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3.2 The Arts

3 min readjanuary 21, 2023

K

Kallie Hoffman

K

Kallie Hoffman

Italy was at the forefront of creative and intellectual development during the Renaissance, which drew from the brilliant minds of the Greeks and the Romans. Art became a representation of the Italian culture, and it often reflects an important theme or message. All artists, both modern and in the past, have incredible patience and determination, and the beauty they have created has allowed art to become an important industry in Italy.

Visual Arts

Characterised by light and color with intricate attention to detail and specific features, the great names of visual artists include Michelangelo (sculptor), da Vinci (Renaissance painter), (Gothic), (sculptor), and (Renaissance architect). Then came futurism art, emphasising the speed and energy of machines and contemporary life. This movement was led by Filippo Marinetti, Umberto Boccioni, and . Finally, there was a modern twist on art, with a rejection of conservative values and the embrace of different shapes and colors.

Renaissance

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-B7onIGerd9TE.jpeg?alt=media&token=cb32f45b-b706-4506-815b-20c3da8ef4cb

Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, image courtesy of Unsplash

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-sxH1p7HxbpE9.jpeg?alt=media&token=96a1d391-415a-44b1-bff2-bb9aada7bfc3

Michelangelo's David, image courtesy of Unsplash

Futurism

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-2VbxuxYUW8Fd.jpg?alt=media&token=25241790-545a-4210-bd5d-05abd99503f5

Italian Futurism, Image Courtesy of Guggenheim

Modern

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-R1QLWuhA5DF2.jpeg?alt=media&token=3f48a42c-0bde-4e22-8306-8c4395ab2c0c

Image Courtesy of Steve Johnson, from Unsplash

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-95JIpCLBVwFz.jpeg?alt=media&token=5c134e70-33f6-4e95-b3ca-9901f4f0e67b

Image Courtesy of Wilhelm Gunkel, from Unsplash

Theater

There are a large number of theaters in Italy, and most are privately owned. But, the three main public theaters, funded by the state, include the Italian Theater Board (Milan), the Institute for Italian Drama, and the National Institute for Ancient Drama (Sicily). Today, the primary productions are contemporary, but there are still many revivals staged.

Film

Italy's prominent film industry did not start to take off until the 1950s...

Film Timeline

  • The 1950s—Neorealism: a shift away from the escapism genre that took place during WWII toward a genre that revealed the gruesome truth of post-war Italy

    • Ex. Works of (Germany, Year Zero; Open City; Voyage to Italy) + (The Children are Watching Us; Bicycle Thieves)

  • The 1960s—Rome became a center for film and attracted celebrities and paparazzi

    • Ex. L'avventura, Before the Revolution

  • The late 1900s—Italian film fell into a recession ☹️

    • Ex. L'avaro, Demonia

  • The early 2000s—Cinema and television companies such as RadioTelevisione Italiana (RAI) and revamped the film industry and now produce both Italian and non-Italian films every year

    • Ex. Bread and Tulips, The Consequences of Love

Popular Films:

  • La Dolce Vita (1960)—Il personaggio principale Marcello Rubini ha un approccio spensierato alla vita mentre vive a Roma. Il film inizia dopo la morte della sua ragazza e lo segue mentre insegue due nuove donne

  • Morte a Venezia (1971)—Gustav von Aschenbach, compositore, va a Venezia per motivi di salute. Trova la bellezza in città e diventa ossessionato da un giovane ragazzo polacco che gli permette di trovare la bellezza della vita e l'importanza della sua vita

  • Cinema Paradiso (1990)—Il giovane Salvatore Di Vita scopre di poter sfuggire alla sua vita colpita dalla guerra attraverso l'amore per il cinema. Poi, quando si innamora di una ragazza, deve decidere se perseguire il suo cuore o l'opportunità di una vita più grande

  • —Guido e suo figlio sono separati dalla loro famiglia e costretti a un campo di concentramento. Guido è determinato a proteggere suo figlio dagli orrori del campo, quindi convince il ragazzo che tutto è solo un gioco

Strive for Five Vocab: Adjectives Edition

  • Bellissimo/a - beautiful

  • Grandioso/a - great

  • Eccezionale - excellent

  • Stomachevole - revolting

  • Piacevole/spiacevole - pleasant/unpleasant

  • Enorme - enormous

  • Stretto/a - narrow

  • Meraviglioso/a - wonderful

  • Straordinario/a - extraordinary

  • Immenso/a - huge

  • Orribile - horrible

Key Terms to Review (11)

Bernini

: Bernini was an Italian artist and architect during the Baroque period known for his dynamic and dramatic sculptures, fountains, and architectural designs. His works often conveyed intense emotions and movement.

