Section I: Answer this question:
Define Humanism, the worldview that defined the Italian Renaissance by influencing artists and patrons. Select an example of Italian art and/or architecture from each of the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries and explain how it illustrates Humanist principles.
Section II: Answer 2 of these questions. Use different examples for each answer:
1. Compare and contrast two examples of portraits by different artists, choosing from Van Eyck, Van der Weyden, Piero della Francesca, Leonardo, and Bronzino. What were the economic and philosophical conditions that made portraiture popular? What does each of your examples tell the viewer about the individual(s) represented?
2. Describe and define Mannerism as a style, using two examples of paintings, sculpture, and/or architecture. Identify the shift in political, social, and/or economic conditions to which Mannerism responded.
3. Compare and contrast the Ghent Altarpiece (1432) by Jan van Eyck and Hubert van Eyck and The Holy Trinity (c. 1428) by Masaccio. How are they typical of Flemish and Florentine painting of the time, respectively? How are the donors represented, and how did they expect to benefit from having their portraits included? What means do the artists employ in order to engage the viewer’s attention?
