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   Reason in art can be seen as early as Giotto in his Arena chapel frescos which are seen as a water-shed for artistic development. It was the first example when art attempted to move away from the confines of medieval art, typified in elongated, rigid figures with delicate patterned lines. The introduction of reason encouraged imaginative iconography and the development of perspective as art became an intellectual persuit no longer a vehicle for telling stories to the illiterate. Reason in architecture took the shape in striving for the 'perfect' form. Antiquity had stressed an emphasis on harmony through mathematical calculations of proportion and thus reasoning the structure of a building. Brunelleschi and Alberti designed their buildings around rigid modus operandi and proportions in order to create such harmony, differentiating from the Gothic architectural ideals of decoration and audacity. For example, Brunelleschi's Capella Pazzi in Florence is split into carefully structured units against its blank white walls, which conveys not only classical order, but also intellectual reasoning for its structure.  Reason and rational enquiry lead to the development of perspective, as it was necessary to depict reality. Brunelleschi was responsible for the mathematical equation of perspective, yet another example of the marriage between art and reason.

   A by-product of reason in the art world was the development of humanism in the high renaissance. Humanism's sense of enjoyment from natural beauty and truth was such a contrast from the medieval church's rejection of beauty. However, renaissance humanism was not a result of Classical philosophy but more a union of Christian and Classical thought. Alberti embodied this union and exemplified the relationship of art and reason, being a philosopher, artist, architect and mathematician all at once. This marriage of intellect and art was allowed by the concept of reason, since thought was attainable to all levels of class. His personal humanistic faith combined Christianity with the wisdom of the ancients and rationality: the very essence of reason. Alberti drew his notions of beauty from Plato's classical theories, thus accepting that truth equals beauty equals wisdom and beauty has an objective actuality, as opposed to a subjective opinion. Alberti took a firm stand on reason and refused to use theoretical speculation in his ideas. Alberti once stated, 'Everything is attributed to reason, to method, to imitation, to measurement, nothing to the creative faculty.'[5] However, Alberti's concepts did not reflect popular ideas of reason in Italy and towards the end of the 15th Century; his rational philosophies of art became unpopular and were replaced by a mystical interpretation of antiquity. For example, Alberti interpreted Plato's theories on love as its social function but later on the Neo-Platonist school explained Plato's love theories as a contemplation of divine beauty.

   Art allowed intellectual messages to be transposed into a visual form as in Botticelli's Primavera. Thus, through one's perception of an Idea one can create art of intellectual superiority. Reason allowed art to be interpreted personally by one's own thoughts since one must question everything for oneself. According to Gombrich, the renaissance thinkers reasoned that 'those who dwell in the world above are not imprisoned in the body; they see what we can only reason out. Thus, seeing becomes by virtue of its speed and immediacy a favored symbol of higher knowledge.' [6]  Most ideologies of the renaissance came under the umbrella of reason, since this was the only dominating theme uniting all philosophies. However, one of the intellectual aims of the renaissance was to find common ground between the ancient philosophical traditions and amalgamate these into one, finding one agreement for the notion of truth, beauty and wisdom. 

   Neo-Platonism came about with the work of Plotinus' Enneads which combined the philosophical theorizing of the Genesis creation and the cosmology of Plato's Timaeus. Neo-Platonic ideas were converted into art in the form of allegorical and symbolic works, mostly in pre-Christian mythologies. Art portrayed Neo-Platonism through its reasoning of Platonic ideas into concepts of beauty, wisdom and truth, depicted in art. Botticelli was most renowned for his mythologies, which became more complex and intellectually capable in time yet they can all be allegorised to Christianity. The intellectual Marsilio Ficino of the Medici court was the leader of Neo-Platonism in Florence and was very influential in Botticelli's iconography. Botticelli's Venus and Mars (c. 1485) is entirely depicted from an interpretation of Plato's work by Ficino which claims 'Mars is outstanding in strength… because he makes men stronger, but Venus masters him Mars can never master Venus[7] The painting depicts a comatozed, almost naked, Mars whilst satyrs play with his armor and Venus looks over him. Without the obvious mythological meaning, the painting can be interpreted as a celebration of love's (Venus) victory over war.

 Botticelli's Primavera also depicts love as its central theme, although its iconography is often disputed due to its potential level of intense intellectuality. The eight figures can all be identified as characters form Classical mythology, for example the three graces and
Venus. Zephyr, Chloris and Flora, on the right of the painting, symbolize the coming of spring and depict beauty of the natural world. The three Graces on the left represent refined pleasures of life and Mercury represents 'reason'. Venus' prominent position in the middle symbolizes the joining of Natural and Spiritual ideologies. This masterpiece manages to create a visual equation for what Neo-Platonism stood for: Nature plus Grace equals the Human Ideal.

