At the start of the 15th century, Italian easel paintings used egg tempera. By the end, Leonardo da Vinci was pushing the technical boundaries using oil paint.
da Vinci
Sketches and studies are the richest evidence for the artistic in craft-dominated processes required to turn those into a painting.
Claude Lorrain’s view of Delos, Leonardo’s Virgin of the Rocks, several versions of the Flight to Egypt, including one by William Blake, and more.
The way that distant hills fade in contrast, detail and colour, and how their hue shifts towards cooler colours. From Antonello (1475) to Thomas Girtin.
A brief overview of his career, with some of his finest paintings, and links to more detailed accounts.
Claimed to have had a constellation of major artists paint for her, what is the truth?What impact did she have on the Renaissance?
Paintings aren’t made in an artistic vacuum. Part of the purpose is to please a patron, donor or dealer. Examples from Leonardo, Raphael, Tintoretto.
From Botticelli’s map of Dante’s ‘Inferno’ to Vermeer’s fine-detailed depictions of decorative wall hangings.
Three stunning frescoes in a whole room with painted walls and ceiling: the Disputa, School of Athens, and Parnassus. Perfection.
During this period spent mainly in Florence, he learned from the innovations of Leonardo da Vinci, who was there at the same time. Raphael’s own style emerges.
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