Overview
Respond to the following prompt in a short essay of approximately 400 words. Organize the essay around a primary point of argumentation that you synthesize from the readings and videos. Support your point with material taken from the assigned content – you will not need to consult any sources beyond what is provided. Each essay must include specific reference to at least two works of art, and include one quotation from the assigned texts.
Question: From the examples we saw this week, how did independent portraiture in Western Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries reflect shifting ideas about identity, status, and the individual in Renaissance society? In what ways did artists and patrons individualize portraits or attempt to convey something about the sitter's character or social role? Discuss two examples that accomplish this in similar or different ways.
Portrait examples you can use are:
-Protrait of a Man and Woman at a Casement by Fra Filippo Lippi (1440)
-Portrait of a Man with a Roman Coin by Hans Memling (1489-90)
-Henry IV, the Duke of Saxony and His Wife Catherine of Mecklenburg by Lucas Cranach the Elder and workshop (1514)
-Portrait of Eleanor of Toledo and Her Son Giovanni by Bronzino (1545)
(pick 2) thanks!