im钱包下载app|renaissance

作者: im钱包下载app
2024-03-13 04:12:42

Renaissance - Wikipedia

Jump to content

Main menu

move to sidebar

hide

Navigation

Main pageContentsCurrent eventsRandom articleAbout WikipediaContact usDonate

Contribute

HelpLearn to editCommunity portalRecent changesUpload file

Create account

Personal tools

Create account Log in

Pages for logged out editors learn more

ContributionsTalk

Contents

move to sidebar

hide

(Top)

1Period

2Overview

3Origins

Toggle Origins subsection

3.1Latin and Greek phases of Renaissance humanism

3.2Social and political structures in Italy

3.3Black Death

3.4Cultural conditions in Florence

4Characteristics

Toggle Characteristics subsection

4.1Humanism

4.2Humanism and libraries

4.3Art

4.4Science

4.5Navigation and geography

4.6Music

4.7Religion

4.8Self-awareness

5Spread

Toggle Spread subsection

5.1England

5.2France

5.3Germany

5.4Hungarian trecento and quattrocento

5.5Renaissance in the Low Countries

5.6Northern Europe

5.7Poland

5.8Portugal

5.9Spain

5.10Further countries

6Historiography

Toggle Historiography subsection

6.1Conception

6.2Debates about progress

7Other Renaissances

8See also

9References

Toggle References subsection

9.1Explanatory notes

9.2Citations

9.3General sources

10Further reading

Toggle Further reading subsection

10.1Historiography

10.2Primary sources

11External links

Toggle the table of contents

Renaissance

156 languages

AfrikaansAlemannischአማርኛالعربيةAragonésԱրեւմտահայերէնAsturianuAvañe'ẽAzərbaycancaتۆرکجهBasa BaliবাংলাBân-lâm-gúБашҡортсаБеларускаяБеларуская (тарашкевіца)БългарскиBoarischབོད་ཡིགBosanskiBrezhonegБуряадCatalàЧӑвашлаCebuanoČeštinaCymraegDanskالدارجةDeutschEestiΕλληνικάEspañolEsperantoEstremeñuEuskaraفارسیFiji HindiFøroysktFrançaisFryskFurlanGaeilgeGàidhligGalego한국어HausaՀայերենहिन्दीHrvatskiIdoIlokanoBahasa IndonesiaInterlinguaÍslenskaItalianoעבריתJawaKabɩyɛಕನ್ನಡქართულიҚазақшаKernowekKiswahiliKreyòl ayisyenKriyòl gwiyannenKurdîКыргызчаLadinLatinaLatviešuLëtzebuergeschЛезгиLietuviųLigureLimburgsLingua Franca NovaLombardMagyarМакедонскиമലയാളംMaltiमराठीმარგალურიمصرىمازِرونیBahasa Melayu閩東語 / Mìng-dĕ̤ng-ngṳ̄MirandésМонголမြန်မာဘာသာNederlandsNedersaksiesनेपालीनेपाल भाषा日本語НохчийнNordfriiskNorsk bokmålNorsk nynorskNouormandOccitanOromooOʻzbekcha / ўзбекчаਪੰਜਾਬੀپنجابیပအိုဝ်ႏဘာႏသာႏپښتوPatoisPicardPiemontèisPlattdüütschPolskiPortuguêsRomânăRumantschРусиньскыйРусскийСаха тылаSakizayaSeelterskShqipSicilianuසිංහලSimple EnglishSlovenčinaSlovenščinaکوردیСрпски / srpskiSrpskohrvatski / српскохрватскиSundaSuomiSvenskaTagalogதமிழ்TaqbaylitతెలుగుไทยТоҷикӣTürkçeTürkmençeУкраїнськаاردوئۇيغۇرچە / UyghurcheVènetoTiếng ViệtVõro文言West-VlamsWinaray吴语ייִדיש粵語Žemaitėška中文Tolışi

Edit links

ArticleTalk

English

ReadView sourceView history

Tools

move to sidebar

hide

Actions

ReadView sourceView history

General

What links hereRelated changesUpload fileSpecial pagesPermanent linkPage informationCite this pageGet shortened URLDownload QR codeWikidata item

Print/export

Download as PDFPrintable version

In other projects

Wikimedia CommonsWikiquote

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

European cultural period of the 14th to 17th centuries

This article is about the European Renaissance of the 15th and 16th centuries. For the earlier European Renaissance, see Renaissance of the 12th century. For other uses, see Renaissance (disambiguation).

Florence, birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. The architectural perspective and new systems of banking and accounting were introduced during the time.The Renaissance (UK: /rɪˈneɪsəns/ rin-AY-sənss, US: /ˈrɛnəsɑːns/ ⓘ REN-ə-sahnss)[1][a] is a period in history and a cultural movement marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity, covering the 15th and 16th centuries and characterized by an effort to revive and surpass the ideas and achievements of classical antiquity; it was associated with great social change in most fields and disciplines, including art, architecture, politics, literature, exploration and science. It began in the Republic of Florence. The term rinascita ("rebirth") first appeared in Lives of the Artists (c. 1550) by Giorgio Vasari, while the corresponding French word renaissance was adopted into English as the term for this period during the 1830s.[3][b]

The Renaissance's intellectual basis was its version of humanism, derived from the concept of Roman humanitas and the rediscovery of classical Greek philosophy, such as that of Protagoras, who said that "man is the measure of all things". Early examples were the development of perspective in oil painting and the revived knowledge of how to make concrete. Although the invention of metal movable type sped the dissemination of ideas from the later 15th century, the changes of the Renaissance were not uniform across Europe: the first traces appear in Italy as early as the late 13th century, in particular with the writings of Dante and the paintings of Giotto.

As a cultural movement, the Renaissance encompassed innovative flowering of Latin and vernacular literatures, beginning with the 14th-century resurgence of learning based on classical sources, which contemporaries credited to Petrarch; the development of linear perspective and other techniques of rendering a more natural reality in painting; and gradual but widespread educational reform. In politics, the Renaissance contributed to the development of the customs and conventions of diplomacy, and in science to an increased reliance on observation and inductive reasoning. Although the Renaissance saw revolutions in many intellectual and social scientific pursuits, as well as the introduction of modern banking and the field of accounting,[4] it is perhaps best known for its artistic developments and the contributions of such polymaths as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, who inspired the term "Renaissance man".[5][6]

Period

The Renaissance period started during the crisis of the Late Middle Ages and conventionally ends by the 1600s with the waning of humanism, and the advents of Reformations and Counter-Reformation, and in art the Baroque period. It had a different period and characteristics in different regions, such as the Italian Renaissance, the Northern Renaissance, the Spanish Renaissance, etc.

In addition to the standard periodization, proponents of a "long Renaissance" may put its beginning in the 14th century and its end in the 17th century.[c]

The traditional view focuses more on the Renaissance's early modern aspects and argues that it was a break from the past, but many historians today focus more on its medieval aspects and argue that it was an extension of the Middle Ages.[10][11] The beginnings of the period—the early Renaissance of the 15th century and the Italian Proto-Renaissance from around 1250 or 1300—overlap considerably with the Late Middle Ages, conventionally dated to c. 1350–1500, and the Middle Ages themselves were a long period filled with gradual changes, like the modern age; as a transitional period between both, the Renaissance has close similarities to both, especially the late and early sub-periods of either.RenaissanceThe School of Athens (1509–11) by Raphael

Aspects

Architecture

Dance

Fine arts

Greek scholars

Humanism

Literature

Magic

Music

Philosophy

Science

Technology

Warfare

Regions

England

France

Germany

Italy

Poland

Portugal

Spain

Scotland

Northern Europe

Low Countries

History and study

Age of Discovery

Continuity thesis

High Renaissance

vte

The Renaissance began in Florence, one of the many states of Italy.[12] Various theories have been proposed to account for its origins and characteristics, focusing on a variety of factors, including Florence's social and civic peculiarities at the time: its political structure, the patronage of its dominant family, the Medici,[13] and the migration of Greek scholars and their texts to Italy following the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks.[14][15][16] Other major centers were Venice, Genoa, Milan, Rome during the Renaissance Papacy, and Naples. From Italy, the Renaissance spread throughout Europe and also to American, African and Asian territories ruled by the European colonial powers of the time or where Christian missionaries were active.

The Renaissance has a long and complex historiography, and in line with general skepticism of discrete periodizations, there has been much debate among historians reacting to the 19th-century glorification of the "Renaissance" and individual cultural heroes as "Renaissance men", questioning the usefulness of Renaissance as a term and as a historical delineation.[17]

Some observers have questioned whether the Renaissance was a cultural "advance" from the Middle Ages, instead seeing it as a period of pessimism and nostalgia for classical antiquity,[18] while social and economic historians, especially of the longue durée, have instead focused on the continuity between the two eras,[19] which are linked, as Panofsky observed, "by a thousand ties".[20][d]

The word has also been extended to other historical and cultural movements, such as the Carolingian Renaissance (8th and 9th centuries), Ottonian Renaissance (10th and 11th century), and the Renaissance of the 12th century.[22]

Overview

The Renaissance was a cultural movement that profoundly affected European intellectual life in the early modern period. Beginning in Italy, and spreading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence was felt in art, architecture, philosophy, literature, music, science, technology, politics, religion, and other aspects of intellectual inquiry. Renaissance scholars employed the humanist method in study, and searched for realism and human emotion in art.[23]

Renaissance humanists such as Poggio Bracciolini sought out in Europe's monastic libraries the Latin literary, historical, and oratorical texts of antiquity, while the fall of Constantinople (1453) generated a wave of émigré Greek scholars bringing precious manuscripts in ancient Greek, many of which had fallen into obscurity in the West. It was in their new focus on literary and historical texts that Renaissance scholars differed so markedly from the medieval scholars of the Renaissance of the 12th century, who had focused on studying Greek and Arabic works of natural sciences, philosophy, and mathematics, rather than on such cultural texts.[citation needed]

Portrait of a Young Woman (c. 1480–85) (Simonetta Vespucci) by Sandro Botticelli

In the revival of neoplatonism, Renaissance humanists did not reject Christianity; on the contrary, many of the Renaissance's greatest works were devoted to it, and the Church patronized many works of Renaissance art.[citation needed] But a subtle shift took place in the way that intellectuals approached religion that was reflected in many other areas of cultural life.[24][better source needed] In addition, many Greek Christian works, including the Greek New Testament, were brought back from Byzantium to Western Europe and engaged Western scholars for the first time since late antiquity. This new engagement with Greek Christian works, and particularly the return to the original Greek of the New Testament promoted by humanists Lorenzo Valla and Erasmus, helped pave the way for the Reformation.[citation needed]

Well after the first artistic return to classicism had been exemplified in the sculpture of Nicola Pisano, Florentine painters led by Masaccio strove to portray the human form realistically, developing techniques to render perspective and light more naturally. Political philosophers, most famously Niccolò Machiavelli, sought to describe political life as it really was, that is to understand it rationally. A critical contribution to Italian Renaissance humanism, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola wrote De hominis dignitate (Oration on the Dignity of Man, 1486), a series of theses on philosophy, natural thought, faith, and magic defended against any opponent on the grounds of reason. In addition to studying classical Latin and Greek, Renaissance authors also began increasingly to use vernacular languages; combined with the introduction of the printing press, this allowed many more people access to books, especially the Bible.[25]

In all, the Renaissance can be viewed as an attempt by intellectuals to study and improve the secular and worldly, both through the revival of ideas from antiquity and through novel approaches to thought. Political philosopher Hans Kohn describes it as an age where "Men looked for new foundations"; some like Erasmus and Thomas More envisioned new reformed spiritual foundations, others. in the words of Machiavelli, una lunga sperienza delle cose moderne ed una continua lezione delle antiche (a long experience with modern life and a continuous learning from antiquity).[26]

Sociologist Rodney Stark, plays down the Renaissance in favor of the earlier innovations of the Italian city-states in the High Middle Ages, which married responsive government, Christianity and the birth of capitalism.[27] This analysis argues that, whereas the great European states (France and Spain) were absolute monarchies, and others were under direct Church control, the independent city-republics of Italy took over the principles of capitalism invented on monastic estates and set off a vast unprecedented Commercial Revolution that preceded and financed the Renaissance.[citation needed]

Historian Leon Poliakov offers a critical view in his seminal study of European racist thought: The Aryan Myth. According to Poliakov, the use of ethnic origin myths are first used by Renaissance humanists "in the service of a new born chauvinism".[28][29]

Origins

Main article: Italian Renaissance

View of Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance

Many argue that the ideas characterizing the Renaissance had their origin in Florence at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, in particular with the writings of Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) and Petrarch (1304–1374), as well as the paintings of Giotto di Bondone (1267–1337). Some writers date the Renaissance quite precisely; one proposed starting point is 1401, when the rival geniuses Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi competed for the contract to build the bronze doors for the Baptistery of the Florence Cathedral (Ghiberti then won).[30] Others see more general competition between artists and polymaths such as Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, Donatello, and Masaccio for artistic commissions as sparking the creativity of the Renaissance.

