The Renaissance was a time characterized by a curiosity about human experience and the world around Renaissance thinkers. A main focus of the Renaissance was ancient Rome and Greece, which people studied in order to get a better understanding of their world. Artists and writers were able to express the ideals of the Renaissance by using an element of realism in their work that people of the time could easily relate to and understand. The Renaissance can be identified as a creative time, marking a transition from an agricultural to urban society, in which trade carried a greater importance. New technology and ways of thinking allowed people to better understand their past, and the world they lived in today. Creative minds had a rekindled interest in Rome and Greece. In contrast the medieval scholars, Renaissance thinkers concentrated more on human experience. Along with a new way of thinking, another Renaissance ideal was a spirit of adventure. This new spirit allowed for people to explore new worlds and reconsider old ones. A central focus of the Renaissance was humanism. Humanism was an intellectual movement that claimed the heart of the Renaissance. Humanists studied the classical cultures of Greece and Rome. They used their newly acquired knowledge to develop a better understand of their own times. Humanists, although they were mostly Christian, did not focus of religion. Instead they were fixated on worldly subjects. It was believed that education should stimulate one’s creative mind. Humanists emphasized humanities, which are classic subjects such as grammar and poetry. Artists in the Renaissance aided the continuation of Renaissance ideals. Renaissance art, including paintings, sculptures, and architecture,... ... middle of paper ... ...ls, learning, and virtues that a member of the court should reflect. Castiglione wrote specific guidelines for the ideal men and women in society, which people of the time could relate to. Another Renaissance writer was Niccolò Machiavelli who wrote a similar piece, but instead focused his guidelines towards rulers and how they should gain and maintain power. In his book, The Prince, Machiavelli said that rulers should use any means necessary to achieve their goals. It has been argued that Machiavelli gave cynical advice, but others stated that he created a realistic outlook on politics. Writers, like artists, focused on achieving goals and the human experience in the world around them. Artists, writers, and Renaissance thinkers used realistic technique to reflect the Renaissance ideals of humanism, curiosity, and an appreciation and interest of the classics.
4. Renaissance Humanism was an intellectual movement that involved the study of classical literary works of Greeks and Romans.
4. Renaissance humanism was an intellectual trend that came from interest in Greco-Roman literature. It changed theories and education because it secularized history--events were no longer blamed on God’s will.
...ng the Renaissance were much like the modern day celebrities and personalities that entertain society through and through. The world had become so infatuated with taking in more knowledge into discovery and exploration of life and nature that by producing its images and projections onto a canvas or perhaps carved into stone was the most entertaining process to take part in. There is a true Renaissance man within all human beings and by taking a deeper and closer look into the greatest works of art, gaining a greater appreciation of the Renaissance heritage in an uplifting and edification of experience. The art within the Renaissance rediscovered man for what and who we are as individuals and giving up the idea that each person is just another part of the species fulfilling a number within the population and showing the true beauty and aesthetics of life and nature.
The Renaissance has not ceased to be an age of discussion and debate among historians throughout the recent centuries. The vibrant nature of the era marks it as a most fascinating period of history. The Renaissance can be described as an age carrying the essence of “self-discovery and fulfillment, of recognition of human worth, and a dynamic outpouring of artistic activity.” This new world flourishing with art and creative optimism was also steeped in a spirit of “revolt of the Medievalists.” In an effort of “rebirth,” the previous culture of the Middle Ages was rejected, and even scorned. Foundational principles in all fields were overstepped, and old cultural norms were practically obsolete. It was an era whose humanistic philosophy greatly impacted the lens through which man viewed himself and the world.
The Renaissance, or “re-birth,” began in Italy as the highest point of human development. The new prosperity allowed scholars to concentrate on different levels of importance than money, food, and war with other countries. These scholars began looking toward attractions rather than things affecting them. Money entering the world so suddenly allowed people living in Florence and Rome make it beautiful. Different types of artwork became very famous. Some of the famous artists of this time were Donatello, Michelangelo, and Verrocchio. Fine art glorified the capabilities of humans and many people became artists. The cities in Italy soon became popular attraction sites and scholars moved from Constantinople towards Rome.
In this paper I'm focusing mainly on Renaissance art work, since that was the assignment, but I feel it's important to also mention the other important parts of the Renaissance, architecture, science, politics and religion.
The Renaissance was a cultural and intellectual movement that had its peak during the 15th and 16th centuries. During these times there was a heightened interest with the classical learning that was brought about in the middle ages. The renaissance first started in Italy and then eventually spread to Western Europe. During this period there was a high interest in the aesthetics of the classical world like architecture. The renaissance focused on the 17th century philosophy which came from the Greeks.
