Abstract
Before asking what qualified as 'medieval' for Italian Renaissance writers and artists, this chapter first investigates what defined 'modern' painting for them. It shows that the Renaissance discovered its own origins-its modernity not so much in the Greco-Roman past but in the presence of life in the work of art. At least within the realm of painting, this model defines the renaissance as a birth of life rather than a re-birth of culture. The chapter focuses on Michelangelo, whose art came under attack in the years after 1500 because it purportedly foregrounded life and biography at the cost of religious subject-matter. Michelangelo countered those arguments in paintings and drawings that cancel biography through an erasure of the traces of life, an erasure that defines 'medievalism' as the figuration of death-both of the author and lifelike art. Keywords: Italian renaissance art; medievalism; Michelangelo; modern painting
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
