Key Learning Items

Learning Objectives

After successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

  • Understand and apply the concepts and terminology of the earliest Renaissance art
  • Investigate and apply the fundamental questions we ask when looking at art objects from the Proto-Renaissance
  • Discuss, collaborate, and generate understanding as to the meaning of Proto-Renaissance art
  • Assess and evaluate the beginnings of Renaissance art

Key Questions to Ask

While you are reviewing the content of this module, consider the following questions:

  • What is the Proto-Renaissance?
  • How does the Proto-Renaissance differ from the Renaissance?
  • Why is Giotto considered the father of Western painting?
  • What changes begin to occur in art during the Proto-Renaissance?

Key Vocabulary Terms

  • narrative cycle
  • fresco
  • buon (true) fresco
  • secco fresco
  • trompe l’oeil
  • register
  • chiaroscuro
  • lapis lazuli
  • monumental
  • naturalism
  • iconography
  • symbolism

Here are links to art history glossaries that will help you better understand the above key vocabulary terms.