Yet it remains much debated why the Renaissance began in Italy, and why it began when it did. Accordingly, several theories have been put forward to explain its origins. Peter Rietbergen posits that various influential Proto-Renaissance movements started from roughly 1300 onwards across many regions of Europe.[31]

Latin and Greek phases of Renaissance humanism

See also: Greek scholars in the Renaissance and Transmission of the Greek Classics

Coluccio Salutati

In stark contrast to the High Middle Ages, when Latin scholars focused almost entirely on studying Greek and Arabic works of natural science, philosophy and mathematics,[e] Renaissance scholars were most interested in recovering and studying Latin and Greek literary, historical, and oratorical texts. Broadly speaking, this began in the 14th century with a Latin phase, when Renaissance scholars such as Petrarch, Coluccio Salutati (1331–1406), Niccolò de' Niccoli (1364–1437), and Poggio Bracciolini (1380–1459) scoured the libraries of Europe in search of works by such Latin authors as Cicero, Lucretius, Livy, and Seneca.[32] By the early 15th century, the bulk of the surviving such Latin literature had been recovered; the Greek phase of Renaissance humanism was under way, as Western European scholars turned to recovering ancient Greek literary, historical, oratorical and theological texts.[33]

Unlike with Latin texts, which had been preserved and studied in Western Europe since late antiquity, the study of ancient Greek texts was very limited in medieval Western Europe. Ancient Greek works on science, mathematics, and philosophy had been studied since the High Middle Ages in Western Europe and in the Islamic Golden Age (normally in translation), but Greek literary, oratorical and historical works (such as Homer, the Greek dramatists, Demosthenes and Thucydides) were not studied in either the Latin or medieval Islamic worlds; in the Middle Ages these sorts of texts were only studied by Byzantine scholars. Some argue that the Timurid Renaissance in Samarkand and Herat, whose magnificence toned with Florence as the center of a cultural rebirth,[34][35] were linked to the Ottoman Empire, whose conquests led to the migration of Greek scholars to Italian cities.[36][full citation needed][37][full citation needed][14][38] One of the greatest achievements of Renaissance scholars was to bring this entire class of Greek cultural works back into Western Europe for the first time since late antiquity.

Muslim logicians, most notably Avicenna and Averroes, had inherited Greek ideas after they had invaded and conquered Egypt and the Levant. Their translations and commentaries on these ideas worked their way through the Arab West into Iberia and Sicily, which became important centers for this transmission of ideas. Between the 11th and 13th centuries, many schools dedicated to the translation of philosophical and scientific works from Classical Arabic to Medieval Latin were established in Iberia, most notably the Toledo School of Translators. This work of translation from Islamic culture, though largely unplanned and disorganized, constituted one of the greatest transmissions of ideas in history.[39]

The movement to reintegrate the regular study of Greek literary, historical, oratorical, and theological texts back into the Western European curriculum is usually dated to the 1396 invitation from Coluccio Salutati to the Byzantine diplomat and scholar Manuel Chrysoloras (c. 1355–1415) to teach Greek in Florence.[40] This legacy was continued by a number of expatriate Greek scholars, from Basilios Bessarion to Leo Allatius.

Social and political structures in Italy

A political map of the Italian Peninsula circa 1494

The unique political structures of Italy during the Late Middle Ages have led some to theorize that its unusual social climate allowed the emergence of a rare cultural efflorescence. Italy did not exist as a political entity in the early modern period. Instead, it was divided into smaller city-states and territories: the Neapolitans controlled the south, the Florentines and the Romans at the center, the Milanese and the Genoese to the north and west respectively, and the Venetians to the east. 15th-century Italy was one of the most urbanized areas in Europe.[41] Many of its cities stood among the ruins of ancient Roman buildings; it seems likely that the classical nature of the Renaissance was linked to its origin in the Roman Empire's heartland.[42]

Historian and political philosopher Quentin Skinner points out that Otto of Freising (c. 1114–1158), a German bishop visiting north Italy during the 12th century, noticed a widespread new form of political and social organization, observing that Italy appeared to have exited from feudalism so that its society was based on merchants and commerce. Linked to this was anti-monarchical thinking, represented in the famous early Renaissance fresco cycle The Allegory of Good and Bad Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti (painted 1338–1340), whose strong message is about the virtues of fairness, justice, republicanism and good administration. Holding both Church and Empire at bay, these city republics were devoted to notions of liberty. Skinner reports that there were many defences of liberty such as the Matteo Palmieri (1406–1475) celebration of Florentine genius not only in art, sculpture and architecture, but "the remarkable efflorescence of moral, social and political philosophy that occurred in Florence at the same time".[43]

Even cities and states beyond central Italy, such as the Republic of Florence at this time, were also notable for their merchant republics, especially the Republic of Venice. Although in practice these were oligarchical, and bore little resemblance to a modern democracy, they did have democratic features and were responsive states, with forms of participation in governance and belief in liberty.[43][44][45] The relative political freedom they afforded was conducive to academic and artistic advancement.[46] Likewise, the position of Italian cities such as Venice as great trading centres made them intellectual crossroads. Merchants brought with them ideas from far corners of the globe, particularly the Levant. Venice was Europe's gateway to trade with the East, and a producer of fine glass, while Florence was a capital of textiles. The wealth such business brought to Italy meant large public and private artistic projects could be commissioned and individuals had more leisure time for study.[46]

Black Death

Main article: Black Death

Pieter Bruegel's The Triumph of Death (c. 1562) reflects the social upheaval and terror that followed the plague that devastated medieval Europe.

One theory that has been advanced is that the devastation in Florence caused by the Black Death, which hit Europe between 1348 and 1350, resulted in a shift in the world view of people in 14th century Italy. Italy was particularly badly hit by the plague, and it has been speculated that the resulting familiarity with death caused thinkers to dwell more on their lives on Earth, rather than on spirituality and the afterlife.[47] It has also been argued that the Black Death prompted a new wave of piety, manifested in the sponsorship of religious works of art.[48] However, this does not fully explain why the Renaissance occurred specifically in Italy in the 14th century. The Black Death was a pandemic that affected all of Europe in the ways described, not only Italy. The Renaissance's emergence in Italy was most likely the result of the complex interaction of the above factors.[17]

The plague was carried by fleas on sailing vessels returning from the ports of Asia, spreading quickly due to lack of proper sanitation: the population of England, then about 4.2 million, lost 1.4 million people to the bubonic plague. Florence's population was nearly halved in the year 1347. As a result of the decimation in the populace the value of the working class increased, and commoners came to enjoy more freedom. To answer the increased need for labor, workers traveled in search of the most favorable position economically.[49]

The demographic decline due to the plague had economic consequences: the prices of food dropped and land values declined by 30–40% in most parts of Europe between 1350 and 1400.[50] Landholders faced a great loss, but for ordinary men and women it was a windfall. The survivors of the plague found not only that the prices of food were cheaper but also that lands were more abundant, and many of them inherited property from their dead relatives.

The spread of disease was significantly more rampant in areas of poverty. Epidemics ravaged cities, particularly children. Plagues were easily spread by lice, unsanitary drinking water, armies, or by poor sanitation. Children were hit the hardest because many diseases, such as typhus and congenital syphilis, target the immune system, leaving young children without a fighting chance. Children in city dwellings were more affected by the spread of disease than the children of the wealthy.[51]

The Black Death caused greater upheaval to Florence's social and political structure than later epidemics. Despite a significant number of deaths among members of the ruling classes, the government of Florence continued to function during this period. Formal meetings of elected representatives were suspended during the height of the epidemic due to the chaotic conditions in the city, but a small group of officials was appointed to conduct the affairs of the city, which ensured continuity of government.[52]

Cultural conditions in Florence

Renaissance | Definition, Meaning, History, Artists, Art, & Facts | Britannica

Search Britannica

Click here to search

Search Britannica

Click here to search

Home

Games & Quizzes

History & Society

Science & Tech

Biographies

Animals & Nature

Geography & Travel

Arts & Culture

Money

Videos

On This Day

One Good Fact

Dictionary

New Articles

History & Society

Lifestyles & Social Issues

Philosophy & Religion

Politics, Law & Government

World History

Science & Tech

Health & Medicine

Science

Technology

Biographies

Browse Biographies

Animals & Nature

Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates

Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates

Environment

Fossils & Geologic Time

Mammals

Plants

Geography & Travel

Arts & Culture

Entertainment & Pop Culture

Literature

Sports & Recreation

Visual Arts

Companions

Demystified

Image Galleries

Infographics

Lists

Podcasts

Spotlights

Summaries

The Forum

Top Questions

#WTFact

100 Women

Britannica Kids

Saving Earth

Space Next 50

Student Center

Home

Games & Quizzes

History & Society

Science & Tech

Biographies

Animals & Nature

Geography & Travel

Arts & Culture

Money

Videos

Renaissance

Table of Contents

Renaissance

Table of Contents

Introduction & Top QuestionsOrigins and rise of humanismArtistic developments and the emergence of FlorenceThe High RenaissanceCompetition from Mannerism

References & Edit History

Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

For Students

Renaissance Key Facts

Renaissance Timeline

Renaissance Causes and Effects

Quizzes

History Buff Quiz

Artists of the Italian Renaissance Quiz

Top Questions

What does the word “Renaissance” mean?Renaissance is a French word meaning “rebirth.” It refers to a period in European civilization that was marked by a revival of Classical learning and wisdom. The Renaissance saw many contributions to different fields, including new scientific laws, new forms of art and architecture, and new religious and political ideas. When did the Renaissance happen?There is some debate over when exactly the Renaissance began. However, it is generally believed to have begun in Italy during the 14th century, after the end of the Middle Ages, and it reached its height there between the 1490s and the 1520s, a period referred to as the High Renaissance. Renaissance ideas and ways of thinking also began spreading to the rest of Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Renaissance as a unified historical period ended in Italy with the fall of Rome in 1527, and it was eclipsed by the Reformation and Counter-Reformation elsewhere in Europe by the end of the 16th century. Who are some important people of the Renaissance?Prominent figures of the Renaissance, understood as a broadly European era, include philosopher and statesman Niccolò Machiavelli, known for the political treatise The Prince; Francis Bacon, a statesman and philosopher considered the master of the English tongue; the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who developed the theory that the solar system was centred on the Sun; the poets Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio, who laid the foundations for humanism, the mode of thought at the core of the Renaissance; William Shakespeare, considered the greatest English dramatist of all time; astronomer and mathematician Galileo, who helped disprove much medieval-era thinking in science; and the explorers Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, and Hernán Cortés. What is Renaissance art?One of the fields that embodied the Renaissance was fine art, especially painting and sculpture. Renaissance art was inspired by Classical Greek and Roman art, and it is known for its grace, harmony, and beauty. Artists worked from the living model and perfected techniques such as the use of perspective. In addition, the Renaissance saw the refinement of mediums, notably oils. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael are widely considered the leading artists of the period. What does “Renaissance man” mean?The idea of a Renaissance man developed in Italy and derived from Leon Battista Alberti’s notion that “a man can do all things if he will.” The ideal embodied the basic tenets of Renaissance humanism, which considered humankind the centre of the universe and led to the belief that people should try to embrace all knowledge and develop their own abilities as fully as possible. Leonardo da Vinci is a leading example of a Renaissance man, noted for his achievements in art, science, music, invention, and writing. Renaissance, period in European civilization immediately following the Middle Ages and conventionally held to have been characterized by a surge of interest in Classical scholarship and values. The Renaissance also witnessed the discovery and exploration of new continents, the substitution of the Copernican for the Ptolemaic system of astronomy, the decline of the feudal system and the growth of commerce, and the invention or application of such potentially powerful innovations as paper, printing, the mariner’s compass, and gunpowder. To the scholars and thinkers of the day, however, it was primarily a time of the revival of Classical learning and wisdom after a long period of cultural decline and stagnation. A brief treatment of the Renaissance follows. For full treatment, see history of Europe: The Renaissance. Origins and rise of humanism PetrarchPetrarch, engraving.(more)The term Middle Ages was coined by scholars in the 15th century to designate the interval between the downfall of the Classical world of Greece and Rome and its rediscovery at the beginning of their own century, a revival in which they felt they were participating. Indeed, the notion of a long period of cultural darkness had been expressed by Petrarch even earlier. Events at the end of the Middle Ages, particularly beginning in the 12th century, set in motion a series of social, political, and intellectual transformations that culminated in the Renaissance. These included the increasing failure of the Roman Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire to provide a stable and unifying framework for the organization of spiritual and material life, the rise in importance of city-states and national monarchies, the development of national languages, and the breakup of the old feudal structures. Marsilio FicinoWhile the spirit of the Renaissance ultimately took many forms, it was expressed earliest by the intellectual movement called humanism. Humanism was initiated by secular men of letters rather than by the scholar-clerics who had dominated medieval intellectual life and had developed the Scholastic philosophy. Humanism began and achieved fruition first in Italy. Its predecessors were men like Dante and Petrarch, and its chief protagonists included Giannozzo Manetti, Leonardo Bruni, Marsilio Ficino, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Lorenzo Valla, and Coluccio Salutati. The fall of Constantinople in 1453 provided humanism with a major boost, for many eastern scholars fled to Italy, bringing with them important books and manuscripts and a tradition of Greek scholarship.

