The Renaissance Point of View

Contributor: Suzanne Riordan. Lesson ID: 13951

Many fine arts flourished during the Renaissance period. Meet some famous artists here and discover the similar effects of an artist's perspective on art and an author's point of view on a text.

1To2Hour
categories

Comprehension, Visual Arts, World

subject
English / Language Arts
learning style
Visual
personality style
Otter
Grade Level
Middle School (6-8)
Lesson Type
Dig Deeper

Lesson Plan - Get It!

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You may have heard of men named Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo, but you may not have a clear idea of who they are.

  • For example, who do you think of when you read the name Leonardo?

Leonardo statue and Ninja Turtle

Renaissance is a French word meaning rebirth.

During the Renaissance (1300 AD to 1600 AD), there was a rebirth of appreciation for Greek and Roman science, philosophy, literature, and art in Europe. Italy, especially, experienced a great explosion of interest in art.

Leonardo and Raphael, before they were cartoon turtles, were famous Italian Renaissance artists.

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An artist always has to choose a perspective, or point of view, from which to create their art.

  • Should I paint the mountain from below, above, or from the side?

artist easel mountain

An artist also has a purpose.

  • What do I want to make people think or feel when they see my artwork?

artist considering his art

  • So, what does all this have to do with writing and reading?

Writers also have both a point of view and a purpose for writing!

When you're reading, you should ask yourself the following questions.

  • What does the author think of the subject? That is the author's point of view. The author can be positive, negative, or neutral toward the subject.
  • What is the author's reason for writing? That is the author's purpose. The purpose of an informational article is usually to persuade, inform, or entertain.

Read this article about Leonardo da Vinci, and think about the author's point of view and purpose.

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was the original "Renaissance Man." This term refers to a person who does many things well. Da Vinci was not only an extremely talented artist and sculptor but also a scientist and inventor.

When he died, it was found that he had filled over 13,000 pages with notes and sketches of his observations on the world and ideas for the future: notes on human anatomy, biology, science, and possible future inventions.

Leonardo was born in Vinci, Italy (the name da Vinci means "from Vinci"). His father, a wealthy lawyer, sent his son to Florence, Italy, to study art.

As a young man, Leonardo was so talented that he almost made another, more experienced artist give up painting. He was working in Florence as an apprentice to a sculptor and painter named Verrochio. When Verrochio saw the angel that Leonardo created in the painting of the baptism of Christ they were working on, he almost despaired of ever surpassing his own apprentice.

Leonardo painted the angel on the left in the image.

Baptism of Christ

Not only was he a talented artist, but Leonardo also developed innovative techniques that changed the art world forever. At the time, artists used eggs as a base for their paint pigments. These paints were messy and difficult to use. They dried quickly and often cracked.

Leonardo tried mixing the paint pigments with oil instead of eggs. He found that this created a paint that was easier to work with, more colorful, and did not crack. It could also be built up in layers and painted over.

In 1481, Leonardo moved from Florence to Milan, where he painted one of his most famous works, "The Last Supper."

Last Supper

He also worked on a grand project for 12 years, which was never completed. He was asked to construct a 16-foot-high statue of an Italian duke named Francesco Sforza. By 1493, the clay model of the duke riding on a horse was finished.

It was supposed to be cast in metal next. However, because of the continual wars in Italy, metal was used for canons instead, and the grand statue never came to be. Warring factions destroyed the clay model, so the world has forever lost that piece of art.

Leonardo later moved to France to escape the constant warring in Italy. He spent his final years working on one of the most famous portraits in the world, the "Mona Lisa."

Mona Lisa in color

 

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  • Ready to learn more about the Renaissance and get more practice at finding the author's point of view and purpose?

Move on to the Got It? section now.

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