-
Jan 1, 1504
David-Michelangelo
Paying homage to the well known Biblical tale, David and Goliath, Michelangelo creates David from a single block of marble carefully ensuring the details of David's muscles and youthful body are apparent to represent his strength and bravery. The example of imitation of the human form is captured amazingly by Michelangelo. -
Jan 1, 1504
Matsumoto Castle-Shimadachi Sadanaga
The castle is black on the exterior to contrast the snowy mountains standing behind the castle. The attention to the exterior color and also to the castle's geometric form gives it a unique visual appeal compared to the styles of castles found in Europe. -
Jan 1, 1506
Mona Lisa-Leonardo da Vinci
Probably one of the of the most famous paintings and symbols of the Renaissance period. The subtle use of blending as no hard lines are evident gives the painting a softness adding to the image of the Mona Lisa. Her gaze seems to capture those who look upon her emanating an unknown essence to the painting. -
Jan 1, 1524
Mythological Scene-Dosso Dossi (Giovanni di Niccolo de Lutero)
The scene is vibrant with colors and detail can be found in every part of the painting no matter the image on the foreground or the background. The painting is a nod to the many allegories that were painted during the Renaissance period. -
Jan 1, 1525
Plate with Hero and Leander-Unknown
Changing the daily use of a plate to create an artistic reflection of literature shows the artistic diversity of the culture. The artist is also able to depict the story of Hero and Leander by creatively using the one space offered on the plate by painting Leander in three various locations reflecting what happened to her in the myth. -
Jan 1, 1525
Boxwood Triptych-Unknown
A triptych, common in paintings, is taken to the next level by depicting the crucifixion of Christ in boxwood. Although all three panels are meticulously carved the multiple layers of the central panel adds to the affect of the main focal point of the panel. -
Jan 1, 1535
Bahram Gur Pins the Coupling Onagers Folio-Mir Sayyid 'Ali
Fine outlines are used to highlight every detail no matter how minute in the art. The imitation used to depict the hunt attempts to capture the emotion of the hunter and his team. The emotions in the animals is also attempted. Originally a painting of minimal size, the details used and the use of gold gives the art a more grand scale of meaning. -
Jan 1, 1540
Book of Hours for King Francis I-Francois de Rohan
The Books of Hours was a popular devotional during the Middle Ages until the 15th century however its production still continued afterward. The Book of Hours for King Francis I shows the intricate detail by the artist on the illuminated pages. Vibrant colors and minute details are portrayed on the beginning letter of the word and also in the central image and the border surrounding the image. No white space seems evident for the intricate illustrations except for the area for the devotional. -
Jan 1, 1542
Master Thunder-Unknown
Vibrancy of colors adds power and meaning to the central figure as well as the top surrounding figures highlighting the focus on these areas compared to the background painted with minimal colors yet still given some detail by the depiction of clouds. Although the lower portion of the piece also contains color, the colors blend so as not to lose focus of the primary area of the piece. The outlines used to show every detail, fold, and separate article of clothing is time-consuming but amazing. -
Jan 1, 1550
Venus and Cupid-Jacopo Sansovino
The richness in valuing the Greek deities is apparent with the humanizing of their form as an offer of praise to their power. The smoothness in the form of their body serves as a reminder of their eternity by avoiding any hard muscle outlines, marks, or scars to still serve as a reminder of their immortality. Cupid sitting next to Venus appears to be a reflection of a child sitting next to his mother, appealing to maternal love and serve as a reminder of the beauty of this type of love. -
Jan 1, 1551
Gathering of Government Officials-Unknown
White space is used to add to the focus of nature being depicted. The use of minimal colors to highlight the sublime of nature is evident in contrast to the depiction of the human form as nature is shown overpowering the caucus in the lower right corner. The faint color used on the government officials is the only acknowledgment of people within the serenity of the scene. Lack of detail and lack of hard outlines seems to add a delicate affect of how nature is being presented. -
Jan 1, 1558
Suleymaniye Mosque-Mimar Sinan