Britannica Quiz

Artists of the Italian Renaissance Quiz

Hans Holbein the Younger: ErasmusErasmus, oil on panel by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1523–24; in the Louvre, Paris. 43 × 33 cm.(more)Humanism had several significant features. First, it took human nature in all of its various manifestations and achievements as its subject. Second, it stressed the unity and compatibility of the truth found in all philosophical and theological schools and systems, a doctrine known as syncretism. Third, it emphasized the dignity of humankind. In place of the medieval ideal of a life of penance as the highest and noblest form of human activity, the humanists looked to the struggle of creation and the attempt to exert mastery over nature. Finally, humanism looked forward to a rebirth of a lost human spirit and wisdom. In the course of striving to recover it, however, the humanists assisted in the consolidation of a new spiritual and intellectual outlook and in the development of a new body of knowledge. The effect of humanism was to help men break free from the mental strictures imposed by religious orthodoxy, to inspire free inquiry and criticism, and to inspire a new confidence in the possibilities of human thought and creations. From Italy the new humanist spirit and the Renaissance it engendered spread north to all parts of Europe, aided by the invention of the mechanized printing press, which allowed literacy and the availability of Classical texts to grow explosively. Foremost among northern humanists was Desiderius Erasmus, whose Praise of Folly (1509) epitomized the moral essence of humanism in its insistence on heartfelt goodness as opposed to formalistic piety. The intellectual stimulation provided by humanists helped spark the Reformation, from which, however, many humanists, including Erasmus, recoiled. By the end of the 16th century the battle of Reformation and Counter-Reformation had commanded much of Europe’s energy and attention, while the intellectual life was poised on the brink of the Enlightenment.

Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content.

Subscribe Now

Artistic developments and the emergence of Florence Leonardo da Vinci: self-portraitSelf-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci in red chalk, c. 1512–15.(more)Leonardo da Vinci: ornithopterLeonardo da Vinci's plans for an ornithopter, a flying machine kept aloft by the beating of its wings, c. 1490.(more)Pietro Lorenzetti: Birth of the VirginBirth of the Virgin, triptych by Pietro Lorenzetti, 1342; in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Siena, Italy.(more)Fra Angelico: The AnnunciationThe Annunciation, fresco by Fra Angelico, 1438–45; in the Museum of San Marco, Florence.(more)Sandro Botticelli: Birth of VenusBirth of Venus, tempera on canvas by Sandro Botticelli, c. 1485; in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence.(more)Santa Maria NovellaSanta Maria Novella, Florence, facade by Leon Battista Alberti, 1456–70.(more)Andrea Palladio: Loggia del CapitanioLoggia del Capitanio, a gallery designed by Andrea Palladio, in Vicenza, Italy.(more)It was in art that the spirit of the Renaissance achieved its sharpest formulation. Art came to be seen as a branch of knowledge, valuable in its own right and capable of providing people with images of God and his creations as well as with insights into humankind’s position in the universe. In the hands of men such as Leonardo da Vinci it was even a science, a means for exploring nature and a record of discoveries. Art was to be based on the observation of the visible world and practiced according to mathematical principles of balance, harmony, and perspective, which were developed at this time. In the works of painters such as Masaccio, the brothers Pietro and Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Fra Angelico, Sandro Botticelli, Perugino, Piero della Francesca, Raphael, and Titian; sculptors such as Giovanni Pisano, Donatello, Andrea del Verrocchio, Lorenzo Ghiberti, and Michelangelo; and architects such as Leon Battista Alberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, Andrea Palladio, Michelozzo, and Filarete, the dignity of humanity found expression in the arts. Giotto: St. Francis of Assisi Receiving the StigmataSt. Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata, wood panel by Giotto, c. 1295–1300; in the Louvre, Paris. 313 × 163 cm.(more)Giotto di Bondone: St. Francis of Assisi Receiving the StigmataSt. Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata, fresco attributed to Giotto di Bondone, c. 1300; in the upper church of San Francesco, Assisi, Italy.(more)Duccio: The Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic and AureaThe Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic and Aurea, tempera on wood by Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1315; in the National Gallery, London.(more)In Italy the Renaissance proper was preceded by an important “proto-renaissance” in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, which drew inspiration from Franciscan radicalism. St. Francis of Assisi had rejected the formal Scholasticism of the prevailing Christian theology and gone out among the poor praising the beauties and spiritual value of nature. His example inspired Italian artists and poets to take pleasure in the world around them. The work of the most famous artist of the proto-renaissance period, Giotto (1266/67 or 1276–1337), reveals a new pictorial style that depends on clear, simple structure and great psychological penetration rather than on the flat, linear decorativeness and hierarchical compositions of his predecessors and contemporaries, such as the Florentine painter Cimabue and the Siennese painters Duccio and Simone Martini. The great poet Dante lived at about the same time as Giotto, and his poetry shows a similar concern with inward experience and the subtle shades and variations of human nature. Although his Divine Comedy belongs to the Middle Ages in its plan and ideas, its subjective spirit and power of expression look forward to the Renaissance. Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio also belong to this proto-renaissance period, both through their extensive studies of Latin literature and through their writings in the vernacular. Unfortunately, the terrible plague of 1348 (known as the Black Death) and subsequent civil wars submerged both the revival of humanistic studies and the growing interest in individualism and naturalism revealed in the works of Giotto and Dante. The spirit of the Renaissance did not surface again until the 15th century. Lorenzo Ghiberti: Gates of ParadiseGates of Paradise, gilded bronze doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti, 1425–52; on the east side of the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Florence. (more)Donatello: DavidDavid, sculpture by Donatello, early 15th century.(more)Masaccio: The Tribute MoneyThe Tribute Money, fresco by Masaccio, 1425; in the Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy.(more)Piero della Francesca: Flagellation of ChristFlagellation of Christ, tempera on wood panel by Piero della Francesca, late 1450s; in the National Gallery of the Marches, Urbino, Italy. (more)In 1401−02 the goldsmith and painter Lorenzo Ghiberti won a competition held at Florence and was awarded the commission for bronze doors to be placed on the baptistery of San Giovanni. According to traditional accounts, Filippo Brunelleschi, who was among Ghiberti’s competitors, and his friend Donatello left for Rome soon after; there they immersed themselves in the study of ancient architecture and sculpture. When they returned to Florence and began to put their knowledge into practice, the rationalized art of the ancient world was reborn. The founder of Renaissance painting was Masaccio (1401–28). The intellectuality of his conceptions, the monumentality of his compositions, and the high degree of naturalism in his works mark Masaccio as a pivotal figure in Renaissance painting. The succeeding generation of artists—Piero della Francesca, the Pollaiuolo brothers, and Andrea del Verrocchio—pressed forward with researches into linear and aerial perspective and anatomy, developing a style of scientific naturalism. the DuomoCathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo) in Florence, constructed between 1296 and 1436 (dome by Filippo Brunelleschi, 1420–36).(more)The situation in Florence was uniquely favourable to the arts. The civic pride of Florentines found expression in statues of the patron saints commissioned from Ghiberti and Donatello for niches in the grain-market guildhall known as Or San Michele, and in the largest dome built since antiquity, placed by Brunelleschi on the Duomo. The cost of construction and decoration of palaces, churches, and monasteries was underwritten by wealthy merchant families, chief among whom were the Medici family.

The Adoration of the ShepherdsThe Adoration of the Shepherds, centre panel of the Portinari Altarpiece, by Hugo van der Goes, c. 1474–76; in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence.(more)The Medici traded in all of the major cities in Europe, and one of the most famous masterpieces of Northern Renaissance art, The Portinari Altarpiece, by Hugo van der Goes (c. 1476; Uffizi, Florence), was commissioned by their agent, Tommaso Portinari. Instead of being painted with the customary tempera of the period, the work is painted with translucent oil glazes that produce brilliant jewel-like colour and a glossy surface. Early Northern Renaissance painters were more concerned with the detailed reproduction of objects and their symbolic meaning than with the study of scientific perspective and anatomy even after these achievements became widely known. On the other hand, central Italian painters began to adopt the oil medium soon after The Portinari Altarpiece was brought to Florence in 1476.