   Reason in art's depictions are endless, Leonardo typified the 'artist as a scientist', ignoring the concept of absolute beauty. 'Provided he can make his figures real, individual, and living it will not matter I they do not conform to some absolute standard of beauty.'[8]  Raphael exhibited a more formal approach and can be viewed as the 'artist as a scholar', thus Neo-Platonist art without its soppiness. Raphael's Stanza della Segnatura in the Vatican represents the fusion of Classical and Christian cultures or pagan philosophy of the renaissance since the frescos depict the school of Athens, Poetry, Theology and Justice. According to Jean Seznec "The disciplined ordering of all the elements in the ensemble ... is instantly and strikingly apparent. In this realm, peopled by images in which two worlds come face to face ... it is not the clash of two armies which  we hear, but the harmony of a choir."[9]

   The school of Athens (1510) epitomizes reason. Its very subject is an index to classical philosophy; Plato points to heaven signifying universal ideals and Aristotle characterizes the practical view of the earth. The monumental drawing almost summarizes the renaissance with its contemporary portraits of Leonardo and Michealangelo to depict ancient philosophers. Thus, the stanza demonstrates the amalgamation of Classical and Renaissance cultures. However, it was not long before this union was broken with a darker cloud that descended across Europe towards the end of the sixteenth century, such transition is depicted over the thirty years (1508-41) it took Michelangelo to paint the Sistine chapel. Perhaps it was inevitable that a period of such splendor would have to come to a dramatic end; this came about with the Reformation signifying the end of the Italian renaissance. In 1508 Michelangelo epitomized all that the renaissance stood for and the successful marriage between art and reason. Michelangelo embraced Neo-Platonism to the full, 'as a metaphysical justification of his own self.'[10] 

   Michelangelo's depiction of Adam and Eve depicts the beauty of the material world in every way. Michelangelo reveals this notion in his poetry as well, referring to the 'divine origin of beauty', yet over time, he was to perform a u-turn in his ideologies of world beauty. Clearly influence by the reformations beliefs of solemn goodness reduced of all excesses and concepts of beauty. His abolished ideas of beauty can be seen in his completion of the Sistine chapel the fresco of the Last Judgement. Instead, Michelangelo's figures lack grace and beauty but ruggedly personify violent motion a struggle. Michelangelo's change in philosophy indicates the end of the Renaissance. Michelangelo's sonnets reveal this change in perception of beauty. Beauty was no longer for the sake of itself but a product of excesses of the renaissance. Michelangelo stated 'Thus I now know how fraught with error was the fond imagination which makes Art my idol and my king, and how mistaken that earthly love which all men seek in their own despite no brush, no chisel will quieten the soul.'[11] Thus, the period of artistic 'indulgence' ended with the burning of all 'vanities' under Savonarola and strict Christianity returned. Although reason still resided over the modern world, its relationship with art, and thus its elevated stature, ended. The infiltration of Classical influence at the beginning of the 14th century had started the renaissance, when this interest died, so did the renaissance. Ficino once blamed reason for making man 'restless and tormented'. However, this 'restlessness and torment' certainly provided the right ambience for such a splendid era of art. Ultimately, it was the unlikely union between ancient philosophies and Christian theologies that created the 'rebirth' of the renaissance, inspiring such greatness. Burckhardt claims that the rise of the individual was instrumental in the renaissances development: 'individualism was the period's greatest problem and greatest asset'.[12] Through individualism came the 'universal man' who reasoned with his 'universal' knowledge of the arts, sciences, politics and philosophy. Hence, art could become an expression of oneself and one's feelings, for example the journey of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel frescos. According to Leonardo, 'every painter paints himself'[13]. Reason allowed freedom of iconography, since the concept of more existing other than God had arisen through scientific rationalism. The very fact that Vasari kept account of renaissance artists in his book 'The lives of Artists' prove their elevated status. Reason is epitomized in the very fact that artists ceased to tell stories and instead, used art as a means of studying and recording nature, anatomy and expression, often in an intellectually challenging way. The development of perspective, oils, realism and humanism can all be viewed as products of reason. However, what the renaissance did to exceed the ancients in art was to apply lessons in science and maths, therefore reason, to art, this was especially evident in Leonardo and Brunelleschi's work. Reason allowed renaissance art in Italy to take a huge step forward, after a millennium of darkness and create some of the most monumental works of art known to man.

WORD COUNT: 3,136

BIBLIOGRAPHY

'Artistic Theory in Italy (1450- 1600)

By Anthony Blunt (1975)

'Studies in Iconography'

By Erwin Panofsky (1962)

'Civilisation of the Renaissance in Italy.'

By Jacob Burkhardt.

'Symbolic Images'

By E. H. Gombrich (1978)

'Lives of the Artists'

By Vasari

'History of Western Philosophy'

By B. Russell

Montaigne's Essays: Book 3'

Internet Publication.

INTERNET RESOURCES

LECTURE NOTES


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[2] 'Symbolic Images' by E. H. Gombrich (page 70)

[3][3] Montaigne's Essays: Book 3 (chapter 13)

[5] 'Artistic Theory in Italy 1450 to 1600' by Anthony Blunt (page
21-22)

[6] ' Symbolic Images' by E. H. Gombrich (Page 6147)

[7] ' Symbolic Images' by E. H. Gombrich (Page 67)

[8] 'Artistic theory in Italy 1450 to1600' by Anthony Blunt (page 31)

[9] 'The Survival of the Pagan Gods' by Jean Seznec (page 145)

[10] 'Studies in Iconography' by Harper and Rowe (page 180)

[11] From one of Michelangelo's sonnets on the Internet.

[12]'Civilisation of the Renaissance in Italy' by Jacob Burckjardt.

[13] 'The Lives of Artists' by Vasari

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