The Italian Renaissance: (14th-17th Century)

Key Takeaways

• Italian Renaissance was a movement that started in Florence Italy and then began to spread across Europe from the mid-14 century. This movement was premised on the rediscovery of the culture of ancient Greece and Rome.
• Renaissance Man was an individual whose expertise and curiosity extended to a range of diverse subjects. 
• Renaissance was about rediscovering ancient art and culture, but it was not merely aping them, rather classical texts inspired thinkers to emulate and even surpass the work of philosophers such as Aristotle. 
• Renaissance Humanism placed mankind at the center of the universe.
• Renaissance artists developed new methods of making their work look more realistic. 

Introduction

“This enormous construction towering above the skies, vast enough to cover the entire population to Tuscany with its shadow” – Leon Battista Alberti

Owing to wars, disease, and famine, Europeans lost considerable amount of knowledge and scholarship in the medieval era. Besides, the church and its teachings had deeply subdued the European society. From the 14^th century however Europe experienced what became known as the Renaissance. The French word “renaissance” means “rebirth”. It was a movement that started in Florence Italy and then began to spread across the Europe from the mid-14 century. This movement was premised on rediscovery of the culture of ancient Greece and Rome, which in Russell’s words was “modern as opposed to the medieval outlook”, and this influenced both science and arts alike.

During the Renaissance, Europeans revived and rediscovered ancient thought and culture. However, new and original ideas and techniques, also developed and spread across the continent.

Renaissance Man

There was the idea of Renaissance Man. He was such an individual whose expertise and curiosity extended to a range of diverse subjects. During this era, polymaths, scilicet Leonardo da Vinci, were produced who mastered disciplines from arts to science. In order to create realistic and detailed paintings, da Vinci would study human anatomy, and to make suitable paints, he would study chemistry.

Renaissance Aristotelianism

As mentioned previously, Renaissance was about rediscovering the ancient art and culture, but it was not merely aping them, rather classical texts inspired thinkers to emulate and even surpass the work of philosophers such as Aristotle. This point can be substantiated by Renaissance Aristotelianism. An Aristotelianism is a system of sentences, based on principles or foundations the meaning of which is so obvious as to require no further explanation (definitions) or proof (axioms and postulates). Any other terms occurring in the system must be definable by means of these terms. Any other sentences belonging to the system must be demonstrable by logical inference starting from the fundamental sentences. The search for the principles of demonstration was neglected, because Aristotle was thought to have discovered the ultimate principles of reality. This idea began to change during Renaissance. Owing to the immense amount of scientific material which the Renaissance had recovered, a shift was witnessed from deductive to inductive science.

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Renaissance Humanism

There was a concept of Renaissance Humanism that placed mankind at the center of the universe. Humanists believed that a study of mankind, rather than God, should be at the center of learning. They looked to texts from ancient times, especially in the art of persuasion, grammar, and history to help them become useful members of the society. They gave the credit for human accomplishments to people instead of God.

Use of Perspective to Add Depth to Scenes

Besides upholding human spirit, various novel ways of presenting art were explored. Renaissance artists developed new methods of making their work look more realistic. They started to use perspective to add depth to scenes, making objects painted on a flat surface look closer or further away. The use of light and shade also helped renaissance art to look more three-dimensional.

Conclusion

Suffice to say, Renaissance was a watershed movement that affected both science and arts. This era produced many influential and competent literati and polymaths. This movement explored those elements and aspects in various disciplines which were previously clandestine to scholars.

“For a wise man there is nothing invisible” – Filippo Brunelleschi