Renaissance Period: Timeline, Art & Facts | HISTORY

issance Period: Timeline, Art & Facts | HISTORYShowsThis Day In HistoryScheduleTopicsStoriesHistory ClassicsLive TVYour ProfileYour ProfileHistoryFind History on Facebook (Opens in a new window)Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window)Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window)Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window)Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window)Email UpdatesLive TVHistory ClassicsShowsThis Day In HistoryScheduleTopicsStoriesVideosHistory PodcastsHistory VaultShopHomeTopicsRenaissanceRenaissanceRenaissanceBy: History.com EditorsUpdated: August 11, 2023 | Original: April 4, 2018copy page linkPrint PageFine Art Images/Heritage Images via Getty ImagesTable of ContentsFrom Darkness to Light: The Renaissance Begins Humanism Medici Family Renaissance Geniuses Renaissance Impact on Art, Architecture and Science Renaissance Exploration Renaissance Religion End of the Renaissance Debate Over the Renaissance Sources The Renaissance was a fervent period of European cultural, artistic, political and economic “rebirth” following the Middle Ages. Generally described as taking place from the 14th century to the 17th century, the Renaissance promoted the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature and art. Some of the greatest thinkers, authors, statesmen, scientists and artists in human history thrived during this era, while global exploration opened up new lands and cultures to European commerce. The Renaissance is credited with bridging the gap between the Middle Ages and modern-day civilization. From Darkness to Light: The Renaissance Begins During the Middle Ages, a period that took place between the fall of ancient Rome in 476 A.D. and the beginning of the 14th century, Europeans made few advances in science and art.Also known as the “Dark Ages,” the era is often branded as a time of war, ignorance, famine and pandemics such as the Black Death.Some historians, however, believe that such grim depictions of the Middle Ages were greatly exaggerated, though many agree that there was relatively little regard for ancient Greek and Roman philosophies and learning at the time.Humanism During the 14th century, a cultural movement called humanism began to gain momentum in Italy. Among its many principles, humanism promoted the idea that man was the center of his own universe, and people should embrace human achievements in education, classical arts, literature and science.In 1450, the invention of the Gutenberg printing press allowed for improved communication throughout Europe and for ideas to spread more quickly.As a result of this advance in communication, little-known texts from early humanist authors such as those by Francesco Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio, which promoted the renewal of traditional Greek and Roman culture and values, were printed and distributed to the masses.Additionally, many scholars believe advances in international finance and trade impacted culture in Europe and set the stage for the Renaissance.Medici Family The Renaissance started in Florence, Italy, a place with a rich cultural history where wealthy citizens could afford to support budding artists.Members of the powerful Medici family, which ruled Florence for more than 60 years, were famous backers of the movement.Great Italian writers, artists, politicians and others declared that they were participating in an intellectual and artistic revolution that would be much different from what they experienced during the Dark Ages.The movement first expanded to other Italian city-states, such as Venice, Milan, Bologna, Ferrara and Rome. Then, during the 15th century, Renaissance ideas spread from Italy to France and then throughout western and northern Europe.Although other European countries experienced their Renaissance later than Italy, the impacts were still revolutionary.Renaissance Geniuses Some of the most famous and groundbreaking Renaissance intellectuals, artists, scientists and writers include the likes of: Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519): Italian painter, architect, inventor and “Renaissance man” responsible for painting “The Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper. Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536): Scholar from Holland who defined the humanist movement in Northern Europe. Translator of the New Testament into Greek. Rene Descartes (1596–1650): French philosopher and mathematician regarded as the father of modern philosophy. Famous for stating, “I think; therefore I am.” Galileo (1564-1642): Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer whose pioneering work with telescopes enabled him to describes the moons of Jupiter and rings of Saturn. Placed under house arrest for his views of a heliocentric universe. Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543): Mathematician and astronomer who made first modern scientific argument for the concept of a heliocentric solar system. Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679): English philosopher and author of “Leviathan.” Geoffrey Chaucer (1343–1400): English poet and author of “The Canterbury Tales.” Giotto (1266-1337): Italian painter and architect whose more realistic depictions of human emotions influenced generations of artists. Best known for his frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. Dante (1265–1321): Italian philosopher, poet, writer and political thinker who authored “The Divine Comedy.” Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527): Italian diplomat and philosopher famous for writing “The Prince” and “The Discourses on Livy.” Titian (1488–1576): Italian painter celebrated for his portraits of Pope Paul III and Charles I and his later religious and mythical paintings like “Venus and Adonis” and "Metamorphoses." William Tyndale (1494–1536): English biblical translator, humanist and scholar burned at the stake for translating the Bible into English. William Byrd (1539/40–1623): English composer known for his development of the English madrigal and his religious organ music. John Milton (1608–1674): English poet and historian who wrote the epic poem “Paradise Lost.” William Shakespeare (1564–1616): England’s “national poet” and the most famous playwright of all time, celebrated for his sonnets and plays like “Romeo and Juliet." Donatello (1386–1466): Italian sculptor celebrated for lifelike sculptures like “David,” commissioned by the Medici family. Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510): Italian painter of “Birth of Venus.” Raphael (1483–1520): Italian painter who learned from da Vinci and Michelangelo. Best known for his paintings of the Madonna and “The School of Athens.” Michelangelo (1475–1564): Italian sculptor, painter and architect who carved “David” and painted The Sistine Chapel in Rome. William ShakespeareRenaissance Impact on Art, Architecture and Science Art, architecture and science were closely linked during the Renaissance. In fact, it was a unique time when these fields of study fused together seamlessly.For instance, artists like da Vinci incorporated scientific principles, such as anatomy into their work, so they could recreate the human body with extraordinary precision.Architects such as Filippo Brunelleschi studied mathematics to accurately engineer and design immense buildings with expansive domes.Scientific discoveries led to major shifts in thinking: Galileo and Descartes presented a new view of astronomy and mathematics, while Copernicus proposed that the Sun, not the Earth, was the center of the solar system.Renaissance art was characterized by realism and naturalism. Artists strived to depict people and objects in a true-to-life way.They used techniques, such as perspective, shadows and light to add depth to their work. Emotion was another quality that artists tried to infuse into their pieces.Some of the most famous artistic works that were produced during the Renaissance include:The Mona Lisa (Da Vinci)The Last Supper (Da Vinci)Statue of David (Michelangelo)The Birth of Venus (Botticelli)The Creation of Adam (Michelangelo)Renaissance Exploration While many artists and thinkers used their talents to express new ideas, some Europeans took to the seas to learn more about the world around them. In a period known as the Age of Discovery, several important explorations were made.Voyagers launched expeditions to travel the entire globe. They discovered new shipping routes to the Americas, India and the Far East and explorers trekked across areas that weren’t fully mapped.Famous journeys were taken by Ferdinand Magellan, Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci (after whom America is named), Marco Polo, Ponce de Leon, Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Hernando De Soto and other explorers.History Lists: Explorers Not Named ColumbusRenaissance Religion Humanism encouraged Europeans to question the role of the Roman Catholic church during the Renaissance.As more people learned how to read, write and interpret ideas, they began to closely examine and critique religion as they knew it. Also, the printing press allowed for texts, including the Bible, to be easily reproduced and widely read by the people, themselves, for the first time.In the 16th century, Martin Luther, a German monk, led the Protestant Reformation – a revolutionary movement that caused a split in the Catholic church. Luther questioned many of the practices of the church and whether they aligned with the teachings of the Bible.As a result, a new form of Christianity, known as Protestantism, was created.End of the Renaissance Scholars believe the demise of the Renaissance was the result of several compounding factors.By the end of the 15th century, numerous wars had plagued the Italian peninsula. Spanish, French and German invaders battling for Italian territories caused disruption and instability in the region.Also, changing trade routes led to a period of economic decline and limited the amount of money that wealthy contributors could spend on the arts.Later, in a movement known as the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic church censored artists and writers in response to the Protestant Reformation. Many Renaissance thinkers feared being too bold, which stifled creativity.Furthermore, in 1545, the Council of Trent established the Roman Inquisition, which made humanism and any views that challenged the Catholic church an act of heresy punishable by death.By the early 17th century, the Renaissance movement had died out, giving way to the Age of Enlightenment.Debate Over the Renaissance While many scholars view the Renaissance as a unique and exciting time in European history, others argue that the period wasn’t much different from the Middle Ages and that both eras overlapped more than traditional accounts suggest.Also, some modern historians believe that the Middle Ages had a cultural identity that’s been downplayed throughout history and overshadowed by the Renaissance era.While the exact timing and overall impact of the Renaissance is sometimes debated, there’s little dispute that the events of the period ultimately led to advances that changed the way people understood and interpreted the world around them.HISTORY Vault: World HistoryStream scores of videos about world history, from the Crusades to the Third Reich.WATCH NOWSources The Renaissance, History World International.The Renaissance – Why it Changed the World, The Telegraph.Facts About the Renaissance, Biography Online.Facts About the Renaissance Period, Interestingfacts.org.What is Humanism? International Humanist and Ethical Union.Why Did the Italian Renaissance End? Dailyhistory.org.The Myth of the Renaissance in Europe, BBC.HISTORY VaultStream thousands of hours of acclaimed series, probing documentaries and captivating specials commercial-free in HISTORY VaultWATCH NOWBy: History.com EditorsHISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Matt Mullen and Christian Zapata.

Citation InformationArticle TitleRenaissanceAuthorHistory.com EditorsWebsite NameHISTORYURLhttps://www.history.com/topics/renaissance/renaissanceDate AccessedMarch 12, 2024PublisherA&E Television NetworksLast UpdatedAugust 11, 2023Original Published DateApril 4, 2018Fact CheckWe strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.Print PageSign up for Inside HistoryGet HISTORY’s most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week.Sign UpBy submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Networks. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.More details: Privacy Notice | Terms of Use | Contact UsA+E NetworksOur Family of BrandsHistory EducationHistory VaultMobile/AppsNewsShopShare Your OpinionFollow Historydepm+BiographyCrime and InvestigationHistory en EspanolLRWMilitary HistoryAd ChoicesAdvertise With UsAccessibility SupportCopyright PolicyCorporate InformationEmployment OpportunitiesFAQ/Contact UsPrivacy NoticeCookie NoticeTerms Of UseTV Parental GuidelinesContact UsCopyright PolicyPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseAd ChoicesAccessibility Support© 2024, A&E Television Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserv

Renaissance | Key Facts | Britannica

Search Britannica

Click here to search

Search Britannica

Click here to search

Home

Games & Quizzes

History & Society

Science & Tech

Biographies

Animals & Nature

Geography & Travel

Arts & Culture

Money

Videos

On This Day

One Good Fact

Dictionary

New Articles

History & Society

Lifestyles & Social Issues

Philosophy & Religion

Politics, Law & Government

World History

Science & Tech

Health & Medicine

Science

Technology

Biographies

Browse Biographies

Animals & Nature

Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates

Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates

Environment

Fossils & Geologic Time

Mammals

Plants

Geography & Travel

Arts & Culture

Entertainment & Pop Culture

Literature

Sports & Recreation

Visual Arts

Companions

Demystified

Image Galleries

Infographics

Lists

Podcasts

Spotlights

Summaries

The Forum

Top Questions

#WTFact

100 Women

Britannica Kids

Saving Earth

Space Next 50

Student Center

Home

Games & Quizzes

History & Society

Science & Tech

Biographies

Animals & Nature

Geography & Travel

Arts & Culture

Money

Videos

Renaissance

Table of Contents

Renaissance

Related Summaries

Renaissance Timeline

Renaissance Causes and Effects

Discover

Nostradamus and His Prophecies

10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci

7 Famous Child Prodigies

Why Doesn’t Arizona Observe Daylight Saving Time?

How Did Alexander the Great Really Die?

Nostradamus and His Prophecies

Titanosaurs: 8 of the World's Biggest Dinosaurs

Home

Philosophy & Religion

Philosophical Issues

Renaissance Article

Renaissance Key Facts

Actions

Cite

verifiedCite

While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.

Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

Select Citation Style

MLA

APA

Chicago Manual of Style

Copy Citation

Share to social media

Facebook

Twitter

URL

https://www.britannica.com/summary/Renaissance-Key-Facts

Cite

verifiedCite

While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.

Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

Select Citation Style

MLA

APA

Chicago Manual of Style

Copy Citation

Share to social media

Facebook

Twitter

URL

https://www.britannica.com/summary/Renaissance-Key-Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

School of AthensRaphael's painting School of Athens shows Plato and Aristotle (center) surrounded by other philosophers from all periods of history. It is a symbolic painting suggesting the philosophical dominance of Athens, Greece, in the ancient world.(more)Erich Lessing/Art Resource, New YorkThe Renaissance (French for “rebirth”) followed the Middle Ages in Europe. The Renaissance period was characterized by a renewed interest in Classical Greek and Roman scholarship and values. In the 1100s several events occurred that would eventually lead to the Renaissance. Among those were the failure of the Roman Catholic Church to provide a stable framework for the organization of spiritual and material life, the growth in importance of city-states, the rise of national monarchies, and the breakup of old feudal structures. The spirit of the Renaissance was first expressed by the movement called humanism. Through humanism secular scholars and others broke free of religious orthodoxy, engaged in free inquiry and criticism, and gained confidence in the potentials of human thought and creations. St. Francis of AssisiSt. Francis of Assisi, painting by an unknown artist.(more)© zatletic/FotoliaA “proto-renaissance” occurred in Italy in the late 1200s and early 1300s, based on humanism and the work of St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan religious order of the Roman Catholic Church. He was known for praising the beauty and spiritual value of nature. Artists were inspired by his example to take pleasure in the natural world around them and to study beauty as a path to the divine. Giotto: frescoes in Arena ChapelGiotto painted frescoes in the Arena Chapel in Padua, Italy, about 1305–06.(more)© Enrico Della Pietra/stock.adobe.comThe most famous artists of this time included painter Giotto and poet Dante. Giotto rejected the decorative art of his predecessors and developed a clearer, simpler structure and portrayed great psychological depth. Dante’s The Divine Comedy anticipated the more complex studies of human nature common in the Renaissance. Writers Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio also belonged to this period.The Black Death struck Europe in 1347. The disease, combined with civil wars, delayed further advances in the Renaissance until the 1400s. The Copernican revolution and the invention of the printing press marked important new chapters in scientific study and communications. To many scholars and thinkers of the period, however, the Renaissance was primarily a time of the revival of Classical learning and wisdom after a long period of cultural decline. This revival led to a great flowering in architecture, painting, sculpture, and music. Masaccio: The Tribute MoneyThe Tribute Money, fresco by Masaccio, 1425; in the Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy.(more)Scala/Art Resource, New YorkArchitect Filippo Brunelleschi, sculptor Donatello, and painter Masaccio brought rationalized art of ancient Classical traditions to Florence, Italy. Masaccio was considered the founder of Renaissance painting. Other artists, such as Andrea del Verrocchio, were known for their studies ofanatomy and aerial perspective. Wealthy merchant families in Florence, such as the Medici, funded most of the architecture and artworks of the Renaissance period. The Medici family introduced oil painting to Italy by commissioning The Portinari Altarpiece by Hugo van der Goes, one of the greatest Flemish painters of the second half of the 15th century. The High Renaissance flourished from the early 1490s to 1527. The three most well-known figures from this time are Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Leonardo da Vinci: self-portraitSelf-portrait, drawing by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1490/1515–16; in the Royal Library, Turin, Italy.(more)Photos.com/JupiterimagesLeonardo (1452–1519) is known as the classic “Renaissance man” because of his wide range of interests, including painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, human anatomy, science, and engineering. His reputation as a painter is based on only a few works, primarily the Mona Lisa, Last Supper, and The Virgin of the Rocks. Michelangelo: Sistine Chapel ceilingMichelangelo painted a series of frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel from 1508 to 1512. The frescoes show events and people from the Old Testament books of the Bible. They are some of Michelangelo's most important works.(more)© David Bleja/FotoliaMichelangelo (1475–1564, the most famous sculptor of his time, carved the Pietà and the statue David while in his 20s. His most impressive paintings cover the ceilings and one entire wall of the Sistine Chapel. They portray humanity’s need for salvation. The works of Raphael (1483–1520) express Classical harmony, beauty, and order. His most well-known work School of Athens shows carefully composed groups of scholars representing Aristotelian and Platonic schools of thought. Raphael used perspective to lead the viewer’s eye toward the central figures of Aristotle and Plato . Rome: TempiettoTempietto, designed by Donato Bramante, 1502; in the courtyard of San Pietro in Montorio, Rome.(more)© Yehuda Bernstein/Dreamstime.comDonato Bramante created the High Renaissance architecture with its Classical columns and domes. His masterpiece, the Tempietto at San Pietro in Montorio, and sections of the massive St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome remain the best examples of his work. The sack of Rome in 1527 by the armies of the Holy Roman emperor Charles V marked the end of the Renaissance as a unified historical period. In a matter of days, thousands of churches, palaces, and houses in Rome were pillaged and destroyed. The artistic style known as Mannerism later predominated in Italy.

