Introduction to the Renaissance
The Renaissance, or "rebirth," is considered by many historians to be beginning of the modern era. The Renaissance began in Italy, due to its unique economic position throughout the Middle Ages. Many merchant and banking families amassed great wealth due to overseas trade, and this wealth helped to fuel the artistic Renaissance. Of these, the Medici family in Florence came to power after one of the many peasant revolts in the wake of the Black Death. They were the bankers for the papacy (church), and they did business with merchants from England, France, and Flanders. While the medieval Catholic Church taught that usury, or the making of profit from interest, was a sin, the Renaissance redefined the role of money and profitable business.
The Medici were patrons of Michelangelo, Donatello, Botticelli, and many artists. The explosion of artistic genius during the Renaissance was partly due to the fact the for the first time, artists were supported by wealthy patrons and had the time and financial resources to devote themselves to their art. The Italian Renaissance was in large part characterized by its fascination with the culture of Greco-Roman antiquity. The rediscovery of many ancient Greco-Roman scholarly manuscripts opened a new world to humanists, as many ideas contained in them departed from those of the medieval Catholic Church. Humanism was a distinct movement because it broke from the medieval tradition of having pious religious motivation for creating art or works of literature. Humanist writers were concerned with worldly or secular subjects rather than strictly religious themes.The humanists of the Renaissance found in inspiration in the Greco-Roman interest in the human condition and in their belief in the power of human reason. The Renaissance zeal for Greco-Roman antiquity was one source of the humanist interest in individual achievement.
The Medici were patrons of Michelangelo, Donatello, Botticelli, and many artists. The explosion of artistic genius during the Renaissance was partly due to the fact the for the first time, artists were supported by wealthy patrons and had the time and financial resources to devote themselves to their art. The Italian Renaissance was in large part characterized by its fascination with the culture of Greco-Roman antiquity. The rediscovery of many ancient Greco-Roman scholarly manuscripts opened a new world to humanists, as many ideas contained in them departed from those of the medieval Catholic Church. Humanism was a distinct movement because it broke from the medieval tradition of having pious religious motivation for creating art or works of literature. Humanist writers were concerned with worldly or secular subjects rather than strictly religious themes.The humanists of the Renaissance found in inspiration in the Greco-Roman interest in the human condition and in their belief in the power of human reason. The Renaissance zeal for Greco-Roman antiquity was one source of the humanist interest in individual achievement.
Italy: The Birthplace of the Renaissance |
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