"A Pearl of Irregular Shape"

                I think society today can be compared to Baroque rather than renaissance time period. Baroque was a time of excess which can be seen in the architecture of this time period. Today many choose to adorn themselves with bright colors and costly apparel. A major style today is matching patterns with other patterns that to some may believe is too much. Yet, it is a trend in this society at this time.

                The meaning of Baroque is “a pearl of irregular shape” which was given to describe the abnormal and strangeness of the time period. In this society people are amazed by strange things and can even search out these things to observe them.

                Another characteristic that is apparent in both societies is the emphasis on emotion and drama. Today many people make decisions more based on emotion, or what they want, instead of using logic. Many also pay money to see movies and entertainment that plays on our emotions, because they are more enjoyable to us than documentaries and logical movies. Also in today’s society people create drama in their everyday life. They make drama for different reasons. Some make it to entertain them and other times it is thrown into our lives without a choice from us.

These things in our society compare closely to the Baroque period. They resemble our strange cultures and habits that during the Baroque time period were present.

Renaissance Illustrated

              The School of Athens, painted by Raphael, is a perfect representation of the Renaissance time period. Linear is an example of the lines that are used in the painting. The vanishing point is placed behind the two central people, Plato and Aristotle. It brings our eyes to these essential characters that shaped the common philosophies of the Renaissance time showing they are important and the subject. There is also a use of foreshortening a renaissance technique. The ceiling near the front of the painting is used to create the sense of a vaulted ceiling and there is more depth as we move back into the painting. This was done to show us the size of the space that was painted. The colors of the painting use blues, purples, reds, oranges, and greens. What is interesting is the colors that are being worn by the people are reflected into the ceiling’s paintings which is creating harmony within the piece. There is also a use of chiaroscuro which is the contrast of light and dark. We can see this from the front corners of the piece. The front characters on the lower level are not as bright as the characters on the upper level which includes Plato and Aristotle. The shadowing seems at its brightest when at Plato and Aristotle again referring to the idea that they are the essential characters of the piece.  This piece reflects the renaissance well because it blends art and science using the techniques that were popular during this time. The techniques insure that the painting is balanced and illustrates the art to the best of its ability.