Renaissance Art and Its Effect on European Society

This article delves into the impact of Renaissance art on European society and culture. It discusses how the shift from theocentric to anthropocentric perspective influenced art, education, and more. The article also highlights the works of famous Renaissance artists and their contributions to the art world.

Running head: RENAISSANCE ART AND ITS EFFECT
RENAISSANCE ART AND ITS EFFECT
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1RENAISSANCE ART AND ITS EFFECT
Renaissance refers to the era from 14th to 16th century Europe when a new perceptive
emerged completely different from that of the middle ages. This period is marked by a great
reveal of interest in the values and learnings of the classical period. With a backdrop of
political stability as well as growing prosperity, this era developed a new thought which was
reflected in the art. Renaissance art is not only confined in the paintings or sculptures but
initiated a style of decorative paintings which Europe did never see before1. Renaissance art
actually perceived to be the noblest of all the ancient traditions and was taken to be the art
of Classical antiquity. However, this art form transformed the traditional methods of
expressing things by absorbing the recent developments. These new developments were
found in the art style of Northern Europe. To the scholars, the Renaissance art was
completely anthropocentric as this first applied the contemporary scientific
knowledge. Renaissance art is nourished by the humanist philosophy which was spread
through Europe2.
Renaissance art was the only medium though which the historians can find the seed of
rebirth for which the term Renaissance stands. The mediaeval era was darkest period of
Europe and the art form of that time also support this thought. The themes and subjects of
paintings, their approach and style affected the thoughts and perspectives of the European
society. Therefore, as the medieval paintings reveal, the society was more focused on the
religious ceremonies hence dominated by the concerns portrayed in the Bible3. On the
1 Mulryne, James Ronald, and Elizabeth Goldring, eds. Court festivals of the European Renaissance: art, politics
and performance. Taylor & Francis, 2017.
2 Adams, Laurie Schneider. Italian Renaissance Art. Routledge, 2018.
3 Neher, Gabriele, and Rupert Shepherd, eds. Revaluing Renaissance Art. Routledge, 2017.

2RENAISSANCE ART AND ITS EFFECT
contrary, the naturalism and attention to the antiquity found in the Renaissance art, are