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Like many of Leonardo's artworks, he keeps them consistent by forming the paintings subtly around a triangular shape. Christ is the center of the triangle, and everyone to his sides draws the eye toward the center of the triangle. -
The rougly 30 year period of rediscovery, new innovations, and plentiful art. Many of the artworks from this period are influenced by classical antiquity and biblical stories.
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The 17-foot-tall statue of David is a great callback to classical Greek sculpture. David stands in Comtraposto, keeping the classic severe face. -
The Mona Lisa follows Leonardo's technique of forming paintings subtly after a triangular shape. The top of the woman's head is the tip of the triangle, and the triangle gets wider, reaching the shoulders. An ambiguous smile is given, almost akin to a smirk. -
The Creation of Adam is the most dynamic, extravagant depiction of him yet. A part of the Sistine Chapel, a muscular classical nude of Adam becomes one of the most iconic paintings ever. -
The School of Athens was a symbol of the greater ideas of the Renaissance. The painting had a joining of many different philosophers and scholars. Plato and Aristotle can even be spotted at the center of the Fresco. -
The Fresco by Raphael depicts another congregation of philosophers and theologians. But this time, the fresco represents the triumph of Christianity over philosophy. A dynamic sense of depth is put into the upper half of the fresco with the folding of the clouds and circular layout. -
The Baroque followed the High Renaissance. It brought church propaganda amid the Catholic-Protestant conflict of the 17th century, among many other new varieties in painting, such as still-life and genre.
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The Spanish follow-up to the Renaissance. Deep Tenebrism with more royal and religious propaganda.
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The much more calming sibling to the Baroque. A focus on still-life, genre scenes, and vanitas paintings.
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This painting by Ruysch is one of the only works from her to be placed outside of the traditional urban setting. Typically, her paintings can be made out to be inside a building, but this time she brings us outside to a more natural environment. -
This painting by Ruysch is a great example of her artistic theme of growth and decay. Chiaroscuro is used to show the plants and fruit at the center ripe and blooming. Toward the edges, the bundle of plants and fruit seems to be decaying because of the drop in light. Insects and small animals can also be seen contributing to decay and growth. -
The Flowers Still-life painting depicts a bouquet of flowers, mostly pink and white. Including a bee, a caterpillar, and a butterfly. Rachel Ruysch's signature use of Chiaroscuro can be seen in this painting, with the center flowers being the brightest, then getting darker the closer you get to the edge. Her use of Chiaroscuro may tie into her common theme of growth and decay in her paintings. The bouquet also appears to be at a diagonal incline, going from top right to bottom left.