History of Art: Renaissance to Modern – ART 102

How Do We Recognize Renaissance Art

Painting Series: (“Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Allegory of Good Government, Effects of Good Government in the City and the Country, and Allegory and Effects of Bad Government in the City and the Country, c. 1337-40, fresco, Sala della Pace (Hall of Peace) also known as the Sala dei Nove (the Hall of the Nine), 7.7 x 14.4m (room), Palazzo Pubblico, Siena”)

(“Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Allegory of Good Government, Effects of Good Government in the City and the Country, and Allegory and Effects of Bad Government in the City and the Country, c. 1337-40, fresco, Sala della Pace (Hall of Peace) also known as the Sala dei Nove (the Hall of the Nine), 7.7 x 14.4m (room), Palazzo Pubblico, Siena”)

The painting above is a piece by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, named the Allegory of Good and Bad Government. Ambrogio Lorenzetti became among the first people in the Trecento period to incorporate secular themes in his works, as presented in his frescoes in Siena’s Palazzo Pubblico. His works became among the first landscape drawings to ever be presented in Western art (Kleiner 433). This paintings presents a number of characteristics associated with the early Renaissance making it a good fit to represent the early Renaissance in Italy. To begin with, the early Renaissance in Italy was associated with secular themes, the images covered urban life, government, law enforcement, and agriculture. This was an improvement in the Italian art that developed in the early 14^th century. Before then, most of the Italian Art was religious painting and focused on religious themes. Another important characteristic is the interaction of realism and naturalism in the painting. The frescos capture daily activities in the contemporary world incorporating people, animals such as donkeys, and landscapes giving the paintings reality and a natural touch. He also incorporated the use of linear perspective a feature associated with the early Renaissance to capture a sense of depth and alignment in the urban alignment of people, urban architecture, and landscapes (Harris & Zucker).

Another significant characteristic of the early Renaissance was humanism. I observes that it was more of a code of conduct, a scholarly discipline, and a theory of education. Italian humanism was interested in human interests and their value. In Lorenzetti’s fresco, he captures human potential and intellect in different roles and duties carried out in the politics and social life of Siena. It emphasized the ideas of the humanist cult of fame where humans are blessed with a creative potential that contributes significantly to the growth of city-states and all of Italy (Kleiner, 418). Moreover, the images above capture the use of narrative context, the fresco artwork gives a narrative with complex meanings about the effects of good and bad government. Lastly, Lorenzetti’s use of Chiaroscuro depicts a realistic environment in a three-dimensional view making this work a good fit for the early Renaissance (Lecture notes 1). The use of light and shadows on the landscape, cityscape, and other figures gives the paintings an illusion of a well-lit setting (Harris & Zucker).

Works Cited

Harris, Beth Dr. and Zucker, Steven Dr-Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Palazzo Pubblico frescos: Allegory and effect of good and bad government. (2013). YouTube. Retrieved October 25, 2023, from https://youtu.be/jk3wNadYA7k.

Kleiner, Fred, S. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: A Global History, volume IIhttps://archive.org/details/gardnersartthroughtheagesthewesternperspectivevolumeii15thedition97813056450591/mode/2up

Lecture notes – Medieval Italy Terms and Ideas to Learn and Know (.n.d)