Review these questions as you start this unit, and then reconsider them after the unit has been completed.
1) What elements of an artist’s training today are similar to and different from those in the Renaissance?
2) How does the existence of modern art materials affect training?
3) What activities today still rely on the training that comes from an apprenticeship system? What advantages does such a system offer?
4) What is the status of artists in society today? What factors determine that status? How do we gauge status?
5) Does the existence of museums affect the way we think about art today? How?
6) Do we distinguish between art and craft today? If so, on what basis?
7) What is the relationship today between the visual arts and literature? Do they have equal status?
8) Is there anything today like the Renaissance paragone, the competition between the various forms of visual art and between visual art and literature?