Renaissance: A Comparison and Contrast
The Renaissance Period of the 14th-16th century was a time of change and growth in the world of art. All art forms experienced progress not only in terms of the human aspect of imagination, creativity and philosophy, but also in terms of progress in available technologies and available materials and tools. The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s and 30’s was similarly a time of change in the human condition as well as technique and subject matter. The medium of visual art, particularly painting, of both periods provides a fascinating study of comparison sand contrasts.
The Renaissance was a time of …show more content…
There was also a revival of interest in the Greek and Roman culture, their myths and legends and the beauty of their structures and cities (Renaissance Art, 2013). During the Harlem Renaissance there was a growing movement of independence in the African American art community. Prior to this time, there were African American artists, however there subject matter had been primarily depictions of Caucasian people, their lifestyle and culture. During the Harlem Renaissance, at the time called the New Negro Movement, there was a growing emphasis on African traditions and culture, as well as depiction of contemporary African American lifestyle and culture. The most famous painter of the Harlem Renaissance, Aaron Douglas (1899-1979) said “Our problem is to conceive, develop, establish an art era. Not white art painting black...let 's bare our arms and plunge them deep through laughter, through pain, through sorrow, through hope, through disappointment, into the very depths of the souls of our people and drag forth material crude, rough, neglected. Then let 's …show more content…
In School Raphael has depicted the more than fifty Greek Philosophers in a great hall, socializing and presumably sharing ideas. The tone is expressed through sharp lines and use of color to give a three dimensional aspect to the piece. This piece is a technical marvel while at the same time providing a commentary on the sharing of ideas and wisdom and conveying the artist respect for the great philosophers Plato and Aristotle as they are the at the center of the piece. In Station, Ellison has relied less on technical perfection and more on the conveyance of movement and simple portrayal of form, almost primitive. However, the primitive painting feel is deceptive, as each person is very expressive and the observer can feel the urgency and movement portrayed by the artist. This painting also provides social commentary by highlighting the exodus of African American’s to the North, and portraying the only African American visible on the south bound platform as a