After the Dark Ages, artists were able to bloom and discover new things in technique and science. These changes can be seen in the art of the Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo periods. This paper will focus on one artwork from each art period. During the Northern Renaissance, the Triptych of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist stays close to the recent religious artwork style, but starts to explore perspective and begins to unflatten the human form. During the Baroque period, The Elevation of the Cross is another triptych that sticks close to religion. It also explores perspective and Foreshortening even further. The painting, A Young Girl Reading, created during the Rococo period, while sadly not being a triptych, does conclude the pattern of fully exploring perspective and the fleshing out of a human on canvas in a natural way.
Starting with the Renaissance, an oil on panel painting by Hans Memling called Triptych of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist (c. 1474-1479) is a great example of the first foray into a more nature art style and the beginning of straying away from iconoclasm. (Hodges, 2014) The content features religious figures that are at this point still somewhat flat. There is the beginning of more natural lighting and shading. Some perspective is used in the foreground, but the
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This triptych was painted by Peter Paul Rubens from 1610-11. (“The Elevation”, N.D) It is a beautiful oil on canvas. The perspective in this case is almost perfected and the artist makes great use of foreshortening with the position of Christ compared to the other figures in the painting. The lighting, while darker and starker than the previously mentioned triptych from the Renaissance period, is more natural and helps to amplify the somber atmosphere of the