Renaissance Timeline

Renaissance | Timeline

Renaissance Causes and Effects

Renaissance | Causes and Effects

Renaissance art | Definition, Characteristics, Style, Examples, & Facts | Britannica

Search Britannica

Click here to search

Search Britannica

Click here to search

Home

Games & Quizzes

History & Society

Science & Tech

Biographies

Animals & Nature

Geography & Travel

Arts & Culture

Money

Videos

On This Day

One Good Fact

Dictionary

New Articles

History & Society

Lifestyles & Social Issues

Philosophy & Religion

Politics, Law & Government

World History

Science & Tech

Health & Medicine

Science

Technology

Biographies

Browse Biographies

Animals & Nature

Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates

Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates

Environment

Fossils & Geologic Time

Mammals

Plants

Geography & Travel

Arts & Culture

Entertainment & Pop Culture

Literature

Sports & Recreation

Visual Arts

Companions

Demystified

Image Galleries

Infographics

Lists

Podcasts

Spotlights

Summaries

The Forum

Top Questions

#WTFact

100 Women

Britannica Kids

Saving Earth

Space Next 50

Student Center

Home

Games & Quizzes

History & Society

Science & Tech

Biographies

Animals & Nature

Geography & Travel

Arts & Culture

Money

Videos

Renaissance art

Table of Contents

Renaissance art

Table of Contents

Introduction & Top Questions

References & Edit History

Top Questions

What are the characteristics of Renaissance art, and how does it differ from the art of the Middle Ages? Renaissance art is marked by a gradual shift from the abstract forms of the medieval period to the representational forms of the 15th century. Subjects grew from mostly biblical scenes to include portraits, episodes from Classical religion, and events from contemporary life. Human figures are often rendered in dynamic poses, showing expression, using gesture, and interacting with one another. They are not flat but suggest mass, and they often occupy a realistic landscape, rather than stand against a gold background as some figures do in the art of the Middle Ages. Renaissance art from Northern Europe emphasized precise detail as a means of achieving a realistic work.Middle AgesLearn more about the Middle Ages, the era that preceded the Renaissance. When and where did Renaissance art start and end? Characteristics of Renaissance art, notably naturalism, can be found in 13th-century European art but did not dominate until the 15th century. Scholars have traditionally described the turn of the 16th century as the culmination of the Renaissance, when, primarily in Italy, such artists as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael made not only realistic but complex art. About 1520 the Renaissance gave way to Mannerism, wherein a sense of drama pervaded otherwise realistic art. MannerismLearn more about Mannerism, the art movement that followed the High Renaissance. How did humanism and religion affect Renaissance art? Interest in humanism, a philosophy that emphasized the individual and the human capacity for fulfillment through reason, transformed the Renaissance artist from an anonymous craftsman to an individual practicing an intellectual pursuit. Artists introduced new subjects to their work, which reflected the growing emphasis on the individual, including portraits, scenes of contemporary life, and historical narratives. Although Renaissance culture was becoming increasingly secular, religion was still important to daily life, especially in Italy, where the seat of Roman Catholicism was located. A good portion of Renaissance art depicted scenes from the Bible or was commissioned by the church. Emphasis on naturalism, however, placed such figures as Christ and the Madonna not on a magnificent gold background, as in the Middle Ages, but in landscapes from the observable world.humanismRead more about humanism, the doctrine that influenced the culture of the Renaissance. What made Renaissance art revolutionary? The developments of the Renaissance changed the course of art in ways that continue to resonate today. Interest in humanism transformed the artist from an anonymous craftsman to an individual practicing an intellectual pursuit, enabling several to become the first celebrity artists. A growing mercantile class offered artists new patrons that requested novel subjects, notably portraits and scenes from contemporary life. Moreover, scientific observations and Classical studies contributed to some of the most realistic representations of the human figure in art history. Figures have accurate anatomy, stand naturally through the Classical scheme of contrapposto, and have a sense of mass, an accomplishment made easier by the flexibility of oil paint, a medium that was gaining popularity. They also occupy believable space—an achievement based on the development of linear perspective and atmospheric perspective, illusionistic devices to suggest depth on a two-dimensional surface.RenaissanceLearn more about the scientific and artistic developments of the Renaissance era. What are some famous Renaissance artworks? Two of the most famous artworks in history were painted during the Renaissance: the Mona Lisa (c. 1503–19) and the Last Supper (c. 1495–98), both executed by Leonardo da Vinci, which show an interest not only in representing the human figure realistically but also in imbuing it with character through expression, gesture, and posture. Other famous artworks include Michelangelo’s sculpture of David (1501–04) and his paintings for the Sistine Chapel (ceiling, 1508–12; The Last Judgment, 1536–41), in which the artist pushed the accurate representation of human anatomy to challenging extremes with complicated elegant poses. Raphael’s School of Athens (c. 1508–11) celebrates the intellectual by populating a deep hall, skillfully executed using the recently codified linear perspective, with notable Western thinkers. Donatello’s David (early 15th century) recalls Classical sculpture through the use of contrapposto, wherein the figure stands naturally with the weight on one leg. Albrecht Dürer exemplifies the Northern European interest in meticulous detail in his Self-Portrait (1500), while Titian’s Venus of Urbino (1538) illustrates the Venetian interest in representing soft light and vibrant colour. 10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da VinciRead more on Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous artworks. Renaissance art, painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and literature produced during the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries in Europe under the combined influences of an increased awareness of nature, a revival of classical learning, and a more individualistic view of man. Scholars no longer believe that the Renaissance marked an abrupt break with medieval values, as is suggested by the French word renaissance, literally “rebirth.” Rather, historical sources suggest that interest in nature, humanistic learning, and individualism were already present in the late medieval period and became dominant in 15th- and 16th-century Italy concurrently with social and economic changes such as the secularization of daily life, the rise of a rational money-credit economy, and greatly increased social mobility.In Italy the Renaissance proper was preceded by an important “proto-renaissance” in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, which drew inspiration from Franciscan radicalism. St. Francis had rejected the formal Scholasticism of the prevailing Christian theology and gone out among the poor praising the beauties and spiritual value of nature. His example inspired Italian artists and poets to take pleasure in the world around them. The most famous artist of the proto-renaissance period, Giotto di Bondone (1266/67 or 1276–1337), reveals a new pictorial style that depends on clear, simple structure and great psychological penetration rather than on the flat, linear decorativeness and hierarchical compositions of his predecessors and contemporaries, such as the Florentine painter Cimabue and the Siennese painters Duccio and Simone Martini. The great poet Dante lived at about the same time as Giotto, and his poetry shows a similar concern with inward experience and the subtle shades and variations of human nature. Although his Divine Comedy belongs to the Middle Ages in its plan and ideas, its subjective spirit and power of expression look forward to the Renaissance. Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio also belong to this proto-renaissance period, both through their extensive studies of Latin literature and through their writings in the vernacular. Unfortunately, the terrible plague of 1348 and subsequent civil wars submerged both the revival of humanistic studies and the growing interest in individualism and naturalism revealed in the works of Giotto and Dante. The spirit of the Renaissance did not surface again until the beginning of the 15th century.

Renaissance: Definition, Timeline & Art | HISTORY

issance: Definition, Timeline & Art | HISTORYShowsThis Day In HistoryScheduleTopicsStoriesHistory ClassicsLive TVYour ProfileYour ProfileHistoryFind History on Facebook (Opens in a new window)Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window)Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window)Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window)Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window)Email UpdatesLive TVHistory ClassicsShowsThis Day In HistoryScheduleTopicsStoriesVideosHistory PodcastsHistory VaultShopHomeTopicsRenaissanceTopicsRenaissance - TopicsThe Renaissance, a vibrant period of European cultural, artistic, political and scientific “rebirth” after the Middle Ages, was led by people including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Machiavelli and the Medici family.

TV-PGDid Columbus Start a Zombie Plague?History remembers the renaissance era as a time of poets, painters, and fair maidens, but the reality is much closer to a horror film.Watch nowRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a fervent period of European cultural, artistic, political and economic “rebirth” following the Middle Ages.Read moreMachiavelliThe Prince As leaders rapidly rose and fell, Machiavelli observed traits that, he believed, bolstered power and influence. In 1513, after being expelled from political service with the takeover of Florence by the Medici family, Machiavelli penned his outline of what makes an effective leader in The Prince. Unlike the noble princes portrayed in fairy […]Read moreMichelangeloEarly Life and Training Michelangelo Buonarroti (Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni) was born on March 6, 1475, in Caprese, Italy. His father worked for the Florentine government, and shortly after his birth his family returned to Florence, the city Michelangelo would always consider his true home. Did you know? Michelangelo received the commission to paint […]Read moreItalian RenaissanceThe Italian Renaissance in Context Fifteenth-century Italy was unlike any other place in Europe. It was divided into independent city-states, each with a different form of government. Florence, where the Italian Renaissance began, was an independent republic. It was also a banking and commercial capital and, after London and Constantinople, the third-largest city in Europe. […]Read moreRenaissance ArtOrigins of Renaissance Art The origins of Renaissance art can be traced to Italy in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. During this so-called “proto-Renaissance” period (1280-1400), Italian scholars and artists saw themselves as reawakening to the ideals and achievements of classical Roman culture. Writers such as Petrarch (1304-1374) and Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) looked […]Read moreLeonardo da VinciWhen Was Leonardo da Vinci Born? Da Vinci was born in Anchiano, Tuscany (now Italy), in 1452, close to the town of Vinci that provided the surname we associate with him today. In his own time he was known just as Leonardo or as “Il Florentine,” since he lived near Florence—and was famed as an […]Read moreThe Medici FamilyThe Medici family was a powerful dynasty that ruled Florence, Italy, and soon spread their artistic and economic influence throughout Renaissance Europe.Read moreA+E NetworksOur Family of BrandsHistory EducationHistory VaultMobile/AppsNewsShopShare Your OpinionFollow Historydepm+BiographyCrime and InvestigationHistory en EspanolLRWMilitary HistoryAd ChoicesAdvertise With UsAccessibility SupportCopyright PolicyCorporate InformationEmployment OpportunitiesFAQ/Contact UsPrivacy NoticeCookie NoticeTerms Of UseTV Parental GuidelinesContact UsCopyright PolicyPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseAd ChoicesAccessibility Support© 2024, A&E Television Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserv

The Renaissance: The 'Rebirth' of Science & Culture | Live Science

Open menu

Close menu

Live Science

Search Live Science

RSS

How It Works MagazineWhy subscribe?The ultimate action-packed science and technology magazine bursting with exciting information about the universeSubscribe today and save an extra 5% with checkout code 'LOVE5'Engaging articles, amazing illustrations & exclusive interviewsIssues delivered straight to your door or deviceFrom$26.49View Deal

Space

Health

Planet Earth

Animals

Archaeology

Physics & Math

Human Behavior

Technology

Chemistry

Science news

About Us

Forum

Story archive

TrendingWoolly mammoth de-extinctionOldest 'dead' galaxyMinnesota helium reservoirShoebillApril 8 total solar eclipse

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Human Behavior

The Renaissance: The 'Rebirth' of science & culture

References

By Owen Jarus, Jessie Szalay published 11 January 2022

The Renaissance was a period of "rebirth" in arts, science and culture, and is typically thought to have originated in Italy.

Michelangelo's David masterpiece.

(Image credit: piola666/Getty Images)

Jump to:

What is the Renaissance?

