1. Amber
Rigdon
The
Influence
of
Anatomy
on
Renaissance
Art
Amber
Rigdon
ARH
278
Final
Writing
Assignment
Due:
05/01/2015
2. Amber
Rigdon
2
The
Renaissance
period,
directly
following
the
Middle
Ages,
was
a
time
that
sparked
interest
in
classical
learning
and
values,
which
was
influenced
by
political
stability,
technology
development
and
a
growing
prosperity.
These
values
and
learning
styles
are
reflected
directly
in
art
of
the
time,
especially
in
the
works
by
Donatello
di
Niccolò
di
Betto
Bardi,
Leonardo
Da
Vinci,
Michelangelo
di
Lodovico
Buonarroti
Simoni
and
Raphael
Sanzio,
often
addressed
by
just
their
first
names.
These
four
Italian
artists
captured
the
individuality
and
beauty
of
the
natural
world
through
the
influence
of
anatomy
in
their
paintings
and
sculptures1.
Donatello
was
known
as
the
“master
of
early
Renaissance
sculpture”1
and
his
sculpture
David
was
seen
as
far
more
naturalistic
and
lifelike
than
most
other
works
of
art
during
that
time.
This
sculpture
doesn’t
have
a
“perfect”
body,
but
a
realistic
body
of
a
boy,
symbolic
of
David
from
the
Bible,
who
didn’t
need
strength,
but
the
help
from
God,
to
beat
Goliath2.
Leonardo,
Raphael
and
Michelangelo
dominated
the
high
Renaissance,
which
was
from
around
the
1490s
to
1527.
Leonardo
is
known
as
the
“ultimate
Renaissance
man”1
having
made
such
an
impact
on
Renaissance
art
through
his
studies
of
the
human
body.
Leonardo
dissected
cadavers
in
order
to
better
understand
the
anatomy
and
form
of
the
human
body.
Leonardo
made
many
drawings
of
various
parts
of
the
body
both
internal
and
external,
which
were
later
compiled
into
several
versions
of
books.
It
can
be
argued
that
the
most
famous
of
Leonardo’s
anatomy
drawings
is
the
Vitruvian
Man,
which
has
been
thought
to
represent
many
different
things,
from
geometry
to
astronomy.
Leonardo
had
two
main
purposes
for
these
anatomical
studies,
to
understand
the
better
understand
the
human
body
first,
so
he
could
then
3. Amber
Rigdon
3
reflect
his
findings
in
his
artwork.
He
recognized
that
many
works
of
art
did
not
accurately
depict
the
human
body,
especially
when
movement
was
involved
and
he
changed
this3.
This
can
be
seen
in
Vitruvian
Man,
which
shows
the
man’s
arms
and
legs
in
different
positions
and
the
muscles
reflecting
those
changes.
Leonardo
didn’t
just
focus
on
the
external
form,
he
studied
the
internal
structure
as
well.
He
completed
many
drawings
of
organs
including
the
heart,
reproductive
organs
and
even
a
fetus
during
development.
Most
of
his
drawings
can’t
be
connected
to
portraiture,
since
they
have
no
face
or
identity,
but
his
drawing
of
The
Major
Veins
and
Organs
has
a
face,
and
a
very
somber
one
at
that.
Although
the
focus
of
the
drawing
is
the
internal
organs,
it
can’t
be
ignored
that
this
subject
has
not
only
a
face,
but
a
personality
as
well.
Michelangelo
drew
on
the
human
body
for
inspiration
and
his
sculpture
David,
one
of
the
most
well
known
nude
sculptures
is
incredibly
anatomically
accurate1.
The
detail
in
this
sculpture
is
immaculate,
even
down
to
the
veins
on
the
back
of
his
hand.
Although
this
sculpture
is
depicting
the
same
Biblical
character
and
event
as
Donatello’s
David
sculpture,
they
are
extremely
different.
Raphael
learned
from
both
Leonardo
and
Michelangelo
and
his
art
reflects
their
knowledge
and
understanding
of
anatomy.
