Renaissance

**This is a fresco that is in the Sistine Chapel**

The Renaissance period was a period of rejuvenation for art. Artists at this time looked to their predecessors for classic techniques, but also integrated greater sources of light and colour into the traditional styles. Renaissance art showed distinct light sources that made paintings more realistic. It added the appropriate shading to objects and profiles that was much more realistic and deeper than previous art. It also saw the innovation of perspective and a clear, powerful sense of space. Atmospheric perspective became popular, and paintings were brought to life Art evolved into its own greatness rather than its previous use to testify biblical greatness. Renaissance gave art its own identity and developed into something other than reproduction.

Michelangelo was one of the most influential renaissance artists.  He created works of art that demonstrate accurate proportions of the human figure. An example of this is the statue of David and The Pietà. He also used a lot of nudity in his artwork. This was shocking at the time, because everyone was much more conservative compared to society today. Putting something as intimate as a naked body on frescos and areas seen by the public was rather bold, but it brought a sense of honesty and simplicity to his art that is widely emulated today. It demonstrates the unadorned beauty of the human body. In addition, Michelangelo mastered the chiaroscuro effect that added a new level of realism to sculptures. This effect is the manipulation of light to achieve a sense of volume in exhibiting three dimensional things. Conclusively, Michelangelo’s masterpieces were essential to the renaissance art movement and remain inspirational to modern artists.

One of Michelangelo’s most famous works is his fresco in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. Pope Julius II commissioned him to do this, and he was hesitant to do it because he considered himself more of a sculptor. He was also uneasy about it because of the sheer size of the project. .Eventually, he gave in and completed the task and painted well over 5,000 square feet of frescos. He painted the top of the ceiling by creating a scaffolding and lying on it, facing the ceiling to paint. The finished work contains more than 300 figures that depict the Creation, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and the Great Flood. Some of the frescos from the chapel, most notably Creation of Adam, are main icons of renaissance painting. Still today, frescos from the Sistine chapel serve as a major influence to art and have been imitated countless times through history.