The Renaissance - c. 1300 - 1517
The Renaissance was a time period in which the arts that had been lost during the Golden Age of Ancient Greece were trying to be restored. The word Renaissance means 'rebirth'. The philosophy behind the Renaissance was Humanism, which was the belief that man is the measure of all things. People who embrace Humanism do not view the Scriptures as the measure of all things. Man is ultimate in Humanism, not God. Sadly, the church in the day of the Renaissance bought into this philosophy as well, as it was the main sponsor of the arts. People thought they could make creations as beautiful as God did. This is a form of idolatry, and this thinking dishonors the God of all Creation.
The Renaissance began in Italy, and traveled all the way to the Northern Alps. The idea of Humanism continued to become more prevalent.
There were many affects of the Renaissance thinking. Revived interest in learning had an affect on the arts, science, sculpture and architecture. The works of arts were not necessarily of religious content any more. Paintings became more realistic, as the artists began to understand perspective (depth perception). People were able to create art works that looked like the pictures jumped off the pages! Even statues were realistic looking. The printing press came into being during this time period. It was easier to communicate ideas because of the advances that were made in the arts.
An example of a man who had many skills during this time period was Leonardo Da Vinci. He was good at painting, drawing, sculpting, architecture, music, engineering, and inventing things. He definitely left an imprint of his life that we still remember today.
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