New
New
Year 7

The Italian Renaissance: art and architecture

I can describe some examples of Renaissance art and architecture.

New
New
Year 7

The Italian Renaissance: art and architecture

I can describe some examples of Renaissance art and architecture.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. New artistic techniques were developed during the Renaissance.
  2. Da Vinci's artworks like the Mona Lisa display these techniques.
  3. Painters studied one another's work to improve their craft.
  4. St Peter's Basilica in Rome is a classic example of Renaissance architecture.
  5. Renaissance architecture drew on classical models.

Common misconception

Pupils might think that because Renaissance architects used mathematical calculations to design their buildings, these were without subsequent problems or issues.

Explain to pupils that these architects often made miscalculations and many subsequent improvement works were needed to ensure buildings like St Peter's did not fall down.

Keywords

  • Sfumato - the artistic technique of allowing tones or colours to gradually shade into one another is called sfumato

  • Chiaroscuro - the use of light and shade in drawing and painting is called chiaroscuro

  • Basilica - a basilica is a church considered highly important by the Catholic Church

Enrich pupils' understandings of the Renaissance art discussed in this lesson by showing them further examples such as Michelangelo's sculpture of Moses. Michelangelo has ensured that a tiny muscle on the arm of the sculpture is contracted, showing his anatomical knowledge.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Who controlled most book copying before the Renaissance?
Private copyists
Correct answer: The Church
Governments
Q2.
The printing press made book copying...
Correct Answer: faster, quicker
Q3.
Holbein's portrait of Erasmus compared his work to the tasks of Hercules because...
Erasmus was a heroic figure.
Erasmus was a famous warrior
Correct answer: Erasmus worked hard studying classical texts.
Q4.
During the Renaissance, the number of universities...
Correct Answer: grew
Q5.
During the Renaissance, humanist ideas were spread in...
churches
monasteries
Correct answer: universities
Q6.
Match the factor to the role it played in spreading humanism during the Renaissance.
Correct Answer:universities,became centres of humanist teaching and learning

became centres of humanist teaching and learning

Correct Answer:the printing press,allowed the books that humanists studied to be copied quickly

allowed the books that humanists studied to be copied quickly

Correct Answer:scholars,travelled between universities, spreading humanist ideas

travelled between universities, spreading humanist ideas

6 Questions

Q1.
Renaissance artists were inspired by the world.
Correct Answer: classical, Classical
Q2.
Which Renaissance painting technique focused on a soft change between colours?
chiaroscuro
Correct answer: sfumato
perspective
proportion
Q3.
Renaissance painters used a range of dark to light tones in their paintings, a technique known as...
Correct Answer: chiaroscuro
Q4.
Da Vinci used principles to make his paintings more realistic.
Correct Answer: mathematical
Q5.
Roughly how old was the old basilica of St Peter's before it was rebuilt?
Correct answer: 1200 years old
120 years old
12000 years old
Q6.
The new St Peter's took inspiration from classical buildings like the Pantheon and the...
Correct Answer: Parthenon, parthenon

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