The Early Renaissance: Return to Classical Roots, 1400-1494

1. Early Renaissance Painting (p. 325-331)
Art > Line > Linear Perspective > Introduction
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The development of linear perspective during the Italian Renaissance set new standards for the representation of space. Artists like Massacio (Fig. 11.18-11.19, pp. 326-327 and Piero della Francesca (Fig. 11.21, p. 329) utilized linear perspective and chiaroscuro to create settings for symbolic and narrative scenes. To better your understanding of the geometry and methods of linear perspective, click on the link above. What are the differences between one-point, two-point, three-point, and circular perspective? Can you find vanishing points and orthogonals for the paintings reproduced in this chapter?

2. Early Renaissance Painting (p. 325-331)
Art > Shape > Defining Shape > Closure
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Leonardo used implied shapes as an important compositional element in his The Virgin of the Rocks (Fig. 11.23, p. 331), arranging his figures to construct a pyramidal composition. To explore the ways in which a viewer can be prompted to complete implied shapes through the principle of closure, click on the link above. Change the shapes from closed contours to implied shapes and back. At what point does your mind fill in the missing lines, creating an implied shape?