Historical development

Characteristics

Intellectual movement

Art

Music

Literature & theatre

Society & economics

Religion

Geography

Science

Renaissance festival

How it changed the world

Additional resources

Bibliography

The Renaissance, which means "rebirth" in French, typically refers to a period in European history from A.D. 1400 to A.D. 1600. Many historians, however, assert that it started earlier or ended later, depending on the country. It bridged the periods of the Middle Ages and modern history, and, depending on the country, overlaps with the Early Modern, Elizabethan and Restoration periods. The Renaissance is most closely associated with Italy, where it began in the 14th century, though countries such as Germany, England and France went through many of the same cultural changes and phenomena. However, while the Renaissance brought about some positive changes for Europe, the geographical exploration that flourished during this time led to devastation for the people of the Western Hemisphere as European conquest and colonization brought plagues and slavery to the Indigenous people living there. In Africa, it also brought about the birth of the trans-Atlantic slave trade that saw Black people shipped from Africa to the Western Hemisphere to work as slaves on European colonies. "Renaissance" comes from the French word for "rebirth." According to the City University of New York at Brooklyn, intense interest in and learning about classical antiquity was "reborn" after the Middle Ages, in which classical philosophy was largely ignored or forgotten. Renaissance thinkers considered the Middle Ages to have been a period of cultural decline. They sought to revitalize their culture through re-emphasizing classical texts and philosophies. They expanded and interpreted them, creating their own style of art, philosophy and scientific inquiry. Some major developments of the Renaissance include astronomy, humanist philosophy, the printing press, vernacular language in writing, painting and sculpture technique, world exploration and, in the late Renaissance, Shakespeare's works.What is the Renaissance?Many historians, including U.K.-based historian and writer Robert Wilde, prefer to think of the Renaissance as primarily an intellectual and cultural movement rather than a historical period. Interpreting the Renaissance as a time period, though convenient for historians, "masks the long roots of the Renaissance," Wilde told Live Science.During this time, interest in classical antiquity and philosophy grew, with some Renaissance thinkers using it as a way to revitalize their culture. They expanded and interpreted these Classical ideas, creating their own style of art, philosophy and scientific inquiry. Some major developments of the Renaissance include developments in astronomy, humanist philosophy, the printing press, vernacular language in writing, painting and sculpture technique, world exploration and, in the late Renaissance, Shakespeare's works.The term Renaissance was not commonly used to refer to the period until the 19th century, when Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt popularized it in his classic, "The Civilization of Renaissance Italy" (Dover Publications, 2016). Historical developmentIn this painting by Jules Laure, Charlemagne is surrounded by his principal officers as he welcomes Alcuin who shows him manuscripts. (Image credit: Leemage/Corbis via Getty Images)Contrary to popular belief, classical texts and knowledge never completely vanished from Europe during the Middle Ages. Charles Homer Haskins wrote in "The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century" (Harvard University Press, 1927) that there were three main periods that saw resurgences in the art and philosophy of antiquity: the Carolingian Renaissance, which occurred during the reign of Charlemagne, the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (eighth and ninth centuries), the Ottonian Renaissance, which developed during the reigns of emperors Otto I, Otto II and Otto III (10th century) and the 12th century Renaissance. The 12th century Renaissance was especially influential on the later Renaissance, said Wilde. Europeans at the time studied on a larger scale Classical Latin texts and Greek science and philosophy; they also established early versions of universities. The Crusades played a role in ushering in the Renaissance, Philip Van Ness Myers wrote in "Medieval and Modern History" (Ginn & Company, 1902). While crusading, Europeans encountered advanced Middle Eastern civilizations, which had made strides in many cultural fields. Islamic countries kept many classical Greek and Roman texts that had been lost in Europe, and they were reintroduced through returning crusaders.The fall of the Byzantine Empire at the hands of the Ottomans also played a role. "When the Ottomans sacked Constantinople in 1453, many scholars fled to Europe, bringing classical texts with them," Susan Abernethy, a Colorado-based historian and writer, told Live Science. "Conflict in Spain between the Moors and Christians also caused many academics to escape to other areas, particularly the Italian city-states of Florence, Padua and others. This created an atmosphere for a revival in learning."The Black Death helped set the stage for the Renaissance, wrote Robert S. Gottfried in "The Black Death" (Simon and Schuster, 2010). Deaths of many prominent officials caused social and political upheaval in Florence, where the Renaissance is considered to have begun. The Medici family moved to Florence in the wake of the plague and over the centuries produced business and political leaders as well as four popes. The Medici's, and many others, took advantage of opportunities for greater social mobility. Becoming patrons of artists was a popular way for such newly powerful families to demonstrate their wealth. Some historians also argue that the Black Death caused people to question the church's emphasis on the afterlife and focus more on the present moment, which is an element of the Renaissance's humanist philosophy. Many historians consider Florence to be the Renaissance's birthplace, though others widen that designation to all of Italy. From Italy, Renaissance thought, values and artistic technique spread throughout Europe, according to Van Ness Myers. Military invasions in Italy helped spread ideas, while the end of the Hundred Years War between France and England allowed people to focus on things besides conflict. The term "Renaissance Man," which is used today to describe someone who is talented in multiple fields, is derived from the Italian word "Uomo Universale," which means "universal man" and is often used to describe individuals like Leonardo da Vinci who thrived in multiple fields like art and science. Characteristics of the RenaissanceThis illustration depicts Johannes Gutenberg in his workshop, showing his first proof sheet. (Image credit: Bettmann/Getty Images)The development and growth of the printing press was perhaps the most important technical achievement of the Renaissance. Johannes Gutenberg developed it in 1440, although the technology was used in China centuries earlier. It allowed Bibles, secular books, printed music and more to be made in larger quantities and reach more people. "The demand for perfect reproductions of texts and the renewed focus on studying them helped trigger one of the biggest discoveries in the whole of human history: printing with movable type. For me, this is the easiest and single greatest development of the Renaissance and allowed modern culture to develop," said Wilde. Intellectual movementWilde said one of the most significant changes that occurred during the Renaissance was the "evolution of Renaissance humanism as a method of thinking. … This new outlook underpinned so much of the world then and now."Renaissance humanism, Wilde said, involved "attempts by man to master nature rather than develop religious piety." Renaissance humanism looked to classical Greek and Roman texts to change contemporary thought, allowing for a new mindset after the Middle Ages. Renaissance readers understood these classical texts as focusing on human decisions, actions and creations, rather than unquestioningly following the rules set forth by the Catholic Church as "God's plan." Though many Renaissance humanists remained religious, they believed God gave humans opportunities, and it was humanity's duty to do the best and most moral beings. Renaissance humanism was an "ethical theory and practice that emphasized reason, scientific inquiry and human fulfillment in the natural world," said Abernethy. Renaissance artHere, part of the artwork of Michelangelo that adorns the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in Italy. (Image credit: Fotopress/Getty Images)Renaissance art was heavily influenced by classical art, wrote Virginia Cox in "A Short History of the Italian Renaissance" (I.B. Tauris, 2015). Artists turned to Greek and Roman sculpture, painting and decorative arts for both inspiration and the fact that the techniques meshed with Renaissance humanist philosophy. Both classical and Renaissance art focused on human beauty and nature. People, even when in religious works, were depicted living life and showing emotion. Perspective, as well as light and shadow techniques improved; and paintings looked more three-dimensional and realistic.Patrons made it possible for successful Renaissance artists to work and develop new techniques. The Catholic Church commissioned most artwork during the Middle Ages, and while it continued to do so during the Renaissance, wealthy individuals also became important patrons, according to Cox. The most famous patrons were the Medici family in Florence, who supported the arts for much of the 15th and 16th centuries. The Medici family supported artists such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, da Vinci and Raphael. Florence was the initial epicenter of Renaissance art, but by the end of the 15th century, Rome had overtaken it. Pope Leo X (a Medici) ambitiously filled the city with religious buildings and art. This period, from the 1490s to the 1520s, is known as the High Renaissance. Renaissance musicAs with art, musical innovations in the Renaissance were partly made possible because patronage expanded beyond the Catholic Church. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, new technologies resulted in the invention of several new instruments, including the harpsichord and violin family. The printing press meant that sheet music could be more widely disseminated.Renaissance music was characterized by its humanist traits. Composers read classical treatises on music and aimed to create music that would touch listeners emotionally. They began to incorporate lyrics more dramatically into compositions and considered music and poetry to be closely related, according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Renaissance literature & theatre(Image credit: traveler1116/Getty Images)Renaissance literature, too, was characterized by humanist themes and a return to classical ideals of tragedy and comedy, according to the Brooklyn College English Department. Shakespeare's works, especially "Hamlet," are good examples of this. Themes like human agency, life's non-religious meanings and the true nature of man are embraced, and Hamlet is an educated Renaissance man. The printing press allowed for popular plays to be published and re-dperformed around Europe and the world. A play's popularity often determined whether publishers chose to print the script, wrote Janet Clarke, an emeritus professor of Renaissance Literature at the University of Hull, U.K., in her book "Shakespeare's Stage Traffic" (Cambridge University Press, 2014). "Publishers invested in plays that were popular as theatre traffic as much as they invested in the authors" wrote Hull. Renaissance society & economicsThe most prevalent societal change during the Renaissance was the fall of feudalism and the rise of a capitalist market economy, said Abernethy. Increased trade and the labor shortage caused by the Black Death gave rise to something of a middle class. Workers could demand wages and good living conditions, and so serfdom ended. "Rulers began to realize they could maintain their power without the church. There were no more knights in service to the king and peasants in service to the lord of the manor," said Abernethy. Having money became more important than your allegiances. This shift frustrated popes. The "Peace of Westphalia," a series of treaties signed in 1648, made it harder for the pope to interfere in European politics. Pope Innocent X responded that it was "null, void, invalid, iniquitous, unjust, damnable, reprobate, inane, and devoid of meaning for all time."Renaissance religionDue to a number of factors — including the Black Death, the rise in trade, the development of a middle class and the papacy's temporary move from Rome to Avignon (1309 to 1377) — the Catholic Church's influence was waning as the 15th century began. The re-emergence of classical texts and the rise in Renaissance humanism changed society's approach to religion and the authority of the papacy, said Abernethy. "[Humanism] created an atmosphere that gave rise to different movements and sects … Martin Luther stressed reform of the Catholic Church, wanting to eliminate practices such as nepotism and the selling of indulgences," Abernethy said. "Perhaps most important, the invention of the printing press allowed for the dissemination of the Bible in languages other than Latin," Abernethy continued. "Ordinary people were now able to read and learn the lessons of Scripture, leading to the Evangelical movement." These early Evangelicals emphasized the importance of the scriptures rather than the institutional power of the church and believed that salvation was personal conversion rather than being determined by indulgences or building works of art or architecture. The fracturing of Christians in western Europe into different groups led to conflicts, sometimes called the "wars of religion," that lasted for centuries in Europe. These conflicts sometimes led groups of people to leave Europe in hopes of avoiding persecution. One of these groups would become known as the Pilgrims when they came to Plymouth in 1620. Renaissance geographyThis world map shows Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation of the world (dashed line). (Image credit: Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)Thirsty to learn more about the world and eager to improve trade routes, explorers sailed off to chart new lands. Columbus "discovered" the New World in 1492, and Ferdinand Magellan became the first person to successfully circumnavigate the globe in the early 1500s. For the people of the Western Hemisphere, the European exploration and colonization that occurred was disastrous. With little or no immunity to the diseases Europeans brought over, the Indigenous population was ravaged by plagues, with death rates in some areas estimated as high as 90%. The Spanish conquered the Aztec and Inca Empires, forcing the native survivors to work as slaves. European powers also explored more of Africa, starting to conquer and colonize parts of the continent. As their strength in Africa grew, Europeans began to take people from Africa to work as slaves — in some cases sending them to work on colonies in the Caribbean and South America — this trans-Atlantic slave trade eventually expanding to what is now the United States.Renaissance scienceThis 1708 depiction of the Copernican heliocentric solar system shows the orbit of the moon around the Earth, and the orbits of the Earth and planets round the sun, including Jupiter and its moons, all surrounded by the 12 signs of the zodiac. (Image credit: Oxford Science Archive/Print Collector/Getty Images)As scholars studied classical texts, they "resurrected the ancient Greek belief that creation was constructed around perfect laws and reasoning," Abernethy said. "There was an escalation in the study of astronomy, anatomy and medicine, geography, alchemy, mathematics and architecture as the ancients studied them."One of the major scientific discoveries of the Renaissance came from Polish mathematician and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. In the 1530s, he published his theory of a heliocentric solar system. This places the sun, not the Earth, at the center of the solar system. It was a major breakthrough in the history of science, though the Catholic Church banned the printing of Copernicus' book.Empiricism began to take hold of scientific thought. "Scientists were guided by experience and experiment and began to investigate the natural world through observation," said Abernethy. "This was the first indication of a divergence between science and religion. … They were being recognized as two separate fields, creating conflict between the scientists and the church, and causing scientists to be persecuted," continued Abernethy. "Scientists found their work was suppressed or they were demonized as charlatans and accused of dabbling in witchcraft, and sometimes being imprisoned." Galileo Galilei was a major Renaissance scientist persecuted for his scientific experiments. Galileo improved the telescope, discovered new celestial bodies and found support for a heliocentric solar system. He conducted motion experiments on pendulums and falling objects that paved the way for Isaac Newton's discoveries about gravity. The Catholic Church forced him to spend the last nine years of his life under house arrest. Renaissance festivalWhile the term "Renaissance festival" typically refers to modern-day festivals that celebrate the art and culture of the Renaissance, there were festivals that took place during the Renaissance itself. For instance, Henri II, who was king of France between 1547 and 1559, held festivals periodically throughout his reign that included stages of performers and lengthy parades. The festivals included the arrivals of the king into the city or town where the festival was being held, wrote Richard Cooper, an emeritus professor of French at the University of Oxford, in a paper published in the book "Court Festivals of the European Renaissance" (Taylor & Francis, 2017). Henri II sometimes held these festivals to make an important event such as the coronation of his queen or a military victory, wrote Cooper. How the Renaissance changed the world"The Renaissance was a time of transition from the ancient world to the modern and provided the foundation for the birth of the Age of Enlightenment," said Abernethy. The developments in science, art, philosophy and trade, as well as technological advancements like the printing press, left lasting impressions on society and set the stage for many elements of our modern culture. However, while the Renaissance had some positive impact for Europe, it had devastating impacts for people of the Western Hemisphere, as plagues decimated Indigenous populations and the survivors often found themselves enslaved and under the rule of European colonizers. This system of conquest, colonization and slavery also repeated itself in Africa as European power grew. Today, the ramifications of European colonization and slavery are still felt and hotly debated around the world. Additional resources—Learn more about the geniuses of the Renaissance, from da Vinci and Galileo to Descartes and Chaucer on this History Channel page, with links to biographies of each.—In this book by author Catherine Fet, kids will learn about the Renaissance and its characters through tales of adventure. —In this four-part BBC TV series called "Renaissance Unchained," Waldemar Januszczak gives you a peek inside the more exciting aspects of the time, from an episode on the gods and myths to one on a period of war, confusion and … "darkness."Bibliography"The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy Paperback" by Jacob Burckhardt, Dover Publications, September 16, 2010. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0486475972 "The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century" by Charles Homer Haskins, Harvard University Press, 1927. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0674760751"The Black Death: Natural and Human Disaster in Medieval Europe" by Robert S. Gottfried, Free Press, March 1, 1985. https://www.amazon.com/Black-Death-Natural-Disaster-Medieval/dp/0029123704"A Short History of the Italian Renaissance" by Virginia Cox, I.B. Tauris, 2015. https://www.amazon.com/History-Italian-Renaissance-I-B-Tauris-Histories/dp/1784530778"Music in the Renaissance" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/renm/hd_renm.htmIntroduction to the Renaissance by the Brooklyn College English Department. http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/ren.htmlPhilip Van Ness Myers wrote in "Medieval and Modern History" (Ginn & Company, 1902). https://www.amazon.com/Mediaeval-Modern-History-Philip-Middle/dp/B001R6ARQI

Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter nowGet the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Owen JarusSocial Links NavigationLive Science ContributorOwen Jarus is a regular contributor to Live Science who writes about archaeology and humans' past. He has also written for The Independent (UK), The Canadian Press (CP) and The Associated Press (AP), among others. Owen has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Toronto and a journalism degree from Ryerson University.

