Renaissance
![Picture](/uploads/2/9/9/8/29986795/5615556.jpg)
Known as a time of great social and cultural change in Europe, the Renaissance brought many magnificent ideas and artworks. Although their is no definite date to when the Renaissance began, many historians can agree that the Renaissance began near the end of the Medieval Period, around 1350, in Italy. At this time, the artistic and scientific activities starting in Italy. The meaning of the word 'Renaissance', meaning rebirth in French, indicates what happened to the European culture to create the era. It was a time of rebirth.The definite date signalling the end of the Renaissance is still being discussed, but is around 1600, at the end of reformation on the European continent.
During this time, Italy was trading with continents such as Europe and Asia, bringing wealth that created a large market in art. Prior to the renaissance period, art was largely used by the Catholic Church, which confined artists to guidelines. Many artists were told to draw or create an image of a certain subject, usually being a biblical figure. Unlike the medieval times, where art was decorated, stylised, flat and two dimensional, art of the Renaissance had perspective, depth, emotion, realism and naturalism. Contradicting ideas of past art styles regarding dimension, most artworks of this art style was three-dimensional. In addition to perspective, artists sought to make objects, especially people, more realistic.
Before the beginning of the Renaissance, teaching of philosophy, mathematics, literature and medicines were lost. According to many historians, this was due to decrease in Europe's population from the plague. The beginning of Renaissance marked the time when knowledge of many intellectual and artistic areas were brought back to society, but took a different direction. Art, which had only been used for a Christian themes, took on a different view, becoming spectacular to the public. Nothing from the past remained the same. All areas of life was changed and viewed in a different perspective. Society had been reborn/ born again.
As the 14th century was a disaster, involving many unfortunate events such as the plague, the Hundred Years War and the turmoil in the Catholic Church, many people looked for some form of rebirth during the dark ages. From the end of the dark ages, Italians rediscovered writings, philosophy, architecture and art of the Greeks and Romans and began to see antiquity as a golden age which held the answers to reinvigorating their society. Citizens were encouraged to take place in political process. It was at this time where humanist came about, with their beliefs of celebrating the mind, beauty, power, and enormous potential of human beings. The humanists believed that God made the world but humans were able to share in his glory by becoming creators themselves. They believed that people were able to experience God directly and should have a personal, emotional relationship to their faith.
In the renaissance period, Jesus is portrayed in various ways. Throughout the duration of the period, artists had a tendency to focus on certain aspects of Jesus’ life, and appropriate aspects, developing for a central concept. As science was developing, people began to have a better understanding of the human body, and thus, began to create figures which sported more accurate, physical characteristics (life size alikeness of artwork, facial features which help to express different emotions, and emote the audience, and the attention to detail, on both the body of the figure, and the clothing of which they are depicted in. When Jesus was depicted as the central concept in the artwork, He was often created in a slightly larger scale in comparison to the other people, and subject matter.
Due to the rebirth of culture, society and a different perspective on art, images of Jesus changed drastically. Prior to this time period, Jesus was portrayed as two-dimensional and flat, but as the Renaissance commenced, artists began to draw and sculpt Jesus wit depth and perspective.
In this artwork, Jesus is depicted dying in his mother’s arms. The way to identify that this artwork is from the Renaissance period, is by the lifelike characteristics and the detail that the sculptor did. The developing science helped with the size of the human and the aspects, as well as the detail of the clothing and materials.
During this time, Italy was trading with continents such as Europe and Asia, bringing wealth that created a large market in art. Prior to the renaissance period, art was largely used by the Catholic Church, which confined artists to guidelines. Many artists were told to draw or create an image of a certain subject, usually being a biblical figure. Unlike the medieval times, where art was decorated, stylised, flat and two dimensional, art of the Renaissance had perspective, depth, emotion, realism and naturalism. Contradicting ideas of past art styles regarding dimension, most artworks of this art style was three-dimensional. In addition to perspective, artists sought to make objects, especially people, more realistic.
Before the beginning of the Renaissance, teaching of philosophy, mathematics, literature and medicines were lost. According to many historians, this was due to decrease in Europe's population from the plague. The beginning of Renaissance marked the time when knowledge of many intellectual and artistic areas were brought back to society, but took a different direction. Art, which had only been used for a Christian themes, took on a different view, becoming spectacular to the public. Nothing from the past remained the same. All areas of life was changed and viewed in a different perspective. Society had been reborn/ born again.
As the 14th century was a disaster, involving many unfortunate events such as the plague, the Hundred Years War and the turmoil in the Catholic Church, many people looked for some form of rebirth during the dark ages. From the end of the dark ages, Italians rediscovered writings, philosophy, architecture and art of the Greeks and Romans and began to see antiquity as a golden age which held the answers to reinvigorating their society. Citizens were encouraged to take place in political process. It was at this time where humanist came about, with their beliefs of celebrating the mind, beauty, power, and enormous potential of human beings. The humanists believed that God made the world but humans were able to share in his glory by becoming creators themselves. They believed that people were able to experience God directly and should have a personal, emotional relationship to their faith.
In the renaissance period, Jesus is portrayed in various ways. Throughout the duration of the period, artists had a tendency to focus on certain aspects of Jesus’ life, and appropriate aspects, developing for a central concept. As science was developing, people began to have a better understanding of the human body, and thus, began to create figures which sported more accurate, physical characteristics (life size alikeness of artwork, facial features which help to express different emotions, and emote the audience, and the attention to detail, on both the body of the figure, and the clothing of which they are depicted in. When Jesus was depicted as the central concept in the artwork, He was often created in a slightly larger scale in comparison to the other people, and subject matter.
Due to the rebirth of culture, society and a different perspective on art, images of Jesus changed drastically. Prior to this time period, Jesus was portrayed as two-dimensional and flat, but as the Renaissance commenced, artists began to draw and sculpt Jesus wit depth and perspective.
In this artwork, Jesus is depicted dying in his mother’s arms. The way to identify that this artwork is from the Renaissance period, is by the lifelike characteristics and the detail that the sculptor did. The developing science helped with the size of the human and the aspects, as well as the detail of the clothing and materials.