The fifteenth century outside of Florence
The 15th century is known as the early or classical Renaissance. At the opening of the century the International Gothic style still characterised the work of many Italian painters. In Florence, however, there was a reaction against the decorative Gothic styles in the 1420s in the paintings of Masaccio, the sculptures of Donatello, and the architecture of Brunelleschi, who had formulated the mathematical principles of perspective. The foundations of the Renaissance are to be traced to the works of these three men. Its rapid growth was encouraged by the development of humanism and scientific enquiry, and by the lavish patronage of increasingly wealthy and powerful families such as the Medici in Florence and the Visconti and Sforzas in Milan.
However, although the technical innovations pioneered in Florence were to enjoy an enormous influence, they were by no means slavishly followed. Sienese painters proved the continuing vitality of the colourful narrative approach of the previous century, modified by the impact of International Gothic.
The works of Sassetta (c1392-1450), which are often impregnated by a sense of mysticism, do make some concessions to the new theories of spatial composition, but this is an essentially subordinate feature. Sienese painters proved the continuing vitality of the colourful narrative approach of the previous century, modified by the impact of International Gothic. The finest Sienese artist of the century was the sculptor Jacopo della Quercia (1374-1438), whose style is essentially linear, though with classical tendencies modified by knowledge of the most advanced northern European art of the day. He was given important public commissions in his native city, such as the overall supervision of the baptistry font and the Fonte Gaia. However, his masterpiece is his last work, the reliefs on the facade of San Petronio in Bologna, which show a vigorous approach fully comparable with those of the great Florentines. His main follower was the Florentine-born Agostino di Duccio (1418-81), another sculptor heavily dependent on line, whose work abounds with nervous energy. His masterpiece, executed in collaboration with Matteo de' Pasti (c1420-67), is the joyous series of low reliefs in the Tempio Malatestiano in Rimini.
Another artist associated with the Rimini project was the Tuscan Piero della Francesca (1410/20-92). One of the great artists of the early Italian Renaissance, Piero della Francesca painted religious works that are marked by their simple serenity and clarity. He was also interested in geometry and mathematics and was known for his contributions in these fields. Piero was skilled in perspective, and his paintings are also known for the care with which he rendered the landscapes that provide the backgrounds for his figures. In addition to Florence, he also worked in Rimini, Arezzo, Ferrara, and Rome. The notable accomplishment of Piero's was a series of frescoes entitled The Legend of the True Cross. In the last years of his life Piero apparently ceased painting to pursue other interests, including writing. He wrote a treatise on painting and others on geometry and applied mathematics.
The closest follower of Piero della Francesca was Melozzo da Forlí (1438-94), he showed a similar interest in perspective, and apparently inventing a favourite Renaissance trick device called sotto in su , an extreme form of illusion in which figures painted on a ceiling appear to float in space.
Another creative pupil of the same instructor was Luca Signorelli (1450-1523), who developed the ideas of dramatic movement pioneered by Pollaiuolo. In spite of obvious defects, such as harsh colours, stiff drawing and a tendency to overcrowd his compositions, Signorelli was responsible for some of the most heroic paintings of the day. His profound knowledge of anatomy was to be an enormous influence on the succeeding generation, and he used the nude to achieve the most spectacular effects, notably in the frescoes in Orvieto's duomo.
In Venice the classical Renaissance is seen in the works of the Bellini family. In the middle of 15th century and late 15th century, the northern European artists such as Hugo van der Goes, Rogier van der Weyden, and Memling had an important influence on Italian artists through their visits to Italy or sale of works to patrons there, for example Hugo van der Goes's Portinari Altarpiece 1475. Humanist culture grew with the writings of treatises on art theory and technique, and mathematics, often derived from antique sources, such as Alberti's On Architecture 1485, based on the Roman writer Vitruvius. Theoretical writings by such artists as Ghiberti, Filarete, and Piero della Francesca were concerned with speculations on aesthetic theory and morals intended to produce a basis of discipline similar to that of the writings of antiquity.