From the outside, the Mosque is covered in dark colored domes with tall sharp pointed pillars placed among various points along the wall surrounding the Mosque. The inside though is sharp contrast as the placement of the windows and the lights illuminate the inside to reveal colors and detail on every aspect of the building from the inside of the dome to the walls and even to the carpet. The symmetry also adds to the appreciation of the meticulous details of the designs. -
Jul 12, 1561
Saint Basil's Cathedral-Postnik Yakovlev and Ivan Barma
The scale of imagination to create such a piece with its various geometric designs and bold vibrant colors makes this piece stand out from among its surrounded buildings. The free play one can get from the visual appeal of the building is endless. Myth has it that the architects whom designed this piece were blinded afterward so it could never be duplicated again. The amount of myths and folklore imagined just adds to the beauty and appeal of such a unique creation. -
Jan 1, 1565
The Gopis Plead with Krishna to Return Their Clothing Folio-Bhagavata Purana
The depiction of a deity as he interacts with people shows the playfulness and mixing of mortals with immortals. The colors used give the piece an earthy tone. The artist is very detailed with the use of line when it comes to the nature portions as the multiple lines in the river and in the palm fronds are noticeable. The colors and details used also seem to give the image a three dimensional affect as the river and gopis in it appears to pop off the page. -
Jan 1, 1570
Humayun's Tomb-Mirak Mirza Ghiyath
The similarity between the Humayun's Tomb and the Taj Mahal are apparent but Humayun's Tomb preceded the latter actually inspiring the future creation and design of the Taj Mahal, a beautiful example of imitation. Humayun's Tomb was the first garden-tomb designed after charbagh which is four gardens and four rivers laid out in a quadratic form representing the paradise to Muslims. The tomb currently holds 150 buried family members. The tomb is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. -
Jan 1, 1570
The Spy Zambur Brings Mahiya to the City of Tawariq-Kesav Das and Mah Muhammad
Fine line details in the architectural structures, animals, and people highlight everyday life in the community as the art shows the interaction of one with the other. White space is almost nonexistent with every part of the piece filled with a vibrancy of color and white space that is seen is strategically incorporated within the design. Every architectural structure present is decorated with geometric shapes leaving no room for lack of skill. -
Jan 1, 1579
Celestial Globe-Gerhard Emmoser
The celestial globe displayed here shows the value of the constellations for the people during this time. Placing the constellations on the back of Pegasus acknowledges the ties of the heavenly with the mythological as Pegasus represents Zeus' horse so he is sometimes depicted with the stars, but in this case carrying them. This particular globe was created for Roman Emperor Rudolf II. -
Jan 1, 1580
Drug Jar-Annibale Fontana
Drug jars were known to carry medicines and herbs yet an every day item for us carried a significance for the people of the time period that it had to be detailed. The drug jar featured here shows how important many people valued their drug jars. No detail is spared in the replication of the human figures on the sides of the jar nor for the lid. The central image is also detailed where the folds in the clothing are clearly visible. -
Jan 1, 1581
Double Virginal-Hans Rucker the Elder
Music is art as learned by Schopenhauer but turning instruments into an art itself adds value on top of the audial aspect of musical art. The art painted on the inside panel, the cover, and the borders framing the keys adds a visual appeal to the virginal. The two pianos can be played individually or by placing the smaller of the two pianos on top of the larger one causing sounds to come from both when only the larger one is played. -
Hunters in a Landscape-Jost Amman
A painting by one person can be a time-consuming task but creating art that requires multiple people in charge of different parts of the art can be a challenge. Although the artist is listed above the actual creation of weaving the tapestry together is unknown. What makes this tapestry unique is the style of this one being narrow instead of the usual style of being long. The detail created by the artist (the plan) and the weaving of the tapestry (the fabrication) is exquisite with its design. -
A Midsummer Night's Dream-William Shakespeare
One of Shakespeare's famous comedies before the end of the 16th century. His unique writing style and use of literary devices creates a unique setting as the human world and the fairy world come together in his play providing comedic relief to all who would later on see its production which occurred a few years after the start of the 17th century. Shakespeare's unique satire with wit and banter gives audience members a break from the every day life.