Brunelleschi

: Brunelleschi was an Italian architect during the Renaissance period credited with pioneering linear perspective in art and architecture. He is best known for designing the dome of Florence Cathedral (Duomo).

Donatello

: Donatello was an Italian sculptor from the Renaissance period known for his lifelike and expressive sculptures. He was one of the pioneers of the early Renaissance style.

Fininvest

: Fininvest is an Italian media conglomerate founded by Silvio Berlusconi, which includes television networks, publishing companies, and football clubs.

Futurismo

: Futurismo was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century. It celebrated modernity, speed, technology, and the dynamism of urban life.

Giacomo Balla

: Giacomo Balla was an Italian painter and key figure in the Futurist movement. He is known for his dynamic and colorful paintings that depict motion and speed.

Neorealismo

: Neorealismo refers to a film movement that emerged in Italy after World War II. It aimed to depict realistic stories about everyday life using non-professional actors, on-location shooting, and natural lighting. Neorealism focused on social issues and portrayed ordinary people facing hardships.

RadioTelevisione Italiana (RAI)

: RAI is Italy's national public broadcasting company, responsible for radio and television broadcasting throughout the country.

Rinascimento

: The Rinascimento, also known as the Renaissance, was a period of cultural and artistic rebirth in Europe during the 14th to 17th centuries. It marked a shift from medieval traditions to humanism, scientific inquiry, and artistic innovation.

Roberto Rossellini

: Roberto Rossellini was an Italian film director and one of the key figures in the neorealismo movement. He is known for his films that explore human emotions, social issues, and the aftermath of World War II.

Vittorio De Sica

: Vittorio De Sica was an influential Italian film director and actor, known for his neorealist films that depicted the struggles of ordinary people in post-war Italy.

3.2 The Arts

3 min readjanuary 21, 2023

K

Kallie Hoffman

K

Kallie Hoffman

Italy was at the forefront of creative and intellectual development during the Renaissance, which drew from the brilliant minds of the Greeks and the Romans. Art became a representation of the Italian culture, and it often reflects an important theme or message. All artists, both modern and in the past, have incredible patience and determination, and the beauty they have created has allowed art to become an important industry in Italy.

Visual Arts

Characterised by light and color with intricate attention to detail and specific features, the great names of visual artists include Michelangelo (sculptor), da Vinci (Renaissance painter), (Gothic), (sculptor), and (Renaissance architect). Then came futurism art, emphasising the speed and energy of machines and contemporary life. This movement was led by Filippo Marinetti, Umberto Boccioni, and . Finally, there was a modern twist on art, with a rejection of conservative values and the embrace of different shapes and colors.

Renaissance

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-B7onIGerd9TE.jpeg?alt=media&token=cb32f45b-b706-4506-815b-20c3da8ef4cb

Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, image courtesy of Unsplash

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-sxH1p7HxbpE9.jpeg?alt=media&token=96a1d391-415a-44b1-bff2-bb9aada7bfc3

Michelangelo's David, image courtesy of Unsplash

Futurism

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-2VbxuxYUW8Fd.jpg?alt=media&token=25241790-545a-4210-bd5d-05abd99503f5

Italian Futurism, Image Courtesy of Guggenheim

Modern

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-R1QLWuhA5DF2.jpeg?alt=media&token=3f48a42c-0bde-4e22-8306-8c4395ab2c0c

Image Courtesy of Steve Johnson, from Unsplash

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-95JIpCLBVwFz.jpeg?alt=media&token=5c134e70-33f6-4e95-b3ca-9901f4f0e67b

Image Courtesy of Wilhelm Gunkel, from Unsplash

Theater

There are a large number of theaters in Italy, and most are privately owned. But, the three main public theaters, funded by the state, include the Italian Theater Board (Milan), the Institute for Italian Drama, and the National Institute for Ancient Drama (Sicily). Today, the primary productions are contemporary, but there are still many revivals staged.

