Early Renaissance (1400 AD)

Click here for a sample collection to use with instructor's lecture


The student collections of Early Renaissance Art must include Arts Connect Ed works as well as works from other web sites. A list of possible web sites is available in Appendix B. Instructions for adding images and links from other web sites is available in Appendices C-F.

Student collection of art. Evaluation:

Uses a minimum of two works (Students should not use works seen in teacher collection) to illustrate each of the major themes talked about in the lecture. (religious iconography, symbolism, details of architecture, sculpture,painting...)

Brief paragraph (in the student’s own words) about each work including artist, date, culture/geographic location, the work’s purpose, interesting fact(s), attribution information (where the work was found, MIA, WAC, Tweed museum of art, etc.). The student’s opinion of the work. What the student likes, what the student dislikes and why.

Correctly created an art collection, placed images in chronological order, published and turned in the URL to teacher.

Critique Skills:

Critique skills are essential to making informed decisions when producing, as well as viewing art. The Early Renaissance unit includes an introduction to critique skills. Students have been writing brief critiques of artwork as a part of their collections, but this exercise is meant to teach a more thorough critique process.

Start by showing a work of art and asking the students to name sensory or descriptive properties of that work. (what kinds of lines are used, what shapes are used, size relationships, texture, color, depth, form, etc.) Have someone write each item down on a list. This should be an extensive list of items. Every detail should be described.

Next ask students to discuss formal (analytical) properties of the same work. Students should list ways in which the artist uses the principals of art in this work. (Balance, contrast, dominance, repetition, rhythm, variety, etc.) Again produce a written list. The teacher should lead the students into discussing why the artist may have made his decisions.

At this point expressive (interpretation) properties should be listed. What was the artist's intent? Ask students to comment on the emotional aspects of the work such as mood or feeling. Emphasize that all answers are valid. One student may feel a sense of calm relaxation when looking at the work while another might feel a sense of impending dread. A teacher may ask, “What story does this artwork tell?” Ask students to explain why they are responding to the work in that way. What properties of the work cause the student to interpret it in this way? What does this work tell the viewer about the time in which it was created? If this is done orally a discussion could be made by contrasting one person’s view with another.

And finally discuss technical (judgment) properties of the work. Students should voice ideas about how the work was created: The material(s) and tools used as well as the processes used to make the work. An artist’s style may be discussed if more than one work by the artist was viewed. Questions can be asked: Was this an appropriate way to use the tools? What societal or environmental influences could have contributed to the artist’s style? Should things be changed/what would you change if it were your work? Why or why not?


Written critique of an Early Renaissance artwork:

Students are now given time to choose an early Renaissance work and write a critique of it based on what was covered in the classroom critique exercise above.

Evaluation of Written Critique may include the following:

Correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Correct format including: Date of the work, title, artist’s name, geographic location.
Description of the work (sensory and formal properties).
Description of materials used and processes used in the creation of the work (technical properties).
Description of the artist’s intent (What do you think the artist intended the viewer to see/feel/experience?).
Student’s personal reaction (Was the artist successful? Why? What, if anything, would you change in or about this work? Why? Do you think the artist might consider your ideas convincing enough to change his work? Do you like the work?)