Differences between medieval and Renaissance art

Differences in religious painting | Differences in architecture | Differences in perception of artists

Middle Ages and Medieval Art

The Middle Ages and the Catholic Church | The Catholic Church and Art | Romanesque Cathedrals | Gothic Cathedrals | Medieval Sculpture | Medieval Painting

The Medici family that opened the door to the Renaissance

Florence | Merchants and the Medici Family

Italian and Renaissance art

Renaissance Architecture | Renaissance Painting - Giotto, Alberti and Masaccio, Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo | Renaissance Sculpture - Donatello, Michelangelo | Conclusion

From God to man,
The Story of Art in the Middle Ages and Renaissance

Art contains everything about an era.
So, knowing art is knowing history, and studying art is also studying insights that encompass history.
As the title suggests, 『From God to Man: Medieval and Renaissance Art』 introduces the art of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
So why the Middle Ages and the Renaissance? What are the biggest differences between medieval and Renaissance art? The most important keywords that differentiate the art of the two periods are "religion" and "humanity."
In the Middle Ages, when 'religion' was valued, all art was expressed with God at the center.
So it was solemn and stiff.
Since the primary purpose was to convey a message, realistic representation was not considered.
Meanwhile, during the Renaissance, people began to put aside God and religion and focus on 'humans'.
Although it still deals with religious themes, it interprets the Bible through the lens of the real world.
Now, the focus has shifted from God to humans.
『From God to Man: Medieval and Renaissance Art』 introduces these two very different eras.

The Middle Ages and the Renaissance,
The fun of reading while comparing two very different eras

In the Middle Ages, when depicting Jesus on the cross, he was portrayed as dignified and alive rather than suffering.
It highlights the divine aspect.
On the other hand, Cimabue, the Renaissance artist, realistically depicted Jesus writhing in pain.
The same thing happened when I drew Mary holding baby Jesus in her arms.
In this way, 『From God to Man: Medieval and Renaissance Art』 is fun to read and compare how the same subject was interpreted and expressed in each era.


During the Renaissance, there was an attempt to 'discover the perspective embedded in real objects'.
Even during the Renaissance, medieval elements were still present everywhere, but Renaissance people tried to see the world through different eyes than before.
The beauty of the real world is a reflection of divine beauty, and looking at the beauty of reality is the smallest step toward the world of God.
In the Middle Ages, denial of the real world was the path to the kingdom of God, but in the Renaissance, affirmation of the real world became the path to the kingdom of God.
(Page 64)

This book examines representative artists of the Renaissance period along with their representative works.
Giotto, who created the character of Renaissance painting, Alberti, who established the theory of perspective invented by Brunelleschi, Leonardo da Vinci, who opened up a wider avenue of creation for artists, and even Michelangelo, the greatest sculptor of the Renaissance.
By following the artists who made their mark on art history and the influence they had on each other, you can naturally understand the social atmosphere and trends of the time.


The book also contains a wealth of visual aids.
The images of paintings, sculptures, and architecture are placed in appropriate and refreshing places, and the differences between medieval and Renaissance art are arranged so that they can be seen at a glance, helping to understand the text.
Easy-to-understand explanations and rich visual aids will make art, once perceived as difficult, seem much more accessible to readers.
Learn about medieval and Renaissance art through "From God to Man: Medieval and Renaissance Art," a book filled with fascinating stories embedded in medieval and Renaissance art!