Art History

An Introduction to Renaissance Art

“The Renaissance was a time when people began to think for themselves and to question the world around them.” — Francis Fukuyama

The history of artistic achievements of humanity bears the marks of the ever-changing inner landscape of the human being, starting in the caves, leading through the various early civilisations artistic manifestations to the triumphal individual accomplishments of the late medieval times in Europe to finally elevate individualism as the pivotal philosophical premise of the contemporary scene of art-making.

The Renaissance in Europe has a notable place in this changing scene of expression of the human condition as it brought the ideas of Antiquity back into play in the development of consciousness and reiterated the Western cultural ideal of the importance of the personal, the unique and therefore transient, and elevating it to permanence by giving it such value as attributed to the apparent Leonardo da Vinci work Salvator Mundi selling for a little over $450 million.

By Csaba

ONLINE LECTURES—These talks are also available online! Feel free to send an enquiry for flexible scheduling and additional details.

“And with regard to the good manner of painting, we are indebted above all to Masaccio, seeing that he, as one desirous of acquiring fame, perceived that painting is nothing but the counterfeiting of all the things of nature, vividly and simply, with drawing and with colours, even as she produced them for us, is that he who attains to this most perfectly can be called excellent.” — Giorgio Vasari

About The Workshop Leader

Csaba studied painting and art history in Budapest and trained as a Waldorf teacher in London. With over ten years of experience at Ringwood Waldorf School, he teaches art, art history, and history. In addition to his teaching role, Csaba leads art workshops, offers adult educational courses, and organises the Class 12 cultural trip to Italy, which focuses on the Italian Renaissance.

Approach

I'm excited to welcome you to this exploration of Renaissance art. Whether you're encountering these ideas for the first time or revisiting familiar ground, I hope this course will be an enriching experience.

We'll delve into the Renaissance as a transitional period between the European Middle Ages and Modernity, examining its impact on European thought and individualism. My approach, informed by my practice as a Waldorf teacher, will emphasise fresh perspectives and open discussions. Together, we'll explore how this era's art shaped the West and left a lasting mark on the visual arts.

Weekly Lectures

Join our workshop to explore the development of art in eight sessions on the Renaissance. You'll study works by famous painters like Michelangelo and Raphael and learn about other influential artists such as Giotto, Piero della Francesca, Fra Angelico, and Masaccio.

When: Tuesdays, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Where: The Art Room, Ringwood Waldorf School
Duration: 8 weeks
Dates: September 2025
Course Fee: £30 per session or £200 for the entire course (materials included)
Concessions: Available
How to Register: Register your interest in the school office or online.
Location: The Art Room, Ringwood Waldorf School, Folly Farm Lane, Ringwood, BH24 2NN

Online Lectures

These lectures are also available online! Feel free to send an enquiry for flexible scheduling and additional details.

Outline of the Course

Session 1 - “That clumsy Greek style” and Giotto. The "quella greca goffa maniera" and meet Giotto and let's guess together his genius.

Session 2 - A Human Viewpoint - Brunelleschi, Masaccio and Alberti. This time, it is about linear perspective and how the artists of the first generation of the Renaissance in Italy invented a geometrical method to include/invite the viewer into the process of creation - never again in the story of picture-making will the spectator be so prominently indicated as it was in this early Renaissance period. It was short-lived but exciting - one can feel the joy of design and mastery of craftmanship in the paintings. Our artists and architects will be Fillipo Brunelleschi, Masaccio and Alberti. European consciousness is undergoing a thrilling transformation, and the pictures speak to it.

Session 3 - The Innovators 1. Here are the first generation of painters of the Renaissance who, alongside Masaccio, expressed the values of the Renaissance individual. Our journey will take us to Northern Europe and Italy to observe the contrast between the two regions and meet painters like Jan van Eyck, Fra Angelico, Rogier van der Weyden and Piero della Francesca. Next to the Christian ones, new stories will appear worthy of depiction, and a new medium will aid painters in bridging reality and imagination.

Session 4 - The Innovators 2. We’ll expand our horizon further with artists from Venice and Florence, Mantegna, Botticelli and Bellini. They were the first flowering of what we know as the Renaissance, an exciting period as they chart new means of expression and look back to the past for inspiration to revive Ancient ideas. They were inventors and teachers of later generations of painters.

Session 5 - The High Renaissance 1. Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. The artists generally representing this period are Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian in Italy and Dürer and Grünewald in Germany. Each one is a departure from the youthfulness of Early Renaissance art. The mature Renaissance coincides with the Protestant Reformation. The crown jewel of the Catholic Church, St Peter's in Rome, was rebuilt with the money the Church collected by selling promises of salvation, a practice criticised by Martin Luther. The art arising of this time is some of the most revered of all times; the most expensive painting ever sold is a work by Leonardo da Vinci - or because it is believed to be by him.

Session 6 - The High Renaissance 2. Raphael and Titian. Two contrasting painters, both having long-lasting effects on the generations of artists following them. One will be the prime example of the academic tradition, and the other will influence, probably more than any other artist, the next wave of innovative painters.

Session 7 - The High Renaissance 3. We shall explore artistic responses from the German-speaking lands (Holy Roman Empire) during the Renaissance. Steeped in medieval traditions and on the eve of the Reformation, the artists were more interested in realism and expression than their Italian counterparts; Grünewald and Dürer will be our artists.

Session 8 - Reformation and Counter-Reformation. A turmoil in Europe related to religious conflicts and how that affected artists; we’ll focus on Tintoretto, Holbein, Bruegel and El Greco, and, if we have time, we’ll pay tribute to Veronese, who stood in front of a tribunal defending the rights of painters and individualism.