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Italian Renaissance art set the benchmark in terms of what a painting should look like. While most of them focus on religious scenes or mythological characters, many contain subtle details and concealed elements. Great kings, powerful merchants, and the other celebrities of the day often paid to have their faces in the crowd, and, of course, there are some truly iconic portraits that embody the power of famous Renaissance paintings, like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
Let’s take a look at the period that made modern art what it is today. This might help you get some inspiration for your own works or tips as to what works and what doesn’t.
The Renaissance is the name given to the period spanning the 14th and 17th centuries, the high point being the 15th century where the majority of the masterpieces of the Renaissance were created. This era saw the rebirth of many disciplines like technology and science but is primarily remembered for how it revolutionized the art world.
During this period, Italy became a center of learning once again as nobles and city-states competed for prestige, showing off their wealth, power, and taste. One way they competed with each other was in who could be seen to support the greatest artists and commission the most important works. This tradition of showing off your status via Italian Renaissance art led to the production of many of the iconic images we all know so well today.
This tradition continues today, though without the political overtones, with many people commissioning Renaissance-style portraits of their loved ones and pets. Thanks to advancements in technology and art, it is now more affordable than it was in Masacctio’s day.
If you’ve ever wondered what Leonardo da Vinci would have created had you sat as his model instead of Lisa del Giocondo, better known as the lady with the enigmatic smile, you can now find out. Now, digital artists follow the same path—but with a twist, recreating Renaissance masterpieces with the help of modern tools.
Back in the day, you had to sit still for several sessions while the artist created a sketch. Today, all you need is a photo. Digital artists can use your photo as a reference to create a Renaissance portrait in the style of famous artists like Titian or those who followed him. Even more, it is possible to take the faces of your loved ones, including pets, and feature them in some of the most well-known paintings of the era.
This method of incorporating someone into paintings created by famous artists like Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo Buonarroti, and other great masters of the 16th century is not only worthy of being hung in the National Gallery but also comes at a fraction of the cost.
Countless articles, books, and documentaries cover every aspect of Renaissance history, but here’s a quick overview of the most famous Renaissance paintings to inspire your own creations.
The 15 century Italian Renaissance art scene gave us some of the world’s most famous images. Said to have been started by the artist Masaccio in the 1400s, this period brought a new level of realism to oil paintings, sculptures and frescos.
Studies on the human body: the period was most notable for the return of naturalism and realistic images of people after the Middle Ages
Perhaps the most common motif during the heyday of the famous Renaissance artworks was biblical scenes. Images depicting the Virgin Madonna, the Crucifixion of Christ or the Last Supper adorned churches, chapels, and private residences.
While there is no shortage of famous Renaissance religious imagery, the one you’re most likely to be familiar with is Michelangelo’s The Creation of Man, which forms the (literally) iconic centerpiece of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Other Renaissance masterpieces in this vein include da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi and Raphael’s strikingly modern The Transfiguration.
Another popular theme was the great sagas of Greek and Roman mythology. These well-known tales allowed the patrons to project their strength, wisdom or another aspect of themselves that they wanted to highlight through association with gods and heroes.
By far the most famous image here is the Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli though other notable works include Titian’s Death of Actaeon and, from the Northern Renaissance, centred on what is now Belgium and the Netherlands, Leda and The Swan by Rubens.
There aren’t many things that say “I matter” better than a portrait that has survived the centuries, a fact that kings, princes, scholars, merchants and other important people were well aware of.
Kings such as Henry VIII and Francis I of France and queens like Elizabeth I and Isabella of Portugal commissioned works by artists like Holbein, Clouet, and Angelo Bronzino. These images, idealized as they might be, represent our window onto the physical features of these great names to this day.
The human form, in all its glory, was another popular fascination among the artists of the era, particularly women. This led to hundreds of famous renaissance paintings of women being created across the various categories listed above. These ranged from countless images of the Madonna and the wives of prominent nobles to the most famous painting ever produced: Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the smile that spawned a thousand uses of the word “enigmatic”.
The great artworks of the Renaissance were designed to command respect, adorning chapels, churches and grand stately galleries. They were crafted with the express purpose of glorifying their subjects and, often more importantly, the patrons who paid for them.
Those days may be gone, but the tradition set down by the great masters continues. Your home may not be the Doge’s Palazzo or the Pope’s private chapel, but there’s no space that isn’t improved by a portrait that pays homage to the past masters.
The tools may be different, masks and filters rather than oils and canvas, but modern digital artists can create Renaissance artworks that are every bit as fascinating. We’re not saying you’ll end up hanging in the National Gallery, but it will look great in your home.
