Activity 11: Periods and Cultures

The Renaissance or rebirth refers to a period of revival of interest from the dark Middle ages of “ignorance and intellectual decline” to the Classical art of the ancient Roman and Greek culture (Getlein, 393). A period of artwork refers to a span of time of at least 100 years where artists create work with distinct but similar styles, approaches and techniques. Roughly covering the period from the 1400 to 1600, numerous artistic changes arose in the world of art during the Renaissance; to the point where some say it was here the concept of “art” officially arose (393). Most notably known for its conception in Italy the Renaissance gave us some of the most prolific and extraordinarily talented artists of all time; Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael… “Saint John in the Desert” and “Saint John the Evangelist on Patmos” and are two artworks both created during different times in the Renaissance period and are representative of a distinct Italian culture. Differences and similarities are apparent in both works as they relate to period and culture.


This first painting “Saint John in the Desert” was composed by Domenico Veneziano in1445 and hails from Florence, Italy in the Early Renaissance. The Early Renaissance was the final transitional period from the intensely religiously preoccupied High Middle Ages to a renewed interest in the liberal arts and the peak of architectural and artistic advancements in the Renaissance. Nonetheless, the Renaissance still greatly respected and valued religious works; the period singe-handedly is accountable for the creation of world famous religious architectures and art. Thus it is not ironic that Veneziano chose to create the religious themed painting. Created with tempera on panel, Veneziano’s painting is a part of a large altarpiece in the church of Santa Lucia de' Magnoli in Florence (399). Though created during the Renaissance the sharp stylized forms of the background is suggestive of a lingering dependency possibly on artistic styles of the High Middle Ages.


“Saint John the Evangelist on Patmos” was created in 1547 in Venice, Italy by Titian who is known as the greatest Venetian painter of the High Renaissance (408). The High Renaissance depicts the highlight of the period where some of the greatest works in history was created. During this time the culture of Italian art peaked with artistic creativity and inventions like that of using the new medium of oil on canvas instead of tempera. Although Titian differed from Veneziano in the utilization of this medium, he shared a movement similarity in his creation of a religious themed painting.

Titian Venetian and Domenico Veneziano created artworks that although similar in theme display similarities and differences in the period and culture of which they were created.