The Human Body In The Middle Ages

The dominance of Christianity flourished in the Middle Ages and the human body was considered less important than the spirit. The emphasis on chastity and celibacy created an atmosphere where there was little interest to study the human body, so nude figures were rare in the Middle Ages. During this period, “the human body was seen only as a temporary vessel for the soul and the body was seen as sinful and the cause of temptation.” The limited Middle Age sculptures of nude bodies do not reflect real life or an understanding of the inner workings of the body, they were abstract. In contrast, humanism was a conviction the Greeks and Romans honed. It was a conviction that people and their lives were as vital as the Gods. One of the primary thoughts of humanism was to concentrate on human interest and humanism turned into a focal theme in the arts. The Greco-Roman sculptures reveal that artists during this period closely observed the human body
The Renaissance era was a revival and continuations of the notorious Greek and Roman styles, creating nude images of human beings in a natural way. Humanisms sparked interest in beauty and the culture of the time wanted art that represented the naturalistic body. Renaissance art was concrete, realistic, and lifelike. More importantly, Renaissance sculptures were not an imitation of the Greco-Romans nudes, but a pursuit for artists to understand the mechanics of the human body. It is easy to see, that the anatomy was important to Renaissance artists as they based their craft on science and math. Renaissance sculptures showed the correct anatomical proportion of the body, plus the complicated contours of the muscles and bones. As a result, Renaissance sculptures presented body movements in a naturalistic and realistic manner, fueling creativity. Additionally, classic female nude sculptures returned often showing the warmth of the female