A newbie to the Renaissance

[Pauliesonne]

Ok, I 've recently been watchiing a three - part documentary on BBC4 about the Renaissance and I have, unexpecdetly formed an interest in Renaissance art.

Now, that I've got the introduction done....

where do I start?

[TragicMonkey]

With the ancient Greeks and Romans. To understand the Renaissance, which is "the Rebirth", you really need to know what it was a rebirth of. Classical sculpture and architecture to start with. Then you ought to look at medieval art, particularly painting and architecture, again.

[Cleon]

"To you Baldrick, the Renaissance was just something that happened to other people, wasn't it?"

[Nettles]

You could read Jakob Burckhardt's The Civilisation of the Renaissance in Italy on the Renaissance in general, or the late Sir John Hale's work (any and all) which touches on the culture of the Renaissance in general but from the point of view of an art historian.

[hurdygurdy]

I recomend the documentary David Hockney: Secret Knowledge (http://spanish.imdb.com/title/tt0387965/), which deals an interesting subject:

Artist David Hockney discusses his theory that artists were secretly using optical devices such as mirrors and lenses in creating their work as early as the 15th century. Examples from Flemish and Italian art are studied as he examines how famous paintings have had their noted mysteries newly solved; he also makes comparisons to modern film and digital imagery.

It'd be debatable that it's his theory, but the doc is very well made and quite entertaining.

[tim]

I recomend the documentary David Hockney: Secret Knowledge (http://spanish.imdb.com/title/tt0387965/), which deals an interesting subject:



It'd be debatable that it's his theory, but the doc is very well made and quite entertaining.

It's very interesting, and well presented. Recommended!

[CptColumbo]

If you're a newbie to the renaissance, you are really really late.