Raphael
used
drawings
to
plan
out
his
paintings,
like
his
drawing
Two
Men
for
the
Victory
at
Ostia,
which
was
a
preparatory
drawing
for
his
painting
Battle
at
Ostia4.
The
Renaissance
era
was
a
time
of
change
and
new
ways
of
thinking,
which
influenced
many
different
aspects
of
society,
especially
art.
Anatomy,
especially
Leonardo’s
intense
studies,
forever
changed
art,
with
the
human
body
looking
more
realistic
than
ever
before.
4. Amber
Rigdon
4
Donatello’s
David
Donatello
sculpted
David
around
1440-‐‑1460
out
of
bronze.
He
was
commissioned
by
the
Medici
family
to
make
this
sculpture
to
be
placed
in
the
Palazzo
Medici
Riccardi
courtyard
in
Florence5.
Donatello
had
made
another
David
sculpture,
out
of
marble
around
1408-‐‑1409,
for
the
courtyard,
but
was
asked
to
make
some
changes
to
the
statue
and
make
him
look
less
like
a
prophet2.
His
famous
bronze
sculpture
was
very
different
from
his
first
attempt.
Donatello
followed
the
biblical
story
more
closely
in
his
bronze
sculpture
and
its
reflected
by
the
anatomical
features.
This
statue
shows
a
young
male
nude
wearing
nothing
but
a
hat
and
boots,
with
a
sword
in
his
hand
and
his
foot
atop
a
severed
head.
Many
depictions
of
David
previously
showed
him
later
in
life,
as
a
strong
muscular
king,
but
in
the
Biblical
story,
this
battle
took
place
when
Davis
was
young.
It
wasn’t
David’s
strength
that
helped
him
beat
Goliath,
but
though
his
wit
and
help
from
God.
This
sculpture
relates
to
portraiture,
as
it
is
a
portrait
of
the
Biblical
character
David,
after
his
great
triumph
over
the
powerful
Goliath.
He
has
a
smirk
on
his
face
and
his
body
reflects
that
of
an
adolescent
boy,
instead
of
a
“perfect”
and
unrealistic
man,
like
much
of
the
art
at
the
time
showed2.
This
sculpture
has
created
controversy
as
to
whether
there
are
homosexual
references
depicted
in
it.
The
figure
has
slight
breasts
and
the
way
his
left
leg
is
positioned
he
can
be
seen
as
a
woman
from
the
side.
It
is
unclear
whether
this
is
a
reflection
of
Donatello’s
personal
preference,
reflected
in
his
art,
since
homosexuality
was
illegal
at
the
time,
this
could
be
a
subtle
way
of
symbolizing
himself
in
his
artwork6.
5. Amber
Rigdon
5
Leonardo’s
Vitruvian
Man
Leonardo
was
a
man
of
many
talents:
artist,
architect,
inventor
and
anatomist.
He
was
the
first
known
artist
to
use
dissection
to
better
understand
the
human
body,
so
he
could
reflect
his
knowledge
in
his
artwork.
During
his
numerous
dissections
of
both
humans
and
animals,
Leonardo
made
hundreds
of
drawings
to
document
his
findings.
These
drawings
would
later
being
copied
and
compiled
into
many
different
versions
of
books
to
be
appreciated
by
various
audiences
of
artists,
anatomists
and
more7.
Leonardo’s
drawing
Vitruvian
Man
was
done
around
1490
with
pen
and
ink
with
wash
over
metal
point
on
paper
and
was
based
off
of
the
work
of
the
architect
Vitruvius.
Leonardo
believed
that
everything
was
connected
and
that
the
proportions
of
the
human
body
could
be
found
in
other
natural
occurrences8.
The
measurements
of
the
different
body
parts
are
reflected
in
his
notes
as
representing
how
nature
is
distributed.
It
is
stated
in
his
notes
that
four
fingers
is
a
palm,
four
palms
are
a
foot
and
so
on.9
The
position
of
this
man’s
body
is
meant
to
represent
measurements
in
nature
including
architecture
and
geometry.
