What Is the Difference Between Modern and Renaissance Art?

Art|Modern Art

Modern art and Renaissance art are two distinct artistic periods that have a variety of differences. Modern art is defined as the artistic period from the mid-19th century to present day, while Renaissance art is generally agreed to have been from 1400 to 1600.

Style – The styles of artwork between the two periods are very different. Modern art is characterized by abstract and expressive forms, while Renaissance art is much more realistic in style and makes use of perspective and classical themes.

Mediums – The mediums used in modern art are much more varied than Renaissance art, which was limited to paint and sculpture. Modern artists use photography, film, video, installation, performance art and digital media, among other things.

Subject Matter – The subject matter of modern art is often non-traditional, often exploring themes such as social issues and identity politics. Renaissance art typically dealt with religious or historical topics.

Inspiration Sources – While both types of artwork are inspired by the past and current events, modern artists are more likely to draw inspiration from popular culture such as music or television shows.

Conclusion:
What Is the Difference Between Modern and Renaissance Art? Clearly there are many differences between these two artistic periods that range from style to subject matter to mediums used. While both are inspired by the past and current events, modern artists explore topics that were not common during the Renaissance period such as social issues or identity politics. Additionally modern artists make use of more varied mediums than their predecessors including photography, video, installation and digital media among others.