How the "golden" age changed the world, or what was revived during the Renaissance

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

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Renaissance (Renaissance) - the era that replaced the Middle Ages and preceded the New Time. It is characterized by a sharp leap in the development of all spheres of social life (from science to art), the main vector of which is humanism, anthropocentrism and secularism. The main attention of the Renaissance was directed to man and his dignity. What are the features of the Renaissance and what geniuses of the Renaissance influenced the era and laid the foundation for contemporary art?

Periodicals

The Renaissance period begins in the 14th century and ends by the 17th century. The Renaissance contributed to the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature and art. A significant number of the greatest thinkers, authors, statesmen, scientists and artists in the history of mankind showed their talent in this era. Thus, the Renaissance is credited with bridging the gap between the Middle Ages and modern civilization. Stages of the Renaissance: 1. Proto-Renaissance (2nd half of the XIII century - XIV century) 2. Early Renaissance (early 15th - late 15th centuries) 3. High Renaissance (late 15th - first 20 years of the 16th century) 4. Late Renaissance (mid-16th - 1590s)

Why Italy?

Historians agree that the Renaissance originated in Italy (several theories have been put forward explaining why this period began in Italy). The wealth of Italy increased significantly in the XIV-XVI centuries. Favorable geographical position, access to the sea, own port, political and economic stability, coupled with the ability to withstand external pressure, the active development of trade relations with Europe, Asia, the East - all this created fertile ground for prosperity and the beginning of the Renaissance in Italy. Favorable conditions led to the opening of local art schools, to the building up of talents in various fields of culture, science, literature, philosophy, etc. In addition, in the late Middle Ages, Italy consisted of city-states that had a certain degree of political freedom. It made it possible to achieve artistic and academic progress outside the strict framework. Another reason for the evolution of development in Italy is the "black death" (or plague), which led to a large number of deaths in this country. The harsh reality forced scientists to move away from medieval thoughts about the afterlife and spirituality and think more about their real existence on Earth.

The movement spread to other Italian city-states such as Venice, Milan, Bologna and Rome. Then, in the 15th century, the ideas of the Renaissance spread from Italy to France, and then throughout Western and Northern Europe. The Renaissance as a single historical period ended with the fall of Rome in 1527. The gap between the Christian faith and classical humanism led to Mannerism in the second half of the 16th century.

The main idea of the Renaissance is humanism

Humanism had several essential features. - First, he accepted man as a subject in the totality of his achievements and manifestations. - Second, he emphasized the unity of truth of all philosophical and theological schools - a doctrine known as syncretism. - Thirdly, humanism emphasized the dignity of a person. - Finally, humanism sought to revive the lost human spirit and wisdom. The effect of humanism was to help people free themselves from the mental constraints imposed by religious orthodoxy, to inspire free exploration, and to instill confidence in the possibilities of human thought and creativity. The earliest pioneers of early humanistic thought were Francesco Petrarca and Giovanni Boccaccio, who contributed to the renewal of traditional Greek and Roman culture and values.

Contribution to the Renaissance

Renaissance art leaned towards realism, which involves the use of perspective. The greatest artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci depicted human anatomy and contributed to the understanding of the human form. The founder of Renaissance painting was Masaccio (1401-1428). The monumental nature of the compositions and the high degree of naturalism in his work made Masaccio a key figure in Renaissance painting. The Northern Renaissance masters Jan van Eyck and Hugo van der Goes began using oil paint and also popularized the technique of naturalism. The Renaissance style of architecture revived some elements of ancient Roman and Greek architecture. Renaissance literature, in contrast to medieval literature, focused on human behavior and characteristics (based on the main vector - humanism). Significant advances in science and technology also occurred during the Renaissance, including the invention of the telescope, spectacles, printed materials, gunpowder, a sailor's compass, paper, and watches. New musical instruments (violin and harpsichord) contributed to the emergence of opera. The composers strove to create music with a special emotional effect. Other results of the Renaissance include the rise of Protestantism, the growth of a capitalist market economy, and the discovery of the New World attributed to Columbus.

Renaissance geniuses

1. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519): Italian artist, architect, inventor and “Renaissance man”, author of the paintings “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper”. 2. Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536): Scholar from Holland who defined the humanist movement in Northern Europe. Translator of the New Testament into Greek. 3. René Descartes (1596–1650): French philosopher and mathematician who is considered the father of modern philosophy. He is famous for the aphorism: “I think, therefore I am.” 4. Galileo (1564-1642): Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer whose pioneering work with telescopes enabled him to describe Jupiter's moons and Saturn's rings. Was placed under arrest for his views on the heliocentric universe. 5. Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543): mathematician and astronomer, advanced the first modern scientific argument for the concept of a heliocentric solar system. Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679): English philosopher and author of Leviathan. 7. Geoffrey Chaucer (1343–1400): English poet and author of The Canterbury Tales. 8. Giotto (1266-1337): Italian painter and architect whose realistic depictions of human emotions have influenced many generations of artists. Best known for his frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. 9. Dante (1265–1321): Italian philosopher, poet, writer and political thinker, author of The Divine Comedy. 10. Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527): Italian diplomat and philosopher, famous for his works "The Sovereign" and "Discourses on the first decade of Titus Livy". 11. Titian (1488-1576): Italian artist famous for his portraits of Pope Paul III and Charles I and his later religious and mythical paintings (Venus and Adonis and Assumption of the Virgin Mary). William Tyndale (1494–1536): English Bible translator, humanist and scholar, was burned at the stake for translating the Bible into English. 13. William Bird (1539 / 40–1623): English composer, famous for the development of the English madrigal and religious organ music. 14. John Milton (1608–1674): English poet and historian who wrote the epic Paradise Lost. 15. William Shakespeare (1564-1616): England's "national poet" and the most famous playwright of all time, renowned for his sonnets and the tragedy Romeo and Juliet. 16. Donatello (1386-1466): Italian sculptor famous for his realistic sculptures (David, commissioned by the Medici family) 17. Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510): Italian artist famous for his painting The Birth of Venus. 18. Raphael (1483-1520): Italian painter, trained with da Vinci and Michelangelo. Best known for his paintings of the Madonna and the fresco "School of Athens".19. Michelangelo (1483-1520): Italian sculptor, painter and architect who created David and the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

Renaissance art can be explained in three basic terms: ⦁ Creation of the principles of the rules of linear perspective, which organized a single space; ⦁ Focus on the person (personality, anatomy, emotions); ⦁ Refusal of decorative elements in favor of the vital.

The Renaissance period had a long and significant impact on civilization. Leaps in development in geography and science (the Ptolemaic system of astronomy) allowed people to better understand the Earth and the Universe. The printing press is one of the most notable and important inventions that allowed the ideas of scientists to become available to the public and to promote education. Renaissance art laid a solid foundation for the development of modern culture.