Landscape


In the 15th century, there was an increase of curiosity about the natural world. People started to place more emphasis on the naturalistic surroundings in painting, such approach is different from the fantastical settings in the Gothic/Medieval paintings. Artists used realistic colours, light and naturalistic scenes, and the local landscapes and plants, to help the viewer to identify with the story of the painting.

The precursor of Renaissance landscape paintings was Giotto. But it was the new generation of artists in the 15th century, such as Masaccio, Piero and Leonardo, that carried the developments to new heights. By contrast, Uccello's landscape is purely a backdrop for the figural composition. For example, "The Battle of San Romano" had an international Gothic quality.

Masaccio's "Tribute Money" (1425) portrayed the first painting with continuous space and consistent lighting. The landscape qualities were influenced by Donatallo's "St. George and the Dragon relief", where he translated the elements, such as the wind blown trees effect, into his 2 dimensional work. In "Tribute Money", the diminution of trees, in conjunction with the lightening of colours, blurring of forms and loss of details showed the use of aerial perspective. This is the first representational landscape painting, based on Pisa.

Piero uses landscape backgrounds behind Montefeltro and Sforza for the first time in Italian portraiture. These paintings present a curved horizon reflects the new theory of Piero's friend, Toscanelli, that the world was round. This fact is emphasized by the mountains, dropping beyond the horizon line. Atmospheric perspective s fully developed, there are clear evidence of different depths in the painting, suggested by the degree of fadeness, saturation and clarity of colours. The landscape are a local view of the whole Urbino area. Piero's "Baptism of Christ" portrayed the local area around San Sepolcro. Depth and space are suggested by the river winding back in distance. The view characterize the particular location, but they are also symbols suggesting the premonition of healing in the baptism. This use of disguised symbolism naturalizes the traditional iconography.

Leonardo's scientific curiosity on nature reflected in his treatment in planted in "The Annunciation" . The plants are referenced to his notebooks on scientific observations, these are also evident in "Madonna of the Rocks" (begun 1483) where he started to idealize landscapes, based on his intense knowledge of flora, rocks and water. He creates rocky landscape backgrounds with misty atmospheric perspective, using sfumato and chiaroscuro to describe colour transitions. Leonardo reshaped nature to suit his own vision. Later works, such as "Madonna and St. Anne" (1508-13), employ dark and gloomy backgrounds as romanticized landscape of mood which has resonance for his figural subjects.




above: Leonardo da Vinci, Madonna and Child with St Anne, c. 1508--1513(?)








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