Humanism

According to Encyclopedia.com humanism is, “ a philosophical and literary movement in which man and his capabilities are the central concern.” While this simple definition certainly does convey the essence of the movement, it does no justice to the whirlwind of artistic and intellectual inspiration stirred up by it. There are many forms of humanistic philosophy in today’s society, but the origin of this school of thought traces its roots back to the days of the scholars of ancient Greece and Rome. It was the revival of and renewed interest in Greco-Roman culture around (during the western transition from medieval to early modern culture) that marked the beginning of the Early Renaissance. The humanists believed that the Greek and Latin classics contained all the lessons one needed to lead a moral and effective life. It was the profound respect for nature and scientific knowledge and of course the reevaluation of classical thought, literature, and art that gave the Renaissance its distinctively secular stamp. Many accomplished artists and intellectuals studied during the roughly 200 year period of the Renaissance, and while some are more recognized than others, it is their combined wisdom that created many of foundations on which modern society is based.

Though there were many great intellectuals, and artists during the three Renaissance periods, there are a few who clearly stick out as representing the true attitude of the times. These “Renaissance Men” as they are now called didn’t limit themselves to one medium of study or expression. Rather they embraced many forms of science and artistry, and through their combined studies observed, recorded, and created many scientific theories about nature, man and nature, and man and himself that still hold truth and are the basis of many fields of study today. Of all the artist-scientists of the Renaissance Leonardo da Vinci best deserves the title. Born in Florence during the High Renaissance (1452-1519) he was most certainly not a man of “book learning” da Vinci spent his life observing the world around him, either imitating nature through art, or explaining nature through science. His hundreds of ingenious mechanical inventions and extensive knowledge in the fields of art, biology and the natural sciences immortalize his role as the father of the scientific revolution.

Da Vinci’s work Embryo in the Womb (ca.1510) seems to be a perfect example of the impression classic humanism had on the works of the Renaissance.