Individualism And Art: Leonardo Da Vinci And The High Renaissance

The Renaissance was a period of time after the Middle Ages in Europe recognized as the years between the 13th and 16th centuries. It is established as the bloom of philosophy, literature, and most importantly art. The renaissance was a movement that originated in Italy in the late 13th and early 14th centuries known and as the “Early Renaissance.” During this time Italian scholars and artists were seen as rebirthing the ethics and success of classical Roman culture; while others sought to restore the languages, values and traditions of Ancient Greece and Rome. During the advancement of the 15th and 16th centuries known as the“High Renaissance”, the Renaissance spread throughout Italy, and into France, Northern Europe, and Spain. Around the …show more content…
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael influenced the period known as the “High Renaissance.” However, Da Vinci is known as “the renaissance man” for his intellect, interest, talent, and expression of humanist and classical values. The Renaissance sought to capture the experience the of individuality and the beauty and mystery of the world and is widely recognized as one of the most influential art movements ever.

Leonardo da Vinci was born in Anchiano, Tuscany, now Italy, in the year of 1452. His parents were Ser Piero, and a peasant named Caterina. They were never married and when Da Vinci was young his other married and began a new family. Around the age of five he went to live with his father. Leonardo didn 't acquire proper …show more content…
The piece is believed to be an illusion, however Da Vinci used the element of motion to concentrate the viewer 's eye of the woman, or Mona Lisa. This strategy gives the eyes of Mona Lisa the misconception that her eyes follow you which is one reason the painting is so popular among many others. Da Vinci also used the principle of emphasis for this painting. Emphasis is created by visually reinforcing something that the artist wants the viewer to pay attention to. In this painting the emphasis was put on Mona Lisa, the woman pictured. If you were to take a look at the background, you would notice the mountains and water that completes the painting. However, whenever viewers take in the image, the first thing they notice is Mona Lisa. Key elements he used to create this principle were size, and isolation. Size was a key factor in this piece because Mona Lisa was depicted so large that viewers are barely able to notice anything other than her. The slight smile of the woman keeps the viewers interested, as they try piece together the truth being the smiling Mona