More about human behaviorWhy do people dissociate during traumatic events?Can psychopaths learn to feel empathy?LatestPatagonian mara: The monogamous rodents that mate only a few times a year but pee on each other constantlySee more latest ►

Most PopularDo ears and noses get bigger with age?By Anna GoraDecember 27, 2023Why do lips get so chapped in winter?By Anna GoraDecember 26, 2023Can drinking alcohol really cause hiccups?By Anna GoraDecember 25, 2023Why is it safe to eat moldy cheese?By Emily CookeDecember 23, 2023What is frankincense?By Victoria AtkinsonDecember 22, 2023Why is pink eye so contagious?By Anna GoraDecember 16, 2023Can you really be allergic to the sun?By Anna GoraDecember 15, 2023What causes spotting between periods?By Anna GoraNovember 09, 2023Do redheads really need more anesthesia?By Donavyn CoffeyNovember 06, 2023How does plaque cause cavities?By Anna GoraOctober 31, 2023What does it look like when your sinuses are clogged?By Anna GoraOctober 26, 2023

MOST READMOST SHARED1Astronomers find heaviest black hole pair in the universe, and they've been trapped in an endless duel for 3 billion years2Shoebill: The human-sized African bird that eats baby crocodiles and kills its siblings3'Should not really exist in these waters': Scientists spot gray whale, thought to be extinct in the Atlantic, off Massachusetts coast41,100-year-old Viking sword pulled from UK river by magnet fisher5Mystery of enormous Saharan 'star dune' finally solved — and it wasn't what scientists were expecting1AI drone that could hunt and kill people built in just hours by scientist 'for a game'2Scientists just discovered a massive reservoir of helium beneath Minnesota3Life-threatening 'leaks' after surgery could be flagged faster with tiny new device4Colossus the enormous 'oddball' whale is not the biggest animal to ever live, scientists say5Russia and China announce plan to build shared nuclear reactor on the moon by 2035, 'without humans'

Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

About Us

Contact Future's experts

Terms and conditions

Cookies policy

Accessibility Statement

Advertise with us

Web notifications

Careers

Editorial standards

How to pitch a story to us

Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street,

New York,

NY 10036.

Renaissance - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to content

Main menu

move to sidebar

hide

Getting around

Main pageSimple startSimple talkNew changesShow any pageHelpContact usGive to WikipediaAbout Wikipedia

Create account

Personal tools

Create account Log in

Pages for logged out editors learn more

ContributionsTalk

Contents

move to sidebar

hide

Beginning

1Causes of the Renaissance

Toggle Causes of the Renaissance subsection

1.1Reading and printing

1.2Ancient Roman things

1.3Cash and politics

2List of important events of the Renaissance

Toggle List of important events of the Renaissance subsection

2.1In art

2.2In architecture

2.3In science and technology

2.4In thinking

2.5In religion

2.6In writing

2.7In exploration

3Related pages

4References

5Other websites

Toggle the table of contents

Renaissance

156 languages

AfrikaansAlemannischአማርኛالعربيةAragonésԱրեւմտահայերէնAsturianuAvañe'ẽAzərbaycancaتۆرکجهBasa BaliবাংলাBân-lâm-gúБашҡортсаБеларускаяБеларуская (тарашкевіца)БългарскиBoarischབོད་ཡིགBosanskiBrezhonegБуряадCatalàЧӑвашлаCebuanoČeštinaCymraegDanskالدارجةDeutschEestiΕλληνικάEnglishEspañolEsperantoEstremeñuEuskaraفارسیFiji HindiFøroysktFrançaisFryskFurlanGaeilgeGàidhligGalego한국어HausaՀայերենहिन्दीHrvatskiIdoIlokanoBahasa IndonesiaInterlinguaÍslenskaItalianoעבריתJawaKabɩyɛಕನ್ನಡქართულიҚазақшаKernowekKiswahiliKreyòl ayisyenKriyòl gwiyannenKurdîКыргызчаLadinLatinaLatviešuLëtzebuergeschЛезгиLietuviųLigureLimburgsLingua Franca NovaLombardMagyarМакедонскиമലയാളംMaltiमराठीმარგალურიمصرىمازِرونیBahasa Melayu閩東語 / Mìng-dĕ̤ng-ngṳ̄MirandésМонголမြန်မာဘာသာNederlandsNedersaksiesनेपालीनेपाल भाषा日本語НохчийнNordfriiskNorsk bokmålNorsk nynorskNouormandOccitanOromooOʻzbekcha / ўзбекчаਪੰਜਾਬੀپنجابیပအိုဝ်ႏဘာႏသာႏپښتوPatoisPicardPiemontèisPlattdüütschPolskiPortuguêsRomânăRumantschРусиньскыйРусскийСаха тылаSakizayaSeelterskShqipSicilianuසිංහලSlovenčinaSlovenščinaکوردیСрпски / srpskiSrpskohrvatski / српскохрватскиSundaSuomiSvenskaTagalogதமிழ்TaqbaylitతెలుగుไทยТоҷикӣTürkçeTürkmençeУкраїнськаاردوئۇيغۇرچە / UyghurcheVènetoTiếng ViệtVõro文言West-VlamsWinaray吴语ייִדיש粵語Žemaitėška中文Tolışi

Change links

PageTalk

English

ReadChangeChange sourceView history

Tools

move to sidebar

hide

Actions

ReadChangeChange sourceView history

General

What links hereRelated changesUpload fileSpecial pagesPermanent linkPage informationCite this pageGet shortened URLDownload QR codeWikidata item

Print/export

Make a bookDownload as PDFPage for printing

In other projects

Wikimedia Commons

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The School of Athens by Raphael. This Renaissance painting shows an imaginary scene from Ancient Greece, with Greek philosophers, writers, artists, and mathematicians. Raphael used the faces of people from his own time. Leonardo da Vinci was his model for Plato, the philosopher with the white beard in the center.

The Renaissance is a period in European history that followed the Middle Ages and ended in the 17th century. “Renaissance” is a French word for “cultural rebirth.” During this period, there was a “rebirth” of classical learning. People started relearning the teachings of scholars from Ancient Greece, Rome, and other ancient societies. The Renaissance is often said to be the start of the "modern age"

During the Renaissance, there were many advances in art, literature, the sciences, mathematics, and culture. Many famous artists, writers, philosophers, and scientists lived during this period. A person who is clever at a great number of things is sometimes called a "Renaissance man". The most famous Renaissance man is Leonardo da Vinci, who was a painter, a scientist, a musician and a philosopher.

The Renaissance started in Italy, but soon spread across the whole of Europe. In Italy, the period is divided into three parts:

the Early Renaissance

the High Renaissance

the Late Renaissance Archived 2016-04-20 at the Wayback Machine [1] (also called the Mannerist period)

Following the Mannerist period was the Baroque period, which also spread across Europe starting around 1600. Outside Italy, it can be hard to tell where the Renaissance period ends and the Baroque begins.

Causes of the Renaissance[change | change source]

Printers at work in 1520

Reading and printing[change | change source]

In the Middle Ages, most artistic, legal, and historical production took place in and around books. Monasteries, churches, universities, and people who could afford them produced and owned books. Books were produced entirely by hand, which is why they were called manuscripts; illuminated manuscripts include hand-colored, drawn, and gilded pictures.

Most books at that time were written in Latin, Greek, and Roman, which was used in the Catholic Church. Only priests and well-educated people read Latin then. People were forbidden by law from translating the Bible into Italian, English, German, French, or other "local" languages.

Around 1440 the first printed books were made in Europe. The printing press made it possible to print copies of large books like the Bible and sell them cheaply. It took 300 calf skins or 100 pig skins to print the Bible. Printers soon began to print everything that they thought was interesting: Ancient Greek and Roman writings, poetry, and plays; stories about the lives of the saints; mathematics textbooks; medical textbooks; Christian stories; erotic stories; books about animals and monsters; maps of the world; and advice to princes about how to rule their people.

Before the invention of the printing press, knowledge had belonged to priests, monasteries and universities. Suddenly many thousands of people, even merchants, could learn far more than they ever could before.

The mixture of architecture in Rome. At the back is the huge wall of the ancient gladiator arena, the Colosseum. Near it is a church tower from about 1100 in the Middle Ages. The white front of the church of St. Francesca is from the 1600s. The columns and broken walls are all from Ancient Roman buildings. The circular building to the left is now a church but was an ancient temple.

Ancient Roman things[change | change source]

From about 400 B.C. to about 400 AD, Europe experienced a Golden Age. In Ancient Greece and Rome, there were many philosophers, writers, painters, sculptors, architects and mathematicians. Things were beautiful, well-organized and well-run.

However, by the year 1400, the city of Rome was in ruins. Inside the broken walls that had been smashed in 410 AD were the remains of huge temples, sports arenas, public baths, apartment blocks and palaces. Nearly all of them were half-buried and ruined, so they could not be used. Many were pulled down to use as building stone.

Among the ruins of this once-great city, the people of Rome lived in cottages. They still went to church in the huge churches (basilicas) built by the first Christian Emperor, Constantine the Great, in the 4th century. They still held market day in the Ancient Roman market place of Campo dei Fiori ("Field of Flowers").

In 1402, Filippo Brunelleschi and a teenage Donatello came to Rome. They were probably the world's first archaeologists. They were fascinated by everything that they saw. They measured ancient ruined buildings, drew things, and dug around for weeks looking for bits of broken statues and painted pottery that they could put back together. By the time they went back home to Florence, they knew more about Ancient Roman architecture and sculpture than anyone had known for about a thousand years. Brunelleschi became a very famous architect and Donatello became a very famous sculptor.

Cash and politics[change | change source]

The city of Florence. Apart from the dome at San Lorenzo's in the centre of the picture, this view has not changed very much since the 1400s.

The Renaissance really began in the city of Florence. In those days, Italy was not one single country. It was made of many little states, all governed in different ways. These states were constantly making alliances and fighting with each other.

Rome was politically powerful, because Rome had the Pope, the person in control of the Roman Catholic Church. Because of his very great importance as a spiritual leader, most people and most cities did not want to argue with any pope. After a pope died, a new pope was elected. Everyone who was rich and powerful hoped a member of their family would be chosen. It was always a good idea to have several young men in the family trained as priests, just in case. It also helped to be good friends with other rich families. One way to do this was to have lots of daughters and get them to marry rich powerful men from different cities. This was the way that politics worked.

There were other powerful cities in Italy too. Venice had a large and powerful navy. Milan controlled trade with Northern Europe and was very rich. Genoa was also very rich, because it controlled trade with France and Spain. Florence, where many people say the Renaissance started, was another important city.

Florence’s strength did not come from a strong army, a strong fortress, or control over trade. It came from banking. The Medicis were an important banking family. They helped to make Florence a powerful city and the centre of Renaissance learning.

Capture of Constantinople

Further information: House of Medici

List of important events of the Renaissance[change | change source]

In art[change | change source]

The Birth of Venus' by Sandro Botticelli

The rebuilding of St. Peter's Basilica began in the Renaissance.

