Renaissance Paintings (which means “rebirth”) links the Middle Ages arts and the Baroque arts. Artists on this period cover a wide range of themes that include frescoes, Religious Altarpieces, and several small works for private devotion were popular.
Renaissance Painting
Most of these painters from Italy and Northern Europe used a highly influential book for the lives of the saint, Jacobus de Voragine’s Golden Legend, as their inspiration. There are several other famous and reputable painters during the renaissance period.
Here are some of the artists in different countries:
German artists
- Albrecht Altdorfer (c.1480-1538)
- Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515-1586)
- Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528)
Spanish Artists
- Bartolomé Bermejo
- Ayne Bru
- Juan de Flandes
French artists
- Jean Fouquet
- Jean Clouet
- Francois Clouet
Other renowned artists
- Jean Bellegambe
- Hieronymus Bosch
- Dirk Bouts
- Robert Campin
- Petrus Christus
This review on several painters during the Renaissance period discuss briefly on the life story of some of the most famous and influential masters of that time. The review briefly explain the early years, their families and their accomplishments that had made them famous and renowned artists.
We have featured several of these masters that include Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Fra’ Filippo Lippi. We have also included some of their famous paintings that are a marvel to look at.
- Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) – A Dutch painter, considered as one of the greatest and well-known printmakers and painters during the Dutch Golden Age. He was born on July 15, 1606 in Leiden, Netherlands. He achieved portrait-painting success at such an age but ran into financial difficulties and personal tragedy in his later years. Despite suffering several setbacks in life, his reputation as a great artist and his artworks remained popular throughout his entire life. He also dedicated his colourful life in teaching most of the brilliant Dutch painters of his time.
A lot of art scholars and connoisseurs in this century thought that in his illustrious work as a painter and etcher, he was able to make over an overwhelming 300 paintings and around 300 etchings.
Among his greatest works include:
- Self-portrait of the young Rembrandt
- Self-portrait portraying as an Oriental Potentate holding a Kris
- Self Portrait oil in walnut
- Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp
- Portrait of Johannes Wtenbogaert
- The Blinding of Samson
- The Archangel leaving Tobias
- The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis
- The Return of the Prodigal Son
• He died in Amsterdam, Netherlands on October 4, 1669 at age 64. His creative brilliancy in painting can be seen in all his artworks, which up to this day, has been difficult to match.
- Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564) – This Italian painter was also a poet, engineer, architect and sculptor. More widely known as Michelangelo, he was born in March 6, 1475 in Caprese, Tuscany. Because of his well-known versatility in the field of artistic work, he was considered one of the leading candidates for the archetypal Renaissance man and he is also one of the most documented artists in the 16th century. There were two written biographies about him when he was still alive which the most of them is the biography of Michelangelo written by Giorgio Vasari. Before he reached in his thirties, he has already made two remarkable achievements in Pietà and the David.
Among his famous paintings included:
- Sistine Chapel ceiling
- The Last Judgment
- The Libyan Sybil
- Ignudo
He died on February 18, 1564 in Rome at age 88. His remarkable paintings will always be one of the best artworks in history.
- Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (1452-1519) – This Italian painter was born on April 15, 1452 in Vinci, Florence. This incredibly versatile painter was also a polymath, scientist, anatomist, mathematician, inventor, engineer, writer, musician, botanist, sculptor and architect. Despite being an illegitimate son of Piero da Vinci, he was educated in the studio of Verrocchio, a well renowned Florentine painter. He was considered as an Archetype of the Renaissance man with Michelangelo as his contender. He was famous as a painter with incredibly famous paintings such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. The Italian Painter was also famous with his inventions and much advanced thinking.
His famous paintings include:
- Annunciation
- Virgin of the Rocks
- The Last Supper
- Mona Lisa
- The Virgin and Child with St. Anne and St. John the Baptist
During his time, he has already developed an idea of a helicopter, tank, and calculator. He also made basic theory about the plate tectonic, which is quite advanced thinking during his time.
- Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520) – Often referred to with his first name Raphael. This famous Italian Painter was well known for the perfection of his drawings and paintings. He was also known as one of the great masters in his era together with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. He was born on April 6, 1483 in Urbino, Italy. Despite his early demise at 37 years old, he has made a ton of artworks, which are mostly found in the Vatican. He was born on April 6, 1483 in Urbino, Italy. Among his early impressive work was the Baronci Altarpiece that was built for the church of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino.
His famous paintings include:
- Il Spasimo
- Transfiguration
- Galatea
- Self-Potrait of Raphael
- Portrait of Pope Julius II
- Coronation of the Virgin
- Mond Crucifixion
- The Parnassus
He died on April 6, 1520 in Rome, Italy. Raphael was considered one of the best painters during his time.
- Fra’ Filippo Lippi (1406–1469) – An Italian Painter, was born on 1406 in Florence whose father was a butcher. His aunt, Mona Lapaccia took the responsibility in raising him up after both his parents died when he was just a little boy. He went to a Carmelite Monastery and at age 21, he took a Carmelite vow in 1421, which he eventually gave up to study painting. He had a son named Filippino Lippi. His son also became a famous painter. Some of Fra’ Filippo’s remarkable important works were the frescoes that depicted the stories of St. Stephen and St John the Baptist in the choir of Prato Cathedral.