SECTION I: IMAGE CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Giotto’s Ascension of Christ was created around 1305. The fresco is with others in the
Arena Chapel, also known as the Scrovegni Chapel, in Padua. It is from the Early Italian
Renaissance period. The fresco is a religious painting portraying Jesus’s ascension to
the heavens after his resurrection. In religious art of this time, Realism began to replace
the graceful lines and flat styles of the Byzantine era. The traditional ascension scene is
depicted as more human like and three dimensional than other previous styles. This is
evidenced in the placement of arms and knees and the folds of the garments. The
fresco is detailed with its staging and the rich colors used. This style of painting was
evolving at the time as the era was transitioning from medieval to modern.

Chapter Website Reviews:

Chapter 15.
Giovanni Boccaccio was an Italian writer and poet and a renowned Early Italian
Renaissance humanist. He was one of the most important and versatile literary writers
of his time. The Wikipedia page for Boccaccio is set up as a biography with sections on
his early years and his adult years.
One of his most noteworthy works is The Decameron, a collection of short stories,
which is considered a masterpiece of early Italian prose. A new faithfulness to personal
experiences was emerging in the arts in this era. This attention to humanity and social
interaction was called “Social Realism”. This Realism is evident in the short stories of
The Decameron. His stories are noted for their realistic dialogue, which was different
from his peer medieval writers that were more formulaic. He wrote about everyday life
that could be both tragic and comical, referencing the Introduction to the Decameron
and “The Tale of Filippa”.
Boccaccio grew up in Florence and first apprenticed at a bank and later studied law.
Later, Boccaccio began his true calling as a poet, and he produced many notable
works. Boccaccio wrote The Decameron in Florence where the plague had killed a great
deal of the population.
Boccaccio became integrally involved with Italian humanism and with the Florentine
government. Civic humanism was on the rise, and it was thought that participating in
civic duty was a trait of the refined individual. He advocated for the study of Greek and
encouraged the translations of Homer, Euripides, and Aristotle. Boccaccio met
Francesco Petrarch in 1350, they became close friends and together they laid the
foundations for humanism in Florence. He later wrote the Genealogia deorum gentilium,
a reference work on classical mythology. Even with the Pagan beliefs at its foundation,
which Humanism rejects, Boccaccio believed much could be learned from this time
period. His defense of ancient literature became a foundation for the development of the
Renaissance.
Later in life, Boccaccio’s changed his writing style, this was partly due to Petrarch’s
influence but also due to poor health and disillusionments in love. He transitions from
fictional narratives to Humanist scholarly work. His earlier works were often in praise of
women but later, he would write with bitterness in Corbaccio. There is some evidence
that Boccaccio began to have religious misgivings related to his literary work. Petrarch
had to convince him not to burn or sell off his personal works. In poor health, he retired
to Certaldo, and died there in poverty.
I prefer our section in the textbook on Boccaccio to this website. I love that the textbook
includes writings from The Decameron. It is easier to appreciate his work when it’s right
in front of you to read rather than just references from the website.
Chapter 16
Petrarch was thought of as the “father of humanism.” Petrarch’s life passion was to
recover, copy, and edit Latin manuscripts. Studying classical antiquity was a
fundamental belief of Humanism and this motivated Petrarch’s ambition to preserve
these writings.
The purpose of the website on Petrarch was to present a collection of Petrarch’s work
and papers about him on one site. The author started the website while he was in
college so that the research he collected could be easy to access. The website is used
by others for study and research and is accessed around 400-500 a day by unique
visitors. Per the author, it is now one of the largest English-speaking websites for
Petrarch information.
The website has a section for a timeline of Petrarch’s life as well as a biography of him.
There is a section for Laura and others that are influential in his life. Laura de Noves
was the love of Petrarch’s life, though it was unrequited love. Per this website, there is
not only doubt that they met but also if she even existed. Even though Petrarch wrote
the Canzoniere, a series of 366 poems mostly about her and his love for her, he rarely
wrote about her in his letters. Also included in this section is a link to Giovanni
Boccaccio and Petrarch’s family tree.
A highlight of the website is the Writing section that includes the English translation of
books, letters, and poems written by Petrarch. There is also a section on papers and
essay written about Petrarch.
There is a link on the website to Collections. It reflects an impressive list of items
including thirty books and unique prints and portraits owned by the author.
Unfortunately, I was unable to access the link.
I really enjoyed this website. It is easy to navigate and has an abundance of information.
The author is passionate about Petrarch, his work and his influence, which is shown when
reading the sections of the site.
Chapter 17

This biography of Leonardo da Vinci is detailed and informative. It includes details from
his early life, education, his artistic works, inventions, and personal life.
Da Vinci had little formal education, but he exhibited artistic talent from a young age. He
began a long internship in his teen years with a well-known artist. He acquired many
skills in this time including metalworking, carpentry, painting, and sculpting.
Though da Vinci is famous for his artistic abilities, there is not many paintings credited
to him. Of course, the most famous two are “The Last Supper” and the “Mona Lisa.”
During the High Renaissance period, artists combined the techniques of natural
depiction to Classical ideals of proportion and order. Da Vinci achieved this in both “The
Last Supper” and the “Mona Lisa.”
Da Vinci is described as an artist-scientist of the Renaissance period. He believed art
and science are tied together.
Da Vinci worked as an architecture and military engineer for the Duke of Milan,
Ludovico Sforza for 17 years. He drew war machines including a chariot, an armored
tank, and a massive crossbow. One of his most famous creations is a flying machine
based on the structure of a bat. Others are drawings of devices that resemble a
modern-day bicycle and helicopter.
Da Vinci also studied anatomy and science. He believed in obtaining direct knowledge
and facts through examination. He studied anatomy and dissected both human and
animal bodies. His observations of anatomy are some of the first on human record.
Leonardo da Vinci is truly the personification of a Renaissance man. He was a painter
sculptor, architect, inventor, and more. The website stated this at the beginning and
then proceeded to prove it by documenting his life.
I really enjoyed this biography. It was interesting to read about other less well-known
aspects of da Vinci’s life.