Gilbert, Creighton. History of Renaissance Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture Throughout Europe. New York, N.Y.: H.N. Abrams, 1973. 36-67.
...in Renaissance Italy deteriorating during invasions, culture persistently continued to impressively flourish as the Renaissance reached its highest artistic expression through its classical models and invention of new artistic customs, which proves how vital culture remained to this point in history. Humanism remained an impacting dominant cultural force in Renaissance Italy, gaining popularity amongst style and customs amongst Italian Renaissance artists and their modernized style of creating art. Historically, an artist’s individuality and consideration for untraditional customs had never been previously assumed imperative until the impacts of Italian Renaissance culture. Not only was the Italian Renaissance a movement associated with Greek and Latin Works, but more importantly it established a strong, forever impacting sense of culture among European history.
The Renaissance (1300-1700) began in Italy and eventually spread to Germany, France, England, and Spain. The Renaissance is also known as the Middle Ages. To understand what the Renaissance exactly is would be to say that it was the cultural rebirth that occurred in Europe through a term called humanism. In other words, the people wanted a Christian worldview through a classical learning style. While many things helped the Renaissance become well known, the political and economic aspects of the Renaissance is what played a huge developing role in which helped it flourish into creating its environment. The economic aspects were just as important as the political aspects of the Renaissance, but it was the political aspects that had the most
The Italian Renaissance included some of the greatest artists we have ever seen from Leonard Da Vinci, to Michelangelo, and Raphael. The Renaissance took place from the late thirteenth to sixteenth centuries and is know as the ‘rebirth’. The idea that the rebirth of the arts after being asleep for a thousand years is an amazing thing to grasp. This time brought back light to liberal arts, which were on the brink of being extinct. (Murray 2) What is also interesting about art during this time was that most of the art had Christian in its roots, for example, Botticelli’s The Allegory of Spring (Faure 1) is said to have had a Christian interpretation. (Murray) “Every Italian artist, willingly took the title of architect, sculptor, and painter” (Faure 2). At the beginning of the fifteenth century, the Italian painters had asked the Flemish painters for their secret techniques because the Italians felt like the language of painting was one that was always meant for them. (Faure 4) The sculptors claimed their inspiration from ancient works. Lastly the Renaissance introduced idea of individualism, which helped the Italians get away from everything that was going on during that time. Art during the Renaissance included painting, sculpting and architecture, all of which were an important part in expressing the idea of individualism and making art what is is today.
Since the first prehistoric cave painting, and perhaps much before that, the human race has always used art as a form of expression. With the passing of each historical period came new technologies and techniques and were all influenced by the unique style, characteristics, and social conditions of those periods. Even though, each period discovered new forms and unique styles of art most historical periods were influenced by an earlier period of history. In this essay, I will explore the relationship, style, and influences of the Renaissance and Baroque periods and will also compare and contrast a work of art from both periods to further explain the relationship between the two eras.
The Renaissance was a time when people began to think and see things differently. It was a time for new innovations. People wanted to study the past and learn more about culture. People began to see important in human emotion, and they began to see that there was much more rather than just religion. Europe was facing many problems like the Black Death. But the problems caused a shift in the world view of people in 14th century Italy. During the early 1400’s, Europe witnessed a major rebirth of fine art painting, sculpture, drawing and architecture. Early Renaissance art had its birth of creativity and development in Florence, Italy, which eventually spread to Western Europe. Italy contained the status of being the richest trading nation with both Europe and the Orient, Italy was fortunate to be left with a huge repository of classical ruins and artifacts. In almost every town and city, examples of Roman architecture and sculpture, including copies of sculptures from Ancient Greece, had been familiar for centuries. The decline of Constantinople and the capital of the Byzantine Empire caused many Greek scholars to go to Italy, bringing knowl...
The “Renaissance” refers to the period in European history when social and political changes were brought about as an interest for classical literature, art and learning spawned in the Italian city states during the 14th century. Revived from the values and intellectual traditions of the ancient Greece and Rome, this era led literary scholars and great thinkers to strive for self-perfection and to replace the predominant Christian church doctrines of the middle ages with the humanistic sentiments of the new age.
What was the Renaissance and why did it happen? Italian life in the 14th and 15th centuries was lived among the vast ruins of the ancient Roman Empire. The cruelty and barbarism of Rome had long been forgotten, and the splendor of that lost civilization's ruins suggested a glorious, golden past. By contrast, the period following the fall of the Rome in the fifth century seemed to some Italian intellectuals and artists to be a period of decline and decay.