SELF LEARNING MATERIAL 1

QUARTER 3

ART 9

Art Evaluation:
Renaissance and Baroque Periods

Name: ________________________________________________ Date: ___________________________

Grade and section: ______________________________

Learning Competency: Evaluates works of art in terms of artistic concepts and ideas using criteria from the
Renaissance and the Baroque periods.

Motivation:

Which of the two paintings do you like more?

Why do you like that particular painting?

Basic Concepts:

Art Evaluation is Not Simply Liking or Disliking

A. How to Evaluate the Context/Background of the Work?

Questions to Ask Why Ask These Questions?

When was the Painting Created? Knowing the date of the work helps us to gauge how it was made, and the
degree of difficulty involved. For instance, landscapes produced before the
popularity of photography (c.1860), or the appearance of collapsible tin paint
tubes (1841), had a greater level of difficulty.
Is the Painting Abstract or A painting can be wholly abstract (meaning, it has no resemblance to any
Representational? natural shapes: a form known as non-objective art), or organically abstract
(some resemblance to natural organic forms), or semi-abstract (figures and
other objects are discernible to an extent), or representational (its figurative and
other content is instantly recognizable). Obviously an abstract work has quite
different aims to that of a representational work, and must be judged according
to different criteria. For example, a wholly abstract picture makes no attempt to
divert the viewer with any naturalism and thus depends entirely for its effect on
its formal qualities (line, shape, colour and so on).
What School or Movement is the Knowing which of many art movements the painting belongs to can give us a
Painting Associated With? greater understanding of its composition and meaning.
Where Was the Picture Painted? Knowing where and under what circumstances a painting is created can often
improve our appreciation and understanding of the work concerned.

For Example: Balancing dangerously on top of rickety scaffolding,

Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (a gigantic area of
12,000 square feet) virtually unaided, during the course of 4 years between
1508 to 1512. Knowing that this masterpiece of Christian art was created in
situ, rather than in a nice warm studio, helps us to appreciate the enormity of
the task

B. How to Evaluate the Work of Art Itself

Questions to Ask Why Ask These Questions?

What is the Content & Subject What is being depicted in the painting?
Matter of the Painting?
If it's a historical picture or mythological painting, ask yourself these questions:
What event is being shown? What characters are involved, and what are their
roles? What message does the painting contain?

If it's a portrait, ask yourself these questions: Who is the sitter? How does the
artist portray him/her? What features or aspects of the sitter are given
prominence or attention?

If it's a genre-scene, ask yourself these questions: What scene is being

depicted? What is happening? What message (if any) does the painter have for
us? Why has he chosen this particular scene?

If it's a landscape, ask yourself these questions: What is the geographical

location of the view in the picture? (eg. Is it a favourite haunt of the painter?)
What is the artist trying to convey to us about the landscape?
 If it's a still-life, ask yourself these questions: What objects - no matter how
seemingly insignificant - are included in the picture? Why has the artist chosen
these particular items? Why has he laid them out in the way he has? Still lifes
are known for their symbolism, so it's worth analyzing the objects painted, to
see what each might symbolize.

C. How to Evaluate Art: A Few Final Questions

Questions to Ask Why Ask These Questions?
What is the Painting Trying to Say? This general question involves everything you have discovered or decided
about the work.
How Does the Painting Make you This focuses exclusively on your subjective reaction to the work.
Feel?

Modeling:

Directions: Evaluate works of art in terms of artistic concepts and ideas using criteria from the Renaissance and the
Baroque periods.

Background:

The celebrated mural painting known as The Creation of Adam is one of a series of Biblical images from the Book of
Genesis, which were commissioned by Pope Julius II from Michelangelo, for the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the
Vatican, Rome. Seen as a key work of the Renaissance in Rome, its status as an iconic work of religious art is
unrivalled, indeed, some art critics consider it to be Christianity's greatest pictorial work. His Sistine ceiling - known as
the Genesis Fresco - of which The Creation of Adam is the central work - is regarded as the quintessential expression
of Renaissance art and one of the finest Renaissance paintings of the 15th and 16th centuries. Painted in 1511, The
picture illustrates the Book of Genesis story of God breathing life into Adam, the first human being. Michelangelo's
powerful image of this scene - showing the spark of life being passed from one outstretched fingertip to another - is a
visual masterstroke. It has become an iconic image of Christian art, as well as a modern graphic for the transfer of
physical and spiritual energy, and has an almost electrical magnetism.

Questions: Answer:
When was the painting created? The painting was painted in 1511.
Is the painting abstract or representational? The painting is representational.
What school or movement is the painting associated with, The painting is renaissance because of its symmetry
and give one characteristic of that period that can be where elements in upper right and lower left are
obviously seen by audiences? balanced.
Where was the picture painted? The painting was painted on the ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel.
What is the content & subject matter of the painting? The painting is on the story of God breathing life into
Adam, the first human being.
What is the message of the painting? The message of the painting is that we are created by
God in His image, and that is our greatest connection to
God.
Do you like the painting? How does the painting make I like the painting. The painting challenges me because
you feel? the painting in itself requires talent and skill, but painting
on a ceiling for four years requires dedication.
Background:

Caravaggio, one of the best artists of all time, is best known for his highly realistic style of Baroque. Cardinal
Francesco Maria Del Monte helped him to gain his first major public commission for the side walls of the Contarelli
Chapel, in San Luigi dei Francesi. It involved two pictures: The Calling of St Matthew (1599-1600) and The Martyrdom
of St Matthew (1599-1600). Both works were an immediate success, and were followed by a series of masterpieces
that made him the most exciting painter of religious paintings in Rome. What made Caravaggio so unique, was the
true-life naturalism that made his figures seem completely real. The Calling of Saint Matthew depicts the moment
when Jesus Christ inspires Matthew to follow him and become an apostle.