A
translation
of
his
notes
states,
"If
you
open
your
legs
enough
that
your
head
is
lowered
by
one-‐‑
fourteenth
of
your
height
and
raise
your
hands
enough
that
your
extended
fingers
touch
the
line
of
the
top
of
your
head,
know
that
the
centre
of
the
extended
limbs
will
be
the
navel,
and
the
space
between
the
legs
will
be
an
equilateral
triangle".
This
isn’t
just
a
drawing
of
the
body
in
relation
to
nature,
or
the
man
wouldn’t
have
a
face,
this
is
in
fact
a
portrait.
His
face
is
somber,
as
if
he
is
just
being
6. Amber
Rigdon
6
used
as
a
prop
in
Leonardo’s
experiment.
He
doesn’t
have
any
distinguishing
features,
just
a
somewhat
average
body
type
and
a
plain
face.
Leonardo,
The
Major
Organs
and
Vessels
Leonardo
wasn’t
just
interested
in
the
anatomy
for
the
sake
of
his
art,
he
was
genuinely
curious
about
how
the
human
body
worked
through
both
anatomy
and
physiology.
He
made
notes
beside
many
of
his
drawings
of
his
techniques,
but
also
questions
that
he
hoped
to
answer10.
He
made
hundreds
of
drawings
of
the
different
structures
and
organs
of
the
body.
One
of
his
most
interesting
series
of
drawings
is
of
the
fetus
inside
the
womb.
However,
due
to
the
lack
of
identity
of
many
of
these
drawings,
they’re
hard
to
relate
to
portraiture.
Leonardo’s
drawing
of,
The
Major
Organs
and
Vessels,
done
with
pen
and
ink
with
brown
and
greenish
wash,
over
black
chalk
done
around
1490,
like
his
Vitruvian
Man
this
man
has
a
face,
so
can
be
seen
as
a
portrait.
This
man
looks
quite
depressed,
more
so
than
the
Vitruvian
Man.
This
drawing
could
be
interpreted
similarly,
that
he
is
being
used
merely
a
source
of
information.
The
increase
in
his
depression
can
be
seen
as
that
fact
that
not
only
his
external
body
being
used,
but
he
has
also
been
cut
open
and
dissected
to
be
used
for
his
internal
structures
as
well.
This
drawing
is
focusing
mostly
on
the
internal
organs
and
vessels,
however,
Leonardo
choses
to
lay
these
structures
over
his
skin,
rather
than
showing
the
internal
muscles.
The
man’s
external
structure
remains
realistic
from
the
tone
of
his
abdominals
to
the
knobs
of
his
knees,
even
though
it
serves
merely
as
a
background
in
this
drawing.
7. Amber
Rigdon
7
Michelangelo’s
David
Michelangelo
made
his
marble
sculpture
David
around
1501-‐‑04
for
the
Cathedral
of
Florence.
It
took
him
nearly
two
years
to
create
this,
breathtaking,
sculpture
and
he
kept
it
hidden
until
1504
when
it
was
complete.
Unlike
Donatello
and
other
artists
that
produced
depictions
of
David,
Michelangelo
was
the
first
to
depict
David
before
the
battle.
He
holds
just
his
slingshot
and
a
rock
in
his
hands,
but
they’re
subtle,
to
symbolize
his
winning
of
the
battle
was
based
on
wit,
not
strength11.
When
viewing
David
up
close,
you
can
admire
the
passion
for
anatomical
detail
Michelangelo
had.
In
particular,
when
looking
closely
at
the
right
hand
of
David,
all
the
veins
can
be
seen,
which
is
anatomically
correct
in
both
structure
and
function.
Before
a
battle
David’s
adrenaline
would
be
increased,
causing
an
increase
in
vasodilation,
which
would
cause
his
blood
vessels
to
protrude11.
There
are
many
differences
that
can
be
seen
between
Donatello’s
bronze
David
and
Michelangelo’s
marble
David.