Film

Italy's prominent film industry did not start to take off until the 1950s...

Film Timeline

  • The 1950s—Neorealism: a shift away from the escapism genre that took place during WWII toward a genre that revealed the gruesome truth of post-war Italy

    • Ex. Works of (Germany, Year Zero; Open City; Voyage to Italy) + (The Children are Watching Us; Bicycle Thieves)

  • The 1960s—Rome became a center for film and attracted celebrities and paparazzi

    • Ex. L'avventura, Before the Revolution

  • The late 1900s—Italian film fell into a recession ☹️

    • Ex. L'avaro, Demonia

  • The early 2000s—Cinema and television companies such as RadioTelevisione Italiana (RAI) and revamped the film industry and now produce both Italian and non-Italian films every year

    • Ex. Bread and Tulips, The Consequences of Love

Popular Films:

  • La Dolce Vita (1960)—Il personaggio principale Marcello Rubini ha un approccio spensierato alla vita mentre vive a Roma. Il film inizia dopo la morte della sua ragazza e lo segue mentre insegue due nuove donne

  • Morte a Venezia (1971)—Gustav von Aschenbach, compositore, va a Venezia per motivi di salute. Trova la bellezza in città e diventa ossessionato da un giovane ragazzo polacco che gli permette di trovare la bellezza della vita e l'importanza della sua vita

  • Cinema Paradiso (1990)—Il giovane Salvatore Di Vita scopre di poter sfuggire alla sua vita colpita dalla guerra attraverso l'amore per il cinema. Poi, quando si innamora di una ragazza, deve decidere se perseguire il suo cuore o l'opportunità di una vita più grande

  • —Guido e suo figlio sono separati dalla loro famiglia e costretti a un campo di concentramento. Guido è determinato a proteggere suo figlio dagli orrori del campo, quindi convince il ragazzo che tutto è solo un gioco

Strive for Five Vocab: Adjectives Edition

  • Bellissimo/a - beautiful

  • Grandioso/a - great

  • Eccezionale - excellent

  • Stomachevole - revolting

  • Piacevole/spiacevole - pleasant/unpleasant

  • Enorme - enormous

  • Stretto/a - narrow

  • Meraviglioso/a - wonderful

  • Straordinario/a - extraordinary

  • Immenso/a - huge

  • Orribile - horrible

Key Terms to Review (11)

Bernini

: Bernini was an Italian artist and architect during the Baroque period known for his dynamic and dramatic sculptures, fountains, and architectural designs. His works often conveyed intense emotions and movement.

Brunelleschi

: Brunelleschi was an Italian architect during the Renaissance period credited with pioneering linear perspective in art and architecture. He is best known for designing the dome of Florence Cathedral (Duomo).

Donatello

: Donatello was an Italian sculptor from the Renaissance period known for his lifelike and expressive sculptures. He was one of the pioneers of the early Renaissance style.

Fininvest

: Fininvest is an Italian media conglomerate founded by Silvio Berlusconi, which includes television networks, publishing companies, and football clubs.

Futurismo

: Futurismo was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century. It celebrated modernity, speed, technology, and the dynamism of urban life.

Giacomo Balla

: Giacomo Balla was an Italian painter and key figure in the Futurist movement. He is known for his dynamic and colorful paintings that depict motion and speed.

Neorealismo

: Neorealismo refers to a film movement that emerged in Italy after World War II. It aimed to depict realistic stories about everyday life using non-professional actors, on-location shooting, and natural lighting. Neorealism focused on social issues and portrayed ordinary people facing hardships.

RadioTelevisione Italiana (RAI)

: RAI is Italy's national public broadcasting company, responsible for radio and television broadcasting throughout the country.

Rinascimento

: The Rinascimento, also known as the Renaissance, was a period of cultural and artistic rebirth in Europe during the 14th to 17th centuries. It marked a shift from medieval traditions to humanism, scientific inquiry, and artistic innovation.

Roberto Rossellini

: Roberto Rossellini was an Italian film director and one of the key figures in the neorealismo movement. He is known for his films that explore human emotions, social issues, and the aftermath of World War II.

Vittorio De Sica

: Vittorio De Sica was an influential Italian film director and actor, known for his neorealist films that depicted the struggles of ordinary people in post-war Italy.


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© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.