What art style came before the Renaissance in Europe and what were some of its characteristics?
The art style that came before the Renaissance was Medieval/ Gothic. The predominant characteristics were: a lack of interest in naturalistic form- a focus on the spiritual rather than the physical. A combination of art, mathematics and architecture culminating in the representation of the ordered universe of God’s design 7. Where does the use of hidden symbolism originate in Northern European art? It originates in devotional books of the Middle Ages, which contained simple illustrations to help communicate moralistic teachings. 8. Why is the Italian artist Masaccio (1401- 1428) important? Masaccio may have been the first Italian artist since the Roman era to correctly use one point perspective in a painting. He was also innovative in that he used directional lighting in his paintings to give the illusion of shadow on the figure, giving his scenes and figures unprecedented weight and naturalism. 9. Who is considered the Northern High Renaissance artist of the 16th C and why? Albrecht D
