16th Century European Art

Last Supper

Jan 27, 1498

The Last Supper was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci with oil and tempera on plaster in Milan. The piece puts Christ in the center, isolated as the calm in a storm of emotion around him. This painting is especially amazing that it portrays the emotion of each individual disciple well -- all the psychological despair, confusion, and anger. The arch, the only one in the piece, is above Jesus's head and that serves to emphasize him.

Great Piece of Turf

Jan 27, 1503

This is a watercolor by Durer. The painting is important that it shows how Durer thought tthat sight was the most important sense and that observation showed thre truth. In this painting, even the species of plants can be identified.

David

Jan 27, 1504

Michelangelo's David in Florence is a nontraditional David. Michelangelo broke from the tradition of placing Goliath's head underneath David who was calm in triumph. But, David is shown at the scene before the action happened: he is shown in nervousness and tension. David is emotionally connected to a figure outside of the sculpture.

Mona Lisa

Jan 27, 1505

Painted by Leonardo Da Vinci with oil on wood, this painting is on display in the Lourve. The portrait is different in that it does not try to show status in any way, like all the other portraits of the time did. Also, chiaroscuro, atmospheric perspective, and sfumato are all used in this painting. It is interesting that Mona Lisa is sitting in front of an uninhabited and mysterious landscape.

Garden of Earthly Delights

Jan 27, 1510

The Oil on wood painting by Hieronymus Bosch is extremely enigmatic and imaginitive with made up objects and nude figures. No one knows what the true meaning of the painting is: some say it is with marriage, sex, and procreation, others with the Last Judgment.

Creation of Adam

Jan 27, 1512

The Creation of Adam is a panel of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo in fresco. The painting shows how High Renaissance put together Classical and Christian thoughts with the illustration of God as a ruler of Heaven like Zeus. Moreover, the right to left to right movement captured in this painting is essential and is created by the complementary bodies and the curves.

Isenheim Altarpiece

Jan 27, 1515

The altarpiece belonged to the Hostpital of Saint Anthony in Germany. It was created by Matthias Grunewald. The importance of this altarpiece is that it is extremely apt to the environment it is placed in. It encourages piety through portrayal of affliction of Saint Anthony (like those in the hospital) while giving the patients hope that they will be healed. The crucifixion eases the misery of some patients.

Landscape with Saint Jerome

Jan 27, 1524

Patinir of Netherlands in his painting, Landscape with Saint Jerome (Oil on Wood) makes Saint Jerome and the lion small compared to the rest of the landscape. Durer dubbed Patiner a "good landscape painter."

The French Ambassadors

Jan 27, 1533

Hans Holbein painted this with oil and tempera on wood for Henry VIII. The most interesting part of the painting is the anamorphic image of the skull which shows his mastery of illusion and perspective. Yet, no one knows for certain what the skull signifies. Also, the painting may show the tensions between the lay and religious people with the lute next to a broken string.

Triumph of Venice

Jan 27, 1585

This is an oil on canvas by Paolo Veronese in Venice. This shows the illusionistic skills that Paolo Veronese. He portrayed teh scene with a 45-degree view from the ground which is a technique later Baroque artists would use.