Donatello
depicts
a
younger
David,
which
is
closer
to
the
Biblical
story,
while
Michelangelo
depicts
an
older,
mature
David
showing
his
heroic
status,
that
most
people
of
the
time
gave
him.
As
mentioned
before,
Michelangelo’s
version
is
pre-‐‑battle
and
this
can
be
seen
in
the
tense
look
on
his
face,
compared
to
Donatello’s
post-‐‑battle
version
with
a
smirk
of
defeat
on
his
face.
Michelangelo’s
portrait
relays
David’s
anxiety
before
his
battle
by
the
look
on
his
face
and
his
bulging
veins
pumping
adrenaline
through
his
body12.
8. Amber
Rigdon
8
Raphael’s
Two
Men
for
Victory
at
Ostia
Raphael
drew
his
piece
Two
Men
for
the
Victory
at
Ostia
using
Red
chalk
in
1515
as
a
preparation
for
his
fresco,
Battle
at
Ostia.
This
drawing
was
given
to
Albrecht
Dürer
in
exchange
for
a
drawing
of
Dürer’s
and
was
important
because
of
the
two
purposes
it
served13.
Drawing
out
the
subjects
of
his
fresco
allowed
Raphael
to
get
a
sense
of
the
man’s
body
in
different
angles
and
work
on
the
contours
of
his
muscles
before
he
began
on
the
permanent
painting
that
would
become
part
of
the
wall
of
the
Apostolic
Palace
in
the
Vatican
when
it
dried.
This
drawing
was
also
a
way
for
Raphael
to
show
Dürer
his
skills
and
understanding
of
the
human
anatomy.
The
man
is
shown
in
two
different
poses,
with
great
detail
in
the
shadowing
and
creases,
relative
to
his
position.
Raphael
was
inspired
by
the
works
of
both
Leonardo
and
Michelangelo,
being
younger
than
both
of
them,
and
their
influence
can
be
noted
in
his
work1.
As
mentioned
before,
the
Renaissance
era
was
a
major
breakthrough
in
anatomy’s
influence
on
art,
thanks
in
most
part
to
Leonardo.
Raphael’s
drawing
resembles
many
of
Leonardo’s
drawings
of
the
external
anatomy,
although
he
most
likely
never
saw
them
since
Leonardo’s
pupil
didn’t
release
them
until
after
Leonardo’s
death14.
Although
much
of
his
face
cannot
be
seen
in
this
drawing,
we
still
get
a
glimpse
of
his
exhausted
face,
including
a
small
sketch
in
the
background.
This
man
looks
tired,
as
if
he
has
just
taken
part
in
the
battle.
In
the
sketch
on
the
left
he
is
leaning
on
his
staff,
as
if
finally
getting
a
moment
to
rest.
On
the
right,
although
partially
cut
off,
he
is
holding
his
hand
up
as
if
he
is
saying,
“stop”,
telling
his
enemies
they’re
done
and
they’ve
been
defeated.
17. Amber
Rigdon
17
End
Notes
1
“Renaissance
Art”
2
“David
(Donatello)”
3
Keele,
Anatomical
Drawings
from
the
Royal
Collection,
151
4
Joannides,
The
Drawings
of
Raphael,
106
5
“Donatello’s
David”
6
“Donatello’s
Bronze
David”
7
“Leonardo
Da
Vinci”
8
Keele,
Anatomical
Drawings
from
the
Royal
Collection,
10-‐‑14
9
“Vitruvian
Man”
10
Keele,
Anatomical
Drawings
from
the
Royal
Collection,
31
11
“Michelangelo’s
David”
12
“David
(Michelangelo)”
13
Joannides,
Paul.
The
Drawings
of
Raphael:
With
a
Complete
Catalogue,
106
14
Keele,
Anatomical
Drawings
from
the
Royal
Collection,
6
15
"Leonardo
Da
Vinci's
Rare
and
Futuristic
Anatomy
Drawings
Go
Public
for
First
Time
[PHOTOS]."
16
"Raphael
-‐‑
Nude
Studies,
1515."
17
"The
Battle
of
Ostia."
18. Amber
Rigdon
18
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