The Renaissanc The Proto-Renaissance

The word renaissance means rebirth. This is a French word used to renew the aspects of the classical world of that time period with the application of Greco- Roman learning that had an effect on everything from culture, politics, science, and philosophy. It was first used by historians Jules Michelet and Jacob Burkhardt, who translated the term from the Italian Rinascita or Rinascimento. It was concluded that the Greco-Roman era was one of the heights of human achievement because it called for the return to the classical past and the humanistic method of learning. It brought intensive studies of poets who may have been forgotten and renewed the enthusiasm for sculptures and architecture.1
The Renaissance lasted approximately two hundred years. The early Renaissance belonged to the years 1420-1500, known as quattrocento, whereas the last years around 1520 to 1600 belonged to cinquecento. The
This period had a specific Byzantine style. This was due partly to the conquest of Byzantium in 1204, but mainly because of the Byzantine carvings, icons, manuscripts and other art objects that were brought back by the crusaders. The conquest of Byzantium lead to the migration of many scholars to Italy, which led to the artist seeking a new patronage. This brought about the Maniera Greca, it is characterized by the use of colors, heavy gilding, striations to denote the folds of fabric, and segments for the figures’ anatomical details. This became the preferred style with many Italian painters who adopted it and made it their own, such as Berlinghiero, Guido da Siena, Coppo di Marcovaldo and Cimabou. This style also made its way into sculpture through the Gothic style. The competition held in Florence for the execution of the east doors of the Baptistery, the Romanesque structure across from the cathedral where all Florentine citizens were baptized, marked the end of the Proto- Renaissance era on 1402.