Compare and Contrast

Compare and Contrast Essay Sample
Comparison and Contrast of Two Art Periods and Their Major Works
Renaissance and Neoclassicism are two major periods in the history of art during which different forms of art including architecture, painting, music and visual arts, significantly progressed. During these periods, different artists gained enormous fame as a result of the masterpieces reflecting how the ideologies and artistic philosophies evolved during that time. The essay compares and contrasts these two art periods with respect to the major works created by prominent artists of these periods. In this regard, the masterpiece David, created by Michelangelo, has been compared with the Antonio Canova’s statue Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss. Both of these works reflect the artistic progression of their ages. David represents the renaissance art by reflecting the political situation of that time, whereas Psyche Revised by Cupid’s Kiss, depicts the artist’s focus on the Roman and other classical arts.
Renaissance refers to the period of rebirth in art. It is the phase of the cultural movement that took place between classical and modern periods of art (Johnson, 2005). During this phase, there was significant development occurring within different art forms. The artists widely reflected the culture, social conditions and political structure of the society. They went beyond the boundaries of the classical art, and created art pieces with unconventional ideas and depiction of political and social conditions of their societies (Earls, 1987).
Neoclassicism, also called an era of enlightenment, is the period after the renaissance during which artists mainly focused on exploring and recreating the classical art. This period was more inclined towards recreating classicism, especially the Greek and Roman style. During this period the artists widely emphasized reviving the classic antiquity which highly inspired the art pieces created during this period. It was in reaction to the people’s opposition to romanticism (Bietoletti, 2009).
There are some renowned artists who made major contributions in the emergence and development of renaissance art. For instance, Michelangelo is a great and notable name in the history of art who played a vital role in the development of Renaissance art. He was an Italian painter, sculptor and poet, who adopted several unconventional styles of art and significantly contributed towards the development of western art during this period. He introduced versatility within the art forms, and created several masterpieces that truly represent the renaissance art by depicting certain social, cultural and political issues.
An important creation of Michelangelo during the reissuance phase was in the marble statue of a standing male nude named David. The statue was made to represent the Biblical hero David who was one of the most favoured subjects within Florentine art. The statue of David depicts the political situation of the country. With the warning glare in the eye turned toward Rome, the statue symbolizes the defence of the civil liberty of the Florentine Republic that was threatened by the surrounding powerful states during that time. The statue is an excellent and renowned example of renaissance era because it reflects the political and social conditions of that time.
The Neoclassicism era also gave birth to many great artists (Chilvers, 2004), including Antonio Canova who was an Italian sculptor from the Republic of Venice. His art pieces indicate the return of art towards the classical refinement. His statue Psyche Revised by Cupid Kiss is an important example of neoclassical devotion to love and reflection of intricate emotions. The statue shows the love god cupid at the heights of tenderness and affection, kissing the lifeless Psyche to make it alive. The statue reflects the Roman style of portraying delicate emotions within art due for which it has been regarded as an example of neoclassical movement.