Introduction

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The Medieval and Renaissance periods - 11-16 centuries

1291 - disappearance of the crusader states in the Holy Land

1453 - Constantinople fell to the Ottomans

1492 - Columbus discovered the New World

1563 - first funded art academies in Florence

The medieval and Renaissance periods were not parochial and neither were its artists.

"Visual Art" term used for art before 16th century. There were not demands for artists and art, neither the agreed definition of art, but started to appear in the Renaissance..

From 16 century - ART - painting, sculpture and architecture. Demands: talent, intellectual application and the acquisition of manual skills.

Lots of Italian architects and painters were originally trained as goldsmith to learn design.

EX. Botticelli

Visual Culture - used to underline method rather then definition, implying that various arts are inseparable from the visual symbolism of power and material culture of society.

Before 16 century art were not displayed in galleries, but been used as a persuasive power and cultural identity (coins, ceremonial relics, gender indicator, carpets)

The objects were made with purposefulness not solely as an artistic entity.

The public had skill of looking and interpreting.

A work of art during the medieval and Renaissance periods was expected to be of high quality as well as purposeful - it was important to get the right artists , which means that some criteria existed to differentiate the level of art works and artists.

EX: some artistic guilds required a"masterpiece" to be submitted for scrutiny.

Changing the values:

15 century - some objects were created for visual delight rather then function or meaning.

EX: antique cameos owned by the Medici.

HIstory

Visual Art