by Jurate Macnoriute
Continuing from the 14th through the middle of the 17th centuries the revival period brought a lot of new ideas and fast development of European sciences and arts. Self-reliance and human intellect gained an advantage over submissive behavior with respect to God. Cultural treasures of ancient Greece and Rome were remembered and adopted together with new values of soaked up depiction of reality. Looking at The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci we get to know Renaissance artists' interests. Besides anatomy, proportions, perspective, light and shade, they showed interest in such questions: how to pose figures, of appropriate gestures, of representing the emotions, of human body in action, etc. Therefore we may think that Renaissance artists consciously applied some approaches of nonverbal expression.
Perfect knowing of anatomy let Italian artists to achieve wonderful results. In comparison with earlier epochs Renaissance artists' personages are represented in more various conditions, from more various points of view, with more various face expression. Large eyes, gaze on spectator, gaze down, sensitive lips, soft play of chiaroscuro on face and hair, etc. (Fig.123). Besides showing individual appearance of portrayed persons Renaissance artists made an effort to plug into their feelings and fragile spirit. Italians believed in wisdom and beauty. Idealization of human body and together face was one of main features of greatest representatives of rebirth epoch like Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Tiziano, and others.
Fig. 123. Rafael. Woman with a Veil (La Donna Velata). 1516. Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence.
Revival personages kept sublime decency going from demure Greeks and Romans, and that let not them laugh, smile, cry, or do some other flighty facial expressions and gestures.
Posture arm cross became popular in revival Christian art. Sooner we can designate it with a term hand cross, because most frequently personages women cross wrists praying in very graceful manner (Fig.124-1). Men cross arms not fully (Fig.124-2).
1
2
Fig. 124. 1. Antonello da Messina. Virgin of the Annunciation. Alte Pinakothek, Munich; 2. Simon Mamion. Virgin and the Man of Sorrow. 1480-90. Groeninge Museum, Bruges.
Usage of gesture hand behind head especially was liked by Michelangelo, with it he expressed hard state of dying man (Fig.125-1) or severe Christ judging sinners (Fig.125-2).. In that same example display arm show noticeable too. Arm show frequent in the Renaissance for the striving to show beautiful human body, but Revival arm show has no sexual function like in contemporary psychology described. Revival arm and nude body show quite decent.
1
2
Fig. 125. 1. Michelangelo. Slave Dying. 1513. Marble. Musée du Louvre, Paris; 2. Last Judgment. 1537-41. Fresco. Cappella Sistina, Vatican.
Verrocchio's The Young David keeps one his hand on hip. This posture's applying corresponds to its contemporary interpretation as aggression.
In the Renaissance gesture steeple became identical to prayer posture holding palms together (Fig.126). We may guess that cause was revival liking of grace.
1
2
Fig. 126. 1. Jan Gossaert (Mabuse). Left wing of diptych of Jean Carondelet. 1517. Musée du Louvre, Paris; 2. Liberale da Verona. Madonna del Cardellino. Museo di Castelvecchio, Verona.
Swagger walk related with power grip, hand on hip, holding long stick, wear with widen shoulders, high head wear (Fig.127).
Fig. 127. Tiziano. Portrait of a Military Commander. 1550-55. Staatliche Museen, Kassel.
In Fig.128 head tilt back sooner signifies posture bow. Christ does not show any superiority, arrogance, and disdain what is characteristic for head tilt back gesture..
Fig. 128. Antonello da Messina. Detail of Christ at the Column. 1475-1479. Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Revival variant of head tilt side (Fig.129).
Fig. 129. Rafael. Detail of the Baronci Altarpiece. 1500-01. Musée du Louvre, Paris.
The greatest love shown in the Renaissance was love for kids. We can remember how many images of Madonna were painted. That love is related with pleasure. We can imagine that Virgin kissing her child feels pleasure (Fig.130).
Fig. 130. Jan Massys. Holy Virgin and Child. 1564. Sint-Jacobskerk, Antwerp.
Point was a liked gesture of Leonardo da Vinci (Fig.131). To indicate the presence or location of objects and forces, to direct attention of other personages and spectator to something were functions of this gesture.
Fig. 131. Leonardo da Vinci. Detail of Virgin of the Rocks. 1486. Musée du Louvre, Paris, France
The most characteristic revival self touch -- fingertips gracefully touch breast (Fig.132-1, Fig.132-3) -- the state of being emotionally aroused, inspired. In Fig.132-2 with fingertips Christ touches his wound.
1
2
3
Fig. 132. 1. Rafael. St Catherine of Alexandria. 1508. National Gallery, London; 2.Master Francke. Vir Dolorum (Man of Sorrows). 1430. Kunsthalle, Hamburg; 3. Giorgione. The Impassioned Singer. 1510. Galleria Borghese, Rome.
