Renaissance Research Paper

The Renaissance was a period in history that began in Italy dating back to around the 1300s. It followed The Middle Ages and was considered a time of “rebirth”. The people of Europe increased much interest in learning, in the arts and in literature. It also provided the world with a big advancement in science and technology. People questioned old beliefs and were able to turn their miseries into optimism. The Renaissance changed man’s view of man in at least four areas: art, literature, astronomy, and anatomy.

The Renaissance and humanism are intrinsically linked; a person can not learn about one without the other. There are famous names involved in humanism and its growth during the Renaissance, but perhaps none are more notable than Michelangelo. Michelangelo was a Renaissance artist who changed the way we view art and its relationship to the human spirit and experience. Michelangelo’s life and work reveal the true nature of humanism and true spirit of the Renaissance through his personality and desire to create, his artwork which exemplifies many of the tenets of both humanism and the Renaissance, and the accomplishments and challenges he faced in throughout his life.

Renaissance means “revival or rebirth of culture awareness and learning that took place during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries particularly, Italy, but in Germany and other European countries” (wiki 15) as well. A characterized period of renewed interest in ancient Rome and Greek art which design and included an emphasis on human beings, their environment, science, and philosophy. Humanism had their interest and assertion of importance of the person. The history originates to the beginning of the great Western age of finding and exploration. When a desire came about to develop and examine the every aspects of nature and the world.

Many people know that Renaissance means “rebirth” that it began in the city of Florence in Italy and quickly spread throughout northern Italy. There are many reasons why Renaissance deals with art, architecture and literature.

The Renaissance was a period in history when art and exploration were among the highest of priorities. Humanism, the outlook of attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters, was on the rise and beginning to affect the course of history. One could say that the movement started in Florence, Italy thanks in part to the Medici family. The Medici family was a very wealthy and influential family that ruled like monarchs in Florence, they had a great appreciation for the arts and were patrons to various artists, such as Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo (whom the Medicis commissioned to complete their family tombs in Florence). They were not, however, always so powerful of a family.

The Renaissance began around the fourteenth century and created a “rebirth” of cultural ideals. The Renaissance was a period when ideas began to move away from the restrictive ideas of the Middle Ages. “The period can be described as the rise of humanism, which was an intellectual movement that emphasized secular ideas found in literature from Ancient Greece and Rome” (Atkinson). One of the most important newfound ideas during the Renaissance was individualism. Unlike the Middle Ages, the Renaissance brought new interest in art. The religious hierarchy became less important while people became more curious about the capabilities of man.

There was a time in which many discoveries and intellectual advancements were made. These advancements all blended together to create a well known, popular chunk of time known as the Renaissance. The Renaissance also means ‘rebirth’, this period lasted between the 14th century and the 17th century. The Renaissance was a mark in history that represented many crucial events who have all contributed to influence the way the world is shaped today. Humanism, logical thinking, and magic vs. realism are among a few of the major themes that have influenced many literary works during this time. Doctor Faustus and Hamlet are just two examples of how events during the Renaissance may have affected literary works.

The renaissance was from the 14th century to the 17th century. It’s considered the bridge between the Middle Ages and modern history. It started as a cultural movement in Italy and later spread to the rest of Europe. The word renaissance means ‘rebirth’ (The Renaissance)

During the time the scientific field experienced noteworthy progressions, otherwise called the Age of Exploration the Renaissance period marked the start of investigation of Europe and its environment. Before the Renaissance, science and religion were seen as one. Researchers and the general population acknowledged the Bible's or old philosopher’s explanation and hypotheses of the universe. The Renaissance marked the foundation of the Scientific Revolution in Europe, and numerous researchers found speculations that contradicted the old explanation of the field. Discovers for example, Nicholas Copernicus' finding that the Earth rotates around the sun, Galileo Galilli's investigation of the universe and Johannes Kepler's hypothesis of the three

“Renaissance art sought to capture the experience of the individual beauty and mystery of the natural world.” Each piece of the renaissance art was created in such glorious beauty, and has powerful meanings behind them. Most of the renaissance art is from italian artists whom all have their own mind set. Each thinking differently gives them the power to do what they do best, and that is making art. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello are great examples of famous people who made renaissance art for a living and every one of them were born in different time periods yet all share the same passion but expressed it to the world very differently.

In the mid-1800s artists frustrated by the restraints placed upon them by governing bodies such as the French Academy of Fine Arts, began a movement that became known as Impressionism. These artists created paintings based upon their view of the world around them, and how they felt in both their hearts and minds in a manner that fit their own personal style and in doing so shattered the glass ceiling that existed for centuries to control how art was made. As history demonstrates, paintings and other works of art are created within a particular style and that this style is one that is widely set by the culture as the acceptable standard for art. The style includes both form and composition and is influenced by the time period, the region and

One of the strong points of the Renaissance was that there was as a sense individualism. People started to think independently and experiment with new ideas and concepts. As advancements were made in the arts and sciences, the Catholic Church began to lose the power and influence it had once held over people's beliefs about

The rise of humanism during the Renaissance caused an increased pursuit of knowledge, less devout religion, and huge growth in the popularity and purchase of art. Humanism began in Florence, Italy. It involved bringing back the lifestyles of Classical Rome and Greece. Because of this, education was highly valued again which caused many more people to learn how to read and write (Ketchum and Plumb). The ideal man at this time was a man who was multitalented, a well-rounded man intellectually and artistically.

With each era that arrives and passes it is expected that many benign effects will come with each one. The Renaissance Era for example has played a very important part in history. The origins of the Renaissance Era essentially began in Italy during the 14th century and lasted through the 17th century. The era’s influence had taken flight like a plague and had enveloped all of Europe by the 16th century. This time has influenced many subjects such as literature, religion, and most importantly art. I feel that sculptures that were produced during the Renaissance Era play a big part in connecting the people of the world to the once thriving Renaissance Era.

Lasting for a little more than a century, the Renaissance took a huge leap from the art of the Middle Ages. Focus shifted from the intangible religious world to the tangible real world. However, religious art did not die out. Instead, it too became more realistic looking as new techniques emerged. Perspective now played an immense role in much of art, as did the three dimensional portrayal of human figures. Also, it became extremely fashionable to be multi-skilled. To be skilled in many arts or trades was to be a Renaissance man. Three pieces of art exemplify this pivotal era: Jan van Eyck's "Arnolfini Wedding", Michelangelo's "Pieta", and Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa".