Renaissance

Revolutionary of Renaissance Art (briefly)
Key dates: 1300s
This movement began in Italy in the 14th century and the term, literally meaning rebirth, describes the revival of interest in the artistic achievements of the Classical world. Initially in a literary revival Renaissance was determined to move away from the religion-dominated Middle Ages and to turn its attention to the plight of the individual man in society. It was a time when individual expression and worldly experience became two of the main themes of Renaissance art. The movement owed a lot to the increasing sophistication of society, characterised by political stability, economic growth and cosmopolitanism. Education blossomed at this time, with libraries and academies allowing more thorough research to be conducted into the culture of the antique world. In addition, the arts benefited from the patronage of such influential groups as the Medici family of Florence, the Sforza family of Milan and Popes Julius II and Leo X. The works of Petrarch first displayed the new interest in the intellectual values of the Classical world in the early 14th century and the romance of this era as rediscovered in the Renaissance period can be seen expressed by Boccaccio. Leonardo da Vinci was the archetypal Renaissance man representing the humanistic values of the period in his art, science and writing. Michelangelo and Raphael were also vital figures in this movement, producing works regarded for centuries as embodying the classical notion of perfection. Renaissance architects included Alberti, Brunelleschi and Bramante. Many of these artists came from Florence and it remained an important centre for the Renaissance into the 16th century eventually to be overtaken by Rome and Venice. Some of the ideas of the Italian Renaissance did spread to other parts of Europe, for example to the German artist Albrecht Dürer of the 'Northern Renaissance'. But by the 1500s Mannerism had overtaken the Renaissance and it was this style that caught on in Europe.
Representative artists:
Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Filippo Brunelleschi, Raphael da Urbino, Titian, Michelangelo Buonarroti, and Donatello Bardi.[2]

Was the renaissance a revolutionary period? Why?

The Renaissance was the turning point in which Europe transitioned from the Medieval world to a modern world.

During the Renaissance literature, architecture and art flourished. In Italy wealthy merchant banker families (such as the de Medicis and the Borgias) supported artists to show off their wealth - this is known as patronage. There was also a lot of changes in art styles. Art in Renaissance Italy was much more realistic than Medieval art. Perspective, chiaroscuro (using light and dark to create a 3D effect), sfumato (a blending technique used to create 3D), and proper proportion all came into use at this time.

Greek language and culture, particularly the Classics were rediscovered. These things hadn't been lost, but they had been mostly ignored during the previous centuries. Expatriate Greeks fled to Italy to escape the Turks. Many of them were well education and they set up schools in Italy that taught Greek language and the humane studies (rhetoric, literature, poems, grammar, history, ethics, philosophy), which were all translated in Latin. For example, Cosimo de'Medici set up the Platonic Academy in Florence, which was manned by Greek exiles. Classical works were translated and summarized in Latin. Books of adages (quotes) were popular and were used as inspiration for writing.

Humanism or the human perspective became widespread. Humanists believed that it was important to be well educated (particularly being able to speak and write well). Humanists focused on human values and concerns.

The invention of the printing press leads to faster and cheaper books. Books were still expensive, but it was feasible for people to purchase them. Nobles, merchant bankers, and institutions (such as churches, universities, etc) began to build up libraries. Most of the books printed were Bibles and mass or hymn books, which allowed people to read or listen to the Bible rather than a church sermon. This led to people creating their own interpretation, which eventually leads to the Protestant Reformation. Translation of the these books in the vernacular (local language) also allowed more people to be able to read books. Most of the rural population was still not literate at this time, but those who were spread ideas by reading aloud or summarizing to those who could not read.

There weren't as many scientific developments in the Renaissance. The major one would be heliocentric, which is the idea of the sun being the centre of the universe. This was proposed by Copernicus. Also, the human eyes and its power of observation became very important and authoritative in this time.

The discovery of the New World (South America) happened at this time. This sparked European imagination. What else was out there...

These are only a few of the things that happened during the Rennaissance. You can find much more if you look.