Submission status is expressed by kneeling (Fig.133), showing hands on breast (Fig.133), gaze up (Fig.133-1) or down (Fig.133-2), arms crossed (Fig.133), touch by one hand gently other hand for prayer , head tilt back (Fig.133-1), head tilt side (Fig.133-2), or down (Fig.133-2).
1
2
Fig. 133. 1. Vittore Carpaccio. The Pilgrims Meet the Pope (detail). 1492. Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice; 2. Francesco Francia. Adoration of the Child. Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna
Revival touch cue related mostly with motherhood (Fig.134). In that same example we can notice balance cue -- child is held up. In that period good drawing was in great respect, that is why mostly only figures of kids are seem unstable. Kids naturally unstable.
1
2
Fig. 134. 1. Rafael. Madonna and Child with the Infant St John. 1508. Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest; 2. Michelangelo. The Holy Family with the infant St. John the Baptist (the Doni tondo). 1506. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.
Revival precision grip expressed in very subtle manner, for example, holding little thing between two fingertips of one hand (Fig.135-1) or gracefully holding larger thing also with fingertips of both hands (Fig.135-2).
1
2
Fig. 135. 1. Jan Provost. Virgin and Child. Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. 2. Ambrosius Benson. Mary Magdalene. Groeninge Museum, Bruges.
Subtlety is felt in revival show of decision grip too. Fingers grip things in highly graceful manner (Fig.136).
1
2
Fig. 136. 1. Dosso Dossi. Sibyl. 1516-20. The Hermitage, St. Petersburg; 2. Sebastiano del Piombo. Christ Carrying the Cross. 1535-40. Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.
Ready response fight and flight similar to medieval. Attacked by tormentors Christ does not fight or flight in replay. Posture body bend used in fight scenes for showing upset (Fig.137-2). In Dürer's woodcut Adam and Eve flight from the paradise (Fig.137-3) -- flexion withdrawal and flight. Another variant of flexion withdrawal Michelangelo's (Fig.137-4).
1
2
3
4
Fig. 137. 1. Tiziano. Christ Crowned with Thorns. 1542. Musée du Louvre. Paris; Marcantonio Raimondi. The Virtue as Domitor Fortunae. 1510. Copper-plate engraving. Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest; 3. Albrecht Dürer. Small Passion: 2. Expulsion from the Paradise. 1510. Woodcut. British Museum. London; 4. Michelangelo. Expulsion from Garden of Eden. 1509-10. Cappella Sistina, Vatican.
Sit posture beautiful, graceful. Emotion love by Tiziano represented using arms show, head tilt side, holding in hand some cruet (Fig.138-1). But always loving personage keeps decency. In concrete case it is achieved by leg cross. Infants' love shown by Joos van Cleve in Fig.138-2 with kiss and embrace. Love scenes contains also afferent signal pleasure.
1
2
Fig. Tiziano. 138. 1. Detail of Sacred and Profane Love. 1514. Galleria Borghese, Rome. 2. Joos van Cleve. The Infants Christ and Saint John the Baptist Embracing. 1525-30. Art Institute, Chicago.
Pain cue met in religious scenes representing saint martyrs like St. Sebastian. Cramp movement, turn from straight body position, open mouth signify pain cue.
Fig. 139. Sodoma, Il. St. Sebastian. 1525. Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence.
For expression of sadness and sorrow Renaissance artists used very rich gesticulation: fall backwards and down, forceful prevention by other figure, kneeling with lifted clasped hands, point to object of sorrow (Fig.140); head tilt side, mouth open in weeping, clasped hands, hands to sides, palms up (Fig.141); body bent to side, suddenly stoppage after fast run, widely opened mouth (Fig.142).
1
2
Fig. 140. 1. Matthias Grünewald. Isenheim Altarpiece (first view). 1515.Musée d'Unterlinden, Colmar; 2. Colijn de Coter. Christ as the Man of Sorrows. 1500.
Fig. 141. Guido Mazzoni. Lamentation over the Dead Christ. 1477-80. Terracotta, partially pigmented, life-size. San Giovanni Battista, Modena.
Fig. 142. Niccolò Dell' Arca. Mourning of the Marias over the Dead Christ. 1462-63. Painted terracotta. Santa Maria della Vita, Bologna.
Uncertainty shown in scene of Adam and Eve by unstable movement of figures, chaotic movements of arms (Fig.143).
Fig.143. Jan Gossaert (Mabuse). Adam and Eve. 1525. Staatliche Museen, Berlin.
Dominance state shown by head tilt back, high stand display, legs widely, hand put onto head of the upset (Fig.144).
Fig.144. Baccio Bandinelli. Hercules and Cacus. 1525-34. Piazza della Signoria, Florence.
Imitation isopraxism had great recognition in the Renaissance. Michelangelo composed his frescos standing figures in this same posture from various points of view like in dances. That approach was adopted by some other revival artists.
