inal answer:
Before the Renaissance, art focused on religious themes without realistic perspective, while Renaissance art highlighted realism, classical beauty, symmetry, and individualism. Florence was crucial in this artistic development. Mannerist art later emerged with exaggerated and elongated forms, challenging Renaissance ideals.
Step-by-step explanation:
Before the Renaissance, art was predominantly focused on religious themes, oftentimes lacking perspective and proportion typical to human sight. Artists of the Middle Ages produced works that adhered to spiritual and iconographic conventions. However, Renaissance art marked a significant shift, placing emphasis on realism, individualism, and the accurate portrayal of the natural world. It brought with it the revival of classical themes, perfect proportions, symmetry, and the concept of beauty as envisioned in classical antiquity.
Key developments during the Renaissance included the use of perspective, chiaroscuro (light and shadow), and sfumato (blurring lines and colors). These techniques gave rise to more lifelike and three-dimensional forms on a two-dimensional canvas. Furthermore, Florence became a pivotal city for Renaissance creativity, giving birth to a number of innovations and the careers of artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Their artworks, such as da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa' and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, not only exhibit astounding technical skill but also reflect the values and humanist beliefs of the period.
After the Renaissance, Mannerism emerged as a style that reacted against the harmonious ideals of the Renaissance. It was characterized by elongated forms, exaggerated poses, and a lack of clear focal points. This period set the stage for the emotional intensity found in Baroque art, which followed soon after.