techniques of modern science but some of its findings.
Renaissance style in art, exemplified in works from Florentine artists, flourished largely because of the patronage, or financial support, of wealthy citizens and the church. By purchasing numerous works of art, Renaissance men and women provided a livelihood for many painters, sculptors, and architects. It was also the Renaissance humanist desire to imitate and revive the beauty of ancient Greece, and to have that beauty surround them in their daily lives, that produced the wealth of superb art that is one of the hallmarks of Renaissance culture.
Some Art Trivia Questions...
Which 19th-century artist inspired the American Congress to create the National Park System?
Albert Bierstadt's (1850-1902) landscape paintings helped the American people to realize the importance of protecting the wilderness.
Where did the word Impressionism come from?
The word "Impressionism" came from the title of one of Claude Monet's paintings, Impression, Sunrise. An art critic, at the time, thought the work appeared sketchy and unfinished.
What famous Broadway musical was inspired by the work
of Marc Chagall?
Chagall's painting, "The Dead Man," which depicts a funeral scene in his home town and shows a man playing a fiddle on a rooftop, inspired the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof.
How old was Paul Cezanne when he had his first one-man exhibition?
Cezanne was 56 years old when he had his first one-man exhibition.