The Calling of Saint Matthew illustrates the passage in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 9:9), when Jesus went into
the custom house, saw Matthew at his seat and called to him, "Follow me". According to the story Matthew rose and
followed him. In the painting, Christ (on the right, behind Peter) points to Levi, the tax-collector (the bearded man
wearing a beret, who also appears in the two other Matthew paintings in the chapel) - and calls upon him to become
the apostle Matthew. Although Levi is well to the left of the picture, the viewer's attention is nevertheless drawn to
him by the hands pointing at him as well as by the intensity of the light shining on him.

Caravaggio sets the scene in what appears to be a tavern, rather than a counting house or officefeaturing money
lenders seated around a table. In addition, he introduces some very human interplay into the situation. To begin
with, when he sees Christ pointing at him, Levi responds with a gesture, as if to say "Me?" indicating his uncertainty
whether he is being addressed, or the younger man slumped on his right. In addition, the ray of light illuminating
their faces draws attention to the two youths, who appear rather lost in this group of older men. While one of them
draws back in apprehension and looks to his older neighbor for protection, the other has turned to confront Christ,
causing Saint Peter to gesture firmly for calm. Through the visual contrast between their reactions, Caravaggio
displays psychological insight into two possible patterns of human behavior in the same situation.

As he would do in much of his Christian art, Caravaggio conveys the sacred quality of the scene through a series of
informal images. Here, for instance, the dandyish tax-collector and his fashionably-dressed associates - all busily
counting the day's proceeds - are contrasted with the barefoot Christ. So as well as casting his gaze on a sinner like
Levi, Jesus is shown to shine the cleansing light of faith into Levi's dark habitat of financial greed. Notice, for
example, how Levi keeps his right hand on the coin he was counting before being interrupted by Christ.

On close inspection, the power of this silent but dramatic narrative lies in its capture of the exact split-second when
Christ's summons hangs in the air, when his listeners are still shocked and when Levi himself is caught in suspended
indecision. In another second, he will rise up, become Matthew the apostle and follow Christ out of the room. But
Caravaggio's masterpiece is no film, and Levi's moment of uncertainty - juxtaposed with the monumental certainty
of Jesus Christ - will last forever.

Questions: Answer:
When was the painting created? The painting was created in 1600.
Is the painting abstract or representational? The painting is representational.
What school or movement is the painting associated The painting is baroque because of its asymmetry and
with, and give one characteristic of that period that can the use of tenebrism where there is only one light source.
The immediacy in the movements of the people in the
be obviously seen by audiences?
painting is also a baroque characteristic.
Where was the picture painted? The painting was painted on the walls of the Contarelli
Chapel.
What is the content & subject matter of the painting? The Calling of Saint Matthew illustrates the passage in
the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus went into the custom
house, saw Matthew at his seat and called to him, "Follow
me".
What is the message of the painting? The message of the painting anchors on the very biblical
teaching to love the sinners despite being sinners, and
this scene is a prime example of Christ’s love in us in
which He accepts us even if we constantly sin against
Him.
Do you like the painting? How does the painting make I like the painting. In fact, the painting amazes me with its
you feel? very dramatic use of lighting, and the very realistic
emotions shown by the faces of the people in the
painting.

Source: http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/art-evaluation.htm
 LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET 1
QUARTER 3

ART 9
Art during the Renaissance and Baroque Periods

Name: ________________________________________________ Date: ___________________________

Grade and section: ______________________________

Learning Competency: Evaluate works of art in terms of artistic concepts and ideas using criteria from the
Renaissance and the Baroque periods

Background:
Raphael’s fresco The School of Athens has come to symbolize the marriage of art, philosophy, and science that was a
hallmark of the Italian Renaissance. Painted between 1509 and 1511, it is located in the first of the four rooms
designed by Raphael, the Stanza della Segnatura.

In the 15th century, a tradition of decorating private libraries with portraits of great thinkers was common. Raphael
took the idea to a whole new level with massive compositions that reflected philosophy, theology, literature, and
jurisprudence. Read as a whole, they immediately transmitted the intellect of the pope and would have sparked
discussion between cultured minds that were lucky enough to enter into this private space.

Questions: Answer:
When was the painting created?

Is the painting abstract or representational?

What school or movement is the painting associated

with, and give one characteristic of that period that can
be obviously seen by audiences?

Where was the picture painted?

What is the content & subject matter of the painting?

What is the message of the painting?

How does the painting make you feel?

When was the painting created?

For questions written in bold:

Rubric: 3 2 1
Relevance The answer is relevant to The answer is loosely The answer is not relevant
the question/s being relevant to the question/s to the question/s being
asked. being asked. asked.
Accuracy The student made mention The student only made use The answer only consists of
of observable elements of of descriptive words that short descriptions to
the artwork to support describe the artwork to support his/her answer.
his/her answer. support his/her answer.