The Developments Of The Italian Renaissance

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The Developments Of The Italian Renaissance
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The Developments of the Italian Renaissance
Shaquille Lane
National University
THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE 2
Introduction
The Italian Renaissance was a period in Italian history that covered the 15th and 16th
centuries. Toward the end of the 14th century A.D most Italian thinkers declared that they were
living a new age (Hay,1977). During that period Italy experience a cultural rebirth, that massively
affected all sectors of the society. It was a fervent period of the European cultural, artistic, political
and economic rebirth following the middle ages. It led to the discovery of classical philosophy,
literature, and art. According to Hay (1977), the Italian renaissance is best known for its
achievements in painting, music, philosophy, architecture, sculpture. By the 15th century, Italy
became the European leader throughout the renaissance period. Most scholars have agreed that
between the 14th- 17th century there was a new way of thinking about the world and mans place.
The Italian Renaissance was spreading throughout the Italian peninsula which resulted in the
creation of buildings, churches, villas and plenty of palaces. Miskimin (1975) stated that the
renaissance created competition between all the Italian capitals, since each one of them wanted to
be recognized as the most beautiful place in Italy. This paper is going to analyze the historical,
political, religion and cultural context for the Italian renaissance, also, it will explain the
development in art and architecture made in the Renaissance period and the role of patronage in
art creation.
During the early renaissance, the artists began to reject the Byzantine style of religious
painting and strove to create realism in their depiction of the human form and space (Miskimin,
1975). According to the study, the artist during the early renaissance was highly influenced by the
humanist philosophy which emphasized that mans relationship with the world, the universe, and
God was no longer the exclusive province of the Church. Additionally, during that time, a new
standard of patronage in the arts came up which was separate from the church or monarchy. The
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Erin Morris @ 2020-04-27T13:06:19-07:00
“This is not the correct format for an outline. Here is a good source that describes how to do a sentence outline: https://app.shoreline.edu/doldham/102/HTML/Sentence%20Outline.html “
Erin Morris @ 2020-04-27T13:06:24-07:00
“This appears to be a topic statement instead of a real central argument for your paper. Remember that your thesis statement should be a one-sentence argument for your paper. The thesis should be something about your topic that your paper can “”prove”” in its course. Your thesis statement should be the last sentence in your introduction. “
THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE 3
idea was supported by the prominent Medici family. The renaissance marked a great cultural
change throughout the whole of Europe also it is viewed as a bridge between the medieval and
modern ages.
During the renaissance, there were political and economic changes that bought huge
transformation in all of Europe (Inglehart, 1988). There was a rise in a strong central government
and an increasingly urban economy. The middle ages were presided over by the catholic church.
The church used to preach about the denial of worldly pleasures. During that time the European
society was defined by the system of feudalism where societal classes were hierarchically divided
based on their position in the prevailing agrarian economy. Later in the middle ages, the situation
changes greatly whereby the church loses its power as monarchies rose to consolidate feudal
manors into powerful city-states and nation-states. The sates opposed the church in matters of tax
collection and legal jurisdictions. Apart from the rise of monarchies also money economy came
up. This happened because as monarchs brought peace to feudal society, feudal lords concentrated
less upon defending their lands and more upon accruing large quantities of cash, with which they
improved their style of living and dabbled in the growing market economy. According to Inglehart
(1988), the actions of the feudal lords led to the reduction of serfdom practice and later the serfs
became the tenant’s farmers and landowners. The trade of agricultural and manufactured goods
grew in importance and cities became populous and modern
The economic changes in Europe that made the Renaissance possible
During the renaissance, there was an economic change in Europe. The European economy
grew drastically especially in the trade area (Routt, 2008). There was development such as
population growth, expanding trade routes and a new manufacturing system that led to an overall
increase in commercial activities. Before renaissance feudalism was rampant in the middle east
THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE 4
but it disappeared when Capitalism emerged. This change affected many aspects of European
society such as agriculture, the European economy, and the manufacturing sector, forcing people
to adapt to new ways of conducting bossiness with others.
Europe’s economy depended mostly on agriculture, the town and cities did not become
significant centers of production until the late middle ages. According to research, the economic
importance increased rapidly after the medieval period. During the middle ages most peasants were
serfs, but by the late 1400s serfdom was declining throughout Europe and peasants were free to
move about and they were also allowed to rent farms for themselves. The increase in population
caused the demand for food to rise. The landowners were forced to pay more for their labor and
these made food prices hike across all Europe. Both an increase in prices of commodities and
growth in the number of people needing goods and services prompted the merchants to expand
their business.
According to the study, Renaissance Europeans had a very diverse economy where
different commodities were releases in abundance. But with time some parts of the continent grew
economically while some parts declined. During the 1300s and 1400s, Italy had dominated
European trade and manufacturing. Merchants in Florence, Milan, and Venice developed large
business organizations to carry on their activities across Europe. Additionally, they manufactured,
sold, or traded a wide variety of products. They also provided banking services for governments
and other merchants in many areas of Europe.
