Change Over Time: The Renaissance
By Carys Obertone
Renaissance Art + Music = A Time of Luxury
What was the change?
At a Glance; The Renaissance Society: http://artsandsciences.osu.edu/cmrs_snapshot
Who were the people associated with the change?
- Petrarch: He was moved by the criticism of history and questioned the past to further society. He became known as the founder of humanism while attempting to connect the classical past to Christianity. Due to living on a papal court site in Avignon, France, he had many connections to the Church. Petrarch soon changed his life path by abandoning law and then pursued literature. His literature contained influence from classical literature and ancient manuscripts. He ended up producing many of his own writings about love, biographies, and epic poems.
- Desiderius Erasmus: He was a Christian humanist who refused to accept Martin Luther's arguments because they opposed the basic teachings of the Church. While he wrote books criticizing the Catholic Church, he was still a strong Christian who influenced the Reformation with his writing.
- Dante: He was a poet who wrote in his local language, which was Italian. His most known work is The Divine Comedy which contains three parts; Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise.
Art Influences:
- De Medici's: They were a family of wealthy bankers who were patrons of the arts in Florence.
- Leonardo Da Vinci: He was an influential artist of the Renaissance who contributed many works including the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. He was also known for his inventions. Da Vinci was commonly known as a true Renaissance Man due to his many talents and successes.
- Michelangelo: He was another influential artist who contributed to society with his sculptures and paintings. He created art with religious undertones. Even with conflicts involving the Church, he used art to portray a side of religion that many people could agree on. His more famous works are the sculpture of David and the artwork on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
The "Fixers" of Society:
- Leonardo Bruni: Florence's patriotic leader who used classical teaching to help fix problems such as attacks from their rivals. He also used Roman literature to instill patriotism in their country. Bruni was a prime example of using history and building on it to advance.
- Laurentius Valla: Simply put, he was a harsh critic. Once he demonstrated the false authority of the Donation of Constantine, he soon questioned Livy's authority. His questioning and proving of false authority allowed for a shift in society that disproved ancient myths and questioning of the ways of the past.
Inferno is a part of the Divine Comedy. It was amazing, so is this song. Coincidence? I think not
Dante
Donation of Constantine
http://www.amazon.com/Donation-Constantine-Tatti-Renaissance-Library/dp/0674030893
The David
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/arts/artwork/michelangelo-sculptures7.htm
Mona Lisa
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/usanow/2013/08/09/mona-lisa-dna-test-florence-excavation/2635177/
Renaissance Printing Press
Renaissance Man
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/05/27/how-to-be-a-renaissance-man/
And did this time prosper? YES!
How did the change impact the society at the time?
How is that change evident in today's modern society?
During the Renaissance, there were many changes in society due to the uncovering of corruption. Today, if corruption is found, we address it and go through many steps until it is fixed (reforms in the government, *hint hint*).
Finally, as a "Renaissance Man" was the ideal man in the Renaissance, it is still common for an ideal man to have many talents and be educated. This idea was brought about because people realized if you are good at only one thing (specialized workers), no matter how good you are at that one thing, you are actually pretty boring. Once you are able to do more, then you will become more appealing In our society. Many ideal men are singers, dancers, writers, actors, or even a mix of these. The reason for this is the abundance of talents is impressive and appealing. How can you get bored?