Leonardo da Vinci's study of the human head

See the main article: Renaissance art

1401: Lorenzo Ghiberti wins a competition to create the Florence Baptistry Doors. Over the next 21 years, he creates two famous bronze doors with relief sculptures showing religious scenes.

1420s: Masaccio and Masolino paint the Brancacci Chapel in Florence.

1440s: Donatello makes the statue of Gattamelata on Horseback in Padua.

1470s: Botticelli paints the Birth of Venus in Florence.

1490s: Leonardo da Vinci paints The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa in Milan.

1508-1512: Michelangelo paints the Sistine Chapel Ceiling in Rome.

In architecture[change | change source]

See the main article: Renaissance architecture

1420: Workers begin to build The Dome of Florence Cathedral, using Brunelleschi's design.

1420s: Brunelleschi designs the church of Church of San Lorenzo in Florence.

1444: Michelozzo designs the Medici-Riccardi Palace for Cosimo de' Medici.

1471: Alberti designs the Church of Sant' Andrea in Mantua.

1506: Work begins on the new St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

1550: Palladio designs the Villa Rotunda near Vicenza.

In science and technology[change | change source]

Early 1300s: The first guns are made.

1455: Johannes Gutenberg uses the printing press he invented to create the first printed book in Europe.

Late 1400s: The quadrant was developed to help sailors find their way at sea.

1480s: Leonardo da Vinci studies human anatomy.

1550s: Peter Henlein of Nuremberg makes the first watches.

1608: Hans Lippershey of Holland makes the first telescope.

1618, William Harvey discovered that the heart pumps blood.

In thinking[change | change source]

(See illustration above: Raphael's "School of Athens")

Early 1300s: Petrarch publishes writings based on the works of St. Augustine and other classical writers.

Mid 1400s: The Humanist Academy is created to discuss ancient writings and modern ideas. The Medici family supports the academy financially.

1511: Desiderius Erasmus publishes In Praise of Folly, which satirizes the traditions of the Catholic Church.

1532: Machiavelli publishes The Prince by Machiavelli, which says that people who wish to have political power often do wicked things to get it.

A Gutenberg printed Bible

Dante painted by Domenico di Michelino, 1465

A map of the world by Abraham Ortelius, 1570

In religion[change | change source]

1382: John Wycliffe first translates the Bible from Latin into English. This begins a movement to translate the Bible into many other European languages.

1454-1455: Johannes Gutenberg prints his famous Bible. The mass production of Bibles begins.

1517: On the door of Wittenberg Castle, Martin Luther posts The Ninety-Five Theses (his ideas about problems in the Church). This is an important event in the Reformation.

1534: Henry VIII splits the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church

1545: Pope Paul III calls the Council of Trent so that Catholic leaders can meet and discuss the problems that the Reformation has caused for to the Catholic Church. This is the beginning of the Counter Reformation.

1559: John Calvin starts the Geneva Theological Academy to teach people new (Reformation) ideas about Christian faith.

In writing[change | change source]

Early 1300s: Dante Alighieri writes The Divine Comedy in Italy.

1348: Giovanni Boccaccio, an Italian, starts writing a collection of stories called The Decameron.

1477: William Caxton publishes The Canterbury Tales, which was written in the 1300s by Geoffrey Chaucer. This is the first important book written in the English language.

1532 and 1534: Francois Rabelais writes Pantagruel and Gargantua in France.

1550: Giorgio Vasari, an Italian, publishes "Lives of the Great Architects, Painters and Sculptors of Italy".

1590-1612: William Shakespeare writes his 37 plays in England.

1605 and 1616: Miguel de Cervantes publishes the tale of Don Quixote, Man of La Mancha in Spain.

In exploration[change | change source]

1487-1488: Bartholomeu Dias sails down the coast of Africa to the Cape of Good Hope.

1492: Christopher Columbus sails from Spain across the Atlantic Ocean to the West Indies.

1497-1499: Vasco da Gama sails from Portugal to India by going around Africa.

1519-1522: Ferdinand Magellan leads an expedition to sail around the world. The expedition is completed under the command of Juan Sabastian del Cano.

1577-1580: Sir Francis Drake completes the second voyage around the world.

Related pages[change | change source]

Renaissance music

List of Renaissance artists

Medical Renaissance

Duecento

Humanities

Trecento

References[change | change source]

↑ "A beginner's guide to Mannerism | Mannerism | Khan Academy". Archived from the original on 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2016-07-26.

Ilan Rachum, The Renaissance: an Illustrated Encyclopedia, Octopus, ISBN 0-7064-0857-8

Edmond Wright, Ed., The Medieval and Renaissance World, Chartwell Books, Inc. ISBN 0-89009-264-8

Margaret Aston, The Fifteenth Century, Tames And Hudson, ISBN 0-500-33009-3

Denys Hay and John Law, Italy in the Age of the Renaissance, Longman, ISBN 0-582-48358-1

John T. Paoletti and Gary M. Radke, Art in Renaissance Italy, Laurence King Publishing, (2005), ISBN 1-85669-439-9

Other websites[change | change source]

Links for Middle School students Archived 2008-06-10 at the Wayback Machine from the Courtenay Middle School Library Collection

Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Renaissance&oldid=9348743"

Category: RenaissanceHidden category: Webarchive template wayback links

This page was last changed on 8 February 2024, at 22:00.

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License and the GFDL; additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details.

About Wikipedia

Disclaimers

Code of Conduct

Developers

Statistics

Cookie statement

Mobile view

Toggle limited content width

Renaissance | Tate

Skip navigation

Search this site

Shop

Become a Member

Main menu

Art and artists

Our collection

Artists

Artworks

Art by theme

Explore

Videos

Podcasts

Short articles

In depth

Art Terms

Tate Research

Student resources

Make art

Create like an artist

Kids art activities

Tate Draw game

What's on

Plan your visit

Main menu additional

Shop

Become a Member

Expand

Art and Artists

Art Terms

Renaissance

Art Term

Renaissance

French word meaning rebirth, now used in English to describe the great revival of art that took place in Italy from about 1400 under the influence of the rediscovery of classical art and culture

TwitterFacebookEmailPinterest

Thomas Struth

Galleria dell’Accademia I, Venice 1992

(1992)

Tate

The Renaissance reached its peak (known as the High Renaissance) in the short period from about 1500–1530 in the work of Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael. The Renaissance style then underwent a myriad of successive transformations in Mannerism, Baroque, Rococo, neoclassicism, and the Romantic movement.The work of Raphael may be seen as representing the purest form of the Renaissance style and he was held up as prime model in the art academies until the mid-nineteenth century when artists turned their back on this classically governed approach. The revolt can be seen in movements such as the Pre-Raphaelites (who drew inspiration from the medieval art), realism, naturalism and impressionism.

See all artworks

Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.

related terms and concepts

Left

Right

Mannerist

Mannerist is a sixteenth century style of art and design characterised by artificiality, elegance and sensuous distortion of the human figure

Baroque

Baroque was the dominant style in art and architecture of the seventeenth century, characterized by self-confidence, dynamism and a realistic approach to depiction

Rococo

Light, sensuous, intensely decorative French style developed in the early eighteenth century following death of Louis XIV and in reaction to the Baroque grandeur of Versailles

Neoclassicism

Neoclassicism was a particularly pure form of classicism that emerged from about 1750

Romanticism

Term in use by the early nineteenth century to describe the movement in art and literature distinguished by a new interest in human psychology, expression of personal feeling and interest in the natural world

Pre-Raphaelite

The Pre-Raphaelites were a secret society of young artists (and one writer), founded in London in 1848. They were opposed to the Royal Academy’s promotion of the ideal as exemplified in the work of Raphael

Realism

In its specific sense realism refers to a mid nineteenth century artistic movement characterised by subjects painted from everyday life in a naturalistic manner; however the term is also generally used to describe artworks painted in a realistic almost photographic way

Naturalism

Naturalism was a broad movement in the nineteenth century which represented things closer to the way we see them

Sorry, no image available

Impressionism

Impressionism developed in France in the nineteenth century and is based on the practice of painting out of doors and spontaneously ‘on the spot’ rather than in a studio from sketches. Main impressionist subjects were landscapes and scenes of everyday life

Join inTwitterFacebookYouTubeInstagramPinterest

Email address

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google

Tate’s privacy policy

Submit

About

About us

Our collection

Terms and copyright

Governance

Picture library

ARTIST ROOMS

Tate Kids

Support

Tate Collective

Members

Patrons

Donate

Corporate

My account

Press

Jobs

Accessibility

Privacy

Contact

Renaissance | Causes and Effects | Britannica

Search Britannica

Click here to search

Search Britannica

Click here to search

Home

Games & Quizzes

History & Society

Science & Tech

Biographies

Animals & Nature

Geography & Travel

Arts & Culture

Money

Videos

On This Day

One Good Fact

Dictionary

New Articles

History & Society

Lifestyles & Social Issues

Philosophy & Religion

Politics, Law & Government

World History

Science & Tech

Health & Medicine

Science

Technology

Biographies

Browse Biographies

Animals & Nature

Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates

Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates

Environment

Fossils & Geologic Time

Mammals

Plants

Geography & Travel

Arts & Culture

Entertainment & Pop Culture

Literature

Sports & Recreation

Visual Arts

Companions

Demystified

Image Galleries

Infographics

Lists

Podcasts

Spotlights

Summaries

The Forum

Top Questions

#WTFact

100 Women

Britannica Kids

Saving Earth

Space Next 50

Student Center

Home

Games & Quizzes

History & Society

Science & Tech

Biographies

Animals & Nature

Geography & Travel

Arts & Culture

Money

Videos

Renaissance

Table of Contents

Renaissance

Related Summaries

Renaissance Key Facts

Renaissance Timeline

Discover

Nostradamus and His Prophecies

10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci

Why Doesn’t Arizona Observe Daylight Saving Time?

The Seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic church

Periods of American Literature

Nostradamus and His Prophecies

Titanosaurs: 8 of the World's Biggest Dinosaurs

Home

Philosophy & Religion

Philosophical Issues

Renaissance Article

Renaissance Causes and Effects

Actions

Cite

verifiedCite

While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.

Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

Select Citation Style

MLA

APA

Chicago Manual of Style

Copy Citation

Share to social media

Facebook

Twitter

URL

https://www.britannica.com/summary/Renaissance-Causes-and-Effects

Cite

verifiedCite

While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.

Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

Select Citation Style

MLA

APA

Chicago Manual of Style

Copy Citation

Share to social media

Facebook

Twitter

URL

https://www.britannica.com/summary/Renaissance-Causes-and-Effects

Written and fact-checked by

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

CausesIn the 1100s translations of ancient Greek and Roman texts reintroduced Classical wisdom and knowledge in Europe.Humanism and the work of St. Francis of Assisi became important influences on secular scholars and artists. Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. The printing press was invented in the mid-15th century.Nicolaus CopernicusEngraving from Christoph Hartknoch's book Alt- und neues Preussen (1684; “Old and New Prussia”), depicting Nicolaus Copernicus as a saintly and humble figure. The astronomer is shown between a crucifix and a celestial globe, symbols of his vocation and work. The Latin text below the astronomer is an ode to Christ's suffering by Pope Pius II: “Not grace the equal of Paul's do I ask / Nor Peter's pardon seek, but what / To a thief you granted on the wood of the cross / This I do earnestly pray.”(more)Courtesy of the Joseph Regenstein Library, The University of ChicagoThe Copernican revolution establishes that Earth and the other planets travel around the Sun. This was an important change in thinking. For hundreds of years, most scholars had mistakenly believed that Earth was stationary and at the center of the universe.Wealthy merchants in Florence financed works of art and brought the medium of oil painting from northern Europe to Italy. Two powerful popes, Julius II and Leo X, commissioned architecture and artworks for the Roman Catholic Church during the High Renaissance.EffectsGreek and Roman texts fostered a more rational, scientific approach to theology, the natural world, and the arts. Human beings and nature became subjects worthy of study. Artists adopted the rational elements of Classical learning, such as anatomy and aerial perspective and viewed the natural world as a path to the divine. Many scholarsfled Constantinople after 1453, bringing Classical Greek and Roman books and manuscripts to Italy. The emphasis on rational thought and science provided a boost to humanism. The printing press allowed Classical and Renaissance learning to spread quickly throughout Europe. The Copernican revolution encouraged scientific inquiry. Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da Vinci, a genius in several fields, was the personification of the “Renaissance man.”(more)Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzMerchant patronage of the arts helped create the High Renaissance, a unique flowering of painting, sculpture, and architecture in Italy and northern Europe.Many masterworks of Renaissance church art, such as the ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, were created during the reign of Popes Julius II and Leo X. The High Renaissance period came to an end in the 1520s. The clash between Christian theology and humanism resulted in a style known as Mannerism.

Renaissance Key Facts

Renaissance | Key Facts

Renaissance Timeline

Renaissance | Timeline