Cole (2012), stated that during renaissance especially in the 1500s, there were some
changes in the organization of manufacturing and trade. Major guilds such as the one for the
production of woolen cloth changes character. Occasionally the owners and investors dominated
THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE 5
the guilds and they were the ones to make a decision. It is noted that investors had some political
powers which helped them advance their interest at the expense of their workers. Additionally, the
European economy experienced a mix of crises and opportunities during the renaissance period.
But people showed remarkable skills in adopting the change.
Throughout the renaissance political development and overseas exploration had a profound
effect on European trade. According to Cole (2012), the Mediterranean Sea was the main arena of
international trade during the start of the renaissance. Venice dominated commerce in the region
because of its powerful merchant fleet and strategic location. Also, the Venetians controlled the
flow of luxury goods and spices between Asia and Europe
The role of patronage in art creation
During renaissance art was very important because patrons were willing to support it. The
wealth, personal vanity and new levels of education in society all supported a growing culture of
patronage. Patronage is considered as the support, or encouragement that an organization or an
individual bestows to another. During the renaissance period, the Medici patronage played a huge
role in helping and supporting artists. The Medici family ruled the city of Florence throughout the
Renaissance. According to research, the Medici through their patronage of the arts and humanism
had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance.
Artists during the renaissance period
Through the renaissance period, there was the greatest artist who was known for their
sublime artistry. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello are known as
masters of the renaissance (Cole, 2012)
THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE 6
Leonardo da Vinci was an artist, inventor, draftsman, and polymath. His best-known
masterpieces include the Mona Lisa which is kept in the Louvre in Paris. Also, he created the
last supper the sketch of the Vitruvian Man. Also, there was Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti
Simoni he was an architect, artist, poet, and engineer. He was considered as the greatest artist
during the renaissance. He is well known for his sculpture of David and famous frescoes in the
Sistine Chapel depicting the scenes from Genesis and The Last Judgment. The third was Raffaello
Sanzio da Urbino he was a painter and an architect. He was a prolific artist and he was not from
Florence, he died much younger than Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donato. He was known by his
famous works which include his paintings of the Madonna of the Pinks, Saint George, and the
Dragon, Sistine Madonna and The School of Athens. Lastly, there was Donatello, he was a sculptor
whose most well-known works include his bronze sculpture of David, bronze roundel of Chellini
Madonna which symbolizes the virgin and child with four angels. Also, he painted the wooden
sculpture of penitent.
During the renaissance, there were political and economic changes that bought huge
transformation in all of Europe (Inglehart, 1988). There was a rise in a strong central government
and an increasingly urban economy. The middle ages were presided over by the catholic church.
The church used to preach about the denial of worldly pleasures. During that time the European
society was defined by the system of feudalism where societal classes were hierarchically divided
based on their position in the prevailing agrarian economy. Later in the middle ages, the situation
changes greatly whereby the church loses its power as monarchies rose to consolidate feudal
manors into powerful city-states and nation-states. The sates opposed the church in matters of tax
collection and legal jurisdictions. Apart from the rise of monarchies also money economy came
up. This happened because as monarchs brought peace to feudal society, feudal lords concentrated
THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE 7
less upon defending their lands and more upon accruing large quantities of cash, with which they
improved their style of living and dabbled in the growing market economy. According to Inglehart,
1988) the actions of the feudal lords led to the reduction of serfdom practice and later the serfs
became the tenants farmers and landowners. The trade of agricultural and manufactured goods
grew in importance and cities became populous and modern
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Italian Renaissance was a rebirth of classical values in art, literature, and
philosophy.it was considered as the period of artistic development in western art and its influence
spread across Europe. It promoted the cultural and scientific ideas that shaped the artistic thoughts.
Through the research above renaissance was caused by the increase in interaction between
different cultures, the emergence of humanism and different artistic and technological innovation.
The most prominent feature of the renaissance was the furthering of arts. During the renaissance
period painters such as Giotto, and sculptors such as Ghiberti experimented with techniques to
better portray perspective.
THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE 8
Reference
Cole, S. J. C. M. W. (2012). Italian Renaissance Art. Thames & Hudson.
Hay, D. (1977). The Italian Renaissance in its historical background. Cambridge University Press.
Inglehart, R. (1988). The renaissance of political culture. American political science review, 82(4),
1203-1230.
Miskimin, H. A. (1975). The economy of early Renaissance Europe, 1300-1460. Cambridge
University Press.
Routt, D. (2008). The economic impact of the Black Death. EH. net Encyclopedia.
Comment Summary Page 2
1. “This is not the correct format for an outline. Here is a good source that describes how to do a sentence outline: https://app.shoreline.edu/doldham/102/HTML/Sentence%20Outline.html ”
2. “This appears to be a topic statement instead of a real central argument for your paper. Remember that your thesis statement should be a one-sentence argument for your paper. The thesis should be something about your topic that your paper can “”prove”” in its course. Your thesis statement should be the last sentence in your introduction.