Conrad
Chapter 19
From Gothic to Renaissance: 14th Century Italian Art
The essentially religious view of the world that dominated medieval Europe began to change dramatically in what is called the European Renaissance. Although religion continued to occupy a primary position in the lives of Europeans, a growing concern with the natural world, the individual, and humanity’s worldly existence characterized the Renaissance period. The Renaissance, which means “rebirth,” extends roughly from the 14th through the 16th centuries. In the 14th century, scholars and artists began to cultivate what they believed to be the rebirth of art and culture. A revived interest in “classical” cultures was central to this rebirth, hence the notion of the Middle Ages or medieval period as the age in between antiquity and the Renaissance. The transition from medieval to the Renaissance, though dramatic, did not come about abruptly. The Renaissance had its roots in the epochs that even preceded the Middle Ages, and much that is medieval persisted in the Renaissance and in later periods. The Renaissance eventually gave way to the modern era; the continuous nature of this development is revealed in the use of the term “early modern” by many scholars to describe the Renaissance.
The City States: Politics and Economics.
In the 14th century, Italy consisted of many city states that functioned independently. Each city state consisted of a geographic region, varying in size, dominated by a major city. Most city states were republics governed by executive bodies, advisory councils, and special commissions. Venice, Florence, Lucca, and Siena, were among these. Other powerful city states, including the Papal States, the Kingdom of Naples, and the Duchies of Milan, Modena, Ferrara, and Savoy, as their names indicate these city states were distinct from republics. The uniqueness and independence of each city state were underscored by their separate economies. Italy’s port cities expanded
From Gothic to Renaissance: 14th Century Italian Art
The essentially religious view of the world that dominated medieval Europe began to change dramatically in what is called the European Renaissance. Although religion continued to occupy a primary position in the lives of Europeans, a growing concern with the natural world, the individual, and humanity’s worldly existence characterized the Renaissance period. The Renaissance, which means “rebirth,” extends roughly from the 14th through the 16th centuries. In the 14th century, scholars and artists began to cultivate what they believed to be the rebirth of art and culture. A revived interest in “classical” cultures was central to this rebirth, hence the notion of the Middle Ages or medieval period as the age in between antiquity and the Renaissance. The transition from medieval to the Renaissance, though dramatic, did not come about abruptly. The Renaissance had its roots in the epochs that even preceded the Middle Ages, and much that is medieval persisted in the Renaissance and in later periods. The Renaissance eventually gave way to the modern era; the continuous nature of this development is revealed in the use of the term “early modern” by many scholars to describe the Renaissance.
The City States: Politics and Economics.
In the 14th century, Italy consisted of many city states that functioned independently. Each city state consisted of a geographic region, varying in size, dominated by a major city. Most city states were republics governed by executive bodies, advisory councils, and special commissions. Venice, Florence, Lucca, and Siena, were among these. Other powerful city states, including the Papal States, the Kingdom of Naples, and the Duchies of Milan, Modena, Ferrara, and Savoy, as their names indicate these city states were distinct from republics. The uniqueness and independence of each city state were underscored by their separate economies. Italy’s port cities expanded