________The Renaissance was a direct response to the Middle Ages and the advancements and problems faced then. Literally meaning "the rebirth," the renaissance was a time of reconstruction after the drastic changes caused by warfare, the plague, and the feudalist society of the Middle Ages.
________The structure of the community during the Middle Ages was feudalistic. The nobles of the town protected the King, and in return they were given land. The peasants worked the land for the nobles, and from the nobles they received protection and their own small parcels of land. They worked from sunup to sundown, but even the nobles had few creature comforts. In feudal cities, where there was a small middle-class population, life was a little easier and individuals had the freedom to pursue whatever trade or industry they liked. When there was less and less threat of any barbaric attacks, many of the people moved out the country they were living in for protection, and looked for more opportunity in the towns and cities, desiring a more profitable way of life. As the fortunes of merchants, bankers, and tradesmen improved, they had more than enough money to meet their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. They began to desire larger, more luxurious homes, fine art for these residences, elaborate clothing to show off their wealth in public, and exotic foods to eat. These desires of the middle-class stimulated the economy.
________The middle-class population also had leisure time to spend on education and entertainment. In fact, education was essential for many middle-class professions. Bankers and accountants needed to understand arithmetic. Those trading with other countries needed a knowledge of foreign currencies and languages. Reading was essential for anyone who needed to understand a contract. In their leisure time, middle-class men and women enjoyed such pastimes as reading for pleasure, learning to play musical instruments, and studying a variety of topics unrelated to their businesses.
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Italian art during the 13th century took a radical turn from the methods of depicting the visible world in medieval art. Nicola Pisano is responsible for such a turn by invoking an interest in the forms of classical antiquity in the artists of the time. Giotto gave the human figure a greater sense of physical presence, and his work went on to influence Renaissance artists. The Lorenzetti brothers expanded his realism in the 14th century. Florence, an intellectual and artistic hotbed during the 15th century, was the main location in which the advancements of the Renaissance were born. The architecture, government and art of Florence convey this.
________Artists of the Renaissance portrayed subjects with an appreciation of all aspects of physical realism and nature. Artists and architects, such as Brunelleschi and Alberti, visited Rome and studied the ruins, the principles of which they incorporated in their own works.
________ The Renaissance was also a period of great progress in depicting realistic space and dimensionality. Perspective, developed by Masaccio, was a revolutionary concept, which allowed artists to realistically depict lines in space. They were also extremely aware of the visible world, in their portrayal of the human figure, with advancements in the studies of anatomy. Although looked down upon by the Florentine government and churches, several artists were allowed access to corpses, which they dissected and scrutinized, in order to render more realism in human form. During the Renaissance, works were also commissioned not only by the church, but by private wealthy patrons as well. Therefore, the art of the time was able to expand beyond the topics of religion, biblical stories or portraits, but secular art was created as well. Depictions of mythological stories and beings and the creation of decorative items and clothing were popular during the Renaissance. Portraiture, as well, began to flourish. Portraits commemorated notable citizens, events, and political leaders. These portraits emphasized individual characteristics and conveyed majesty simultaneously. Although the Renaissance originated in Florence, the changes in art were also apparent throughout Italy, particularly in Rome and Venice, as well as in Flemish, French and German art. Later, the influence of the Renaissance made its way to England and Spain, and carried the art of these countries out of the Gothic tradition.
________ The High Renaissance (c. 1490-1520) involved the shift of leadership in art from Florence to Rome and the culmination of the ideals of the period. The works of Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael best depict the order, grace, grandeur, harmony and technicality of the High Renaissance.
