The Renaissance And The Social Structure Of The Renaissance

The Italian Renaissance had two distinct periods during its lifetime. The first being the “Early Renaissance”, which took place between the late 13th and the early 14th centuries. The second period was known as the “High Renaissance”, which took place during the 15th and 16th centuries. These two periods had very distinct foundations and styles behind the art and architecture of their respective periods. The Early Renaissance revived many old themes which later became the foundations for the High Renaissance. While the High Renaissance strayed from previous traditions and had its own form of art and essentially perfected early themes and styles of art and included more scientific/mathematic components.

The Renaissance period is known for the revival of the classical art and intellect born in ancient Greece and Rome. The Renaissance is also a time that is marked by growth, exploration, and rebirth. The Italian Renaissance started in Florence and progressively made its way into Venice and then into the great city of Rome. During the Renaissance, Rome was home to some of the most renowned works of art and the finest architectural masterpieces in the world - too many that still holds true today. Along with the delicate architecture and grand artistry, Rome was also home to a mixture of people and cultures. It is in this cultural context and through the book A Street Life in Renaissance Rome: A Brief History with Documents, that understanding how men, woman, and specifically Jews and Christians lived in Rome becomes important to better understand this period of renewal.

Throughout history humans have often been classified into varying groups of their society based on wealth and other factors, this is called a social structure. Social Structures are one of the six main elements that make up a civilization. During the Renaissance period, where you landed on the social ladder in this structure depended on how much power and land you had. The Renaissance social structure consisted of threee main classes: the nobles, the middle class, and the workers (Scarlet, Jenna. “Renaissance Social Hierarchy”.

Italy can be looked at as the home of the renaissance and consequently the immergence of great art. Artists such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, Da Vinci, and Raphael are some of the greats and are looked at for standards. But what about the artists whose lives are mysteries, and their works that were influenced by the greats? These artists hold just as much importance in the history of art as do the artist’s whose names can be recalled off the top of an average person’s head. During the sixteenth century things began to change in the art world, and that change was the Baroque. This new style of art brought a revolution to how subject matter was painted, it brought upon “… a radical reconsideration of art and its purposes…” (249) and how artists of all ranks could learn to paint the up and coming style of Baroque.

The Italian Renaissance was a time for great cultural change and achievements, which began in Italy approximately during the 13th century and lasted up until the 16th century. It marked the transition between the Dark Ages and Early Modern Europe. The European Renaissance originated in Central Italy, and centered in the city of Florence.i The distinctive characteristics of northern Italian states such as art, literature, philosophy, and culture produced an atmosphere of learning and artistic expression.

The Renaissance was an artistic advancement era of astonishing beautiful structures and artwork that flourished all over Europe. The Renaissance marked a new period in the appearance of creativity, thus changing Europe.

The Renaissance, a time defined as the rebirth of classical ideals, occurred in Italy between 1350 and 1600. Spreading quickly throughout Europe, with the innovation of the printing press, it caused rippling effects. The Renaissance ultimately altered the aged education of theology from the Dark Ages and renewed it with studies of more ancient, classic works. Classic art and literature grew extremely popular, contrasting the lack of interest in them before. Many artists became prominent advocates for the revival of the ideals of the classical past. The artists, using their masterpieces, tremendously determined how modern historians view the era. While several aspects of the Renaissance contributed and influenced the time, artists like Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raffaello Sanzio had a stronger effect on and are greater representations of the time.

During the 14th century, Italy was divided into many self-governing city sates. Florence, an independent republic and third largest city in Europe at the time, was the motherland of the Italian Renaissance. This was an enlightening time of “rebirth” that began directly after the Middle Ages (History.com Staff). Florence was the birthplace of the Renaissance due to its location, prosperity, and cultural amalgamation.

The Italian Renaissance, in contrast to the conservative attitude of the Middle Ages, introduced a society dominated by a secular, humanistic spirit. One of the most historically significant events of the Renaissance was the Reformation. Some people argue that the Reformation was a rejection the secular spirit of the Italian Renaissance. Others assert that the Reformation was an embracement of these secular ideas. However as with many questions, this issue cannot be given a definite answer. The events of sixteenth-century Europe shows that the Reformation rejected secular ideas in some ways and embraced them in others. Martin Luther defied the Catholic Church and formed his own ideas on salvation, embracing secularism. In England, Henry VIII would reject Catholic authority, thereby accepting the secular spirit. However, he also rejected secularism by continuing to uphold traditional Catholic theology. Edward VI and Mary I would both establish national religion, of which there was no questioning, and reject the secular spirit. Elizabeth I also established a national religion, but her more conservative religious policies reflected her embracement of secular ideas. On the other hand, John Calvin created a religious sect that was dedicated to ardent religious devotion and righteousness, thereby rejecting secularism. Thus, the Reformation both rejected and embraced the secular spirit of the Italian Renaissance.

The renaissance was a period of rapid change in many European countries. The constant struggle between Catholicism and Protestantism alone created a country torn between both political and spiritual ideologies. As different kings and queens came into power, many were forced to change ideologies simply based on the beliefs of these monarchs. During this time, literature was used as a way to protest these ideologies. The works of Edmund Spenser, author of The Faerie Queene, Sir Thomas More, author of Utopia, the records of Anne Askew’s burning, From the First Examination of Anne Askew and John Foxe’s Acts and Monuments, provide insight into the political climate of spiritual reform in the renaissance era. These authors critiqued life during the renaissance and used their writings to protest the old ways, encouraging England to abandon its Catholic roots in favor of Protestantism.

Our world, as tiresome and inequitable as it might be, went through and continues to go through significant societal changes attributable to the renaissance. Although we're still dealing with copious cases of endless discrimination and bigotry, including but not limited to racism, gender and religious inequality, and not to mention the fact that a majority of people are unknowingly using racial or homophobic slurs casually as insults, one can only imagine how disastrously worse our society would be had the genius minds of the renaissance not broken the illusion that free will wasn't an option. The renaissance taught people that they were allowed to think for themselves and that curiosity was human nature. The people of the renaissance pioneered

Art created during the Renaissance was revolutionary for its time. Main themes of the Renaissance itself, specifically increased awareness of individualism, a new outlook on life with particular emphasis on secular themes, and rapidly spreading humanist beliefs drastically affected the methods and styles Renaissance artists brought to their work. (Britannica) The Renaissance brought about concepts years ahead of its time period, especially compared to the previous narrow-minded mentality of the Middle Ages. Secularism, humanism, and individualism were ideas which surfaced and grew throughout the Renaissance, ultimately being widely recognized as central themes of the Renaissance itself.

In the late 14th century to the 16th century, the Italian Renaissance was taking place and moving from the Middle Ages at a time when the Catholic Church was indomitable to a period called The Renaissance. After this “rebirth” in Italy began, it started spreading to other countries to then produce a French Renaissance, an English Renaissance, and so on. Italy served a sort of birth place for the Renaissance in European culture. During this time period, more and more people were placing humans as the center of life and art, and the way they viewed every day concepts and ideas were becoming more complex. They started questioning things that were never questioned in past and exploring ideals that were never once explored. The people started breaking from the mold that society had set for them, and some faced repercussions because of this. The people who were practicing this new way of thinking viewed it as a time of powerful wisdom and classical learning after such a cultural decline.

The Italian Renaissance began in the mid-fourteenth century, and was marked by a turn from medieval life and values dominated by the Church toward the philosophical principles of humanism. The Italian people, especially the educated middle class, became interested in individual achievements and emphasized life in this world, as opposed to preparation for life in the next world, which was stressed by religion in the Church. They believed strongly in the potential for individual accomplishment in the arts, literature, politics, and personal life. Individuals began to be encouraged to excel in a wide range of fields and showcase their talents. The pieces of art that represent this period of time are, The Mona Lisa, The Northern Doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti, and lastly, David by Donatello.

The Renaissance was a pivotal time coming out of Medieval Europe that was full of many changes and advancements. Budding out of Italy, this change of society spread throughout Europe and caused a drastic change of culture. One huge difference between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance was the difference of lifestyle and self-value. A huge reason for this change was the rise of humanism. Humanism is “a doctrine, attitude, or way of life centered on human interests or values (Merriam Webster).