Art Blog - Art In History

This is the first in a series of posts on seminal moments in the history of western art. The flowering of the Renaissance in Italy was certainly one of these moments. One way to see its emergence is through changes in the handling of the annunciation theme. Two of the primary impulses that define the Renaissance in Italy are the triumph of Humanism and the mastery of the depiction of real space. The first emerged in the late medieval period, with the rise of the cult of the virgin. The change in emphasis from the depiction of a forbidding Christ to the depiction of Mary is by definition humanist; Mary is human, approachable, sharing her nature and feelings with all of us. Thus, the rise of the annunciation theme is in itself a humanist trend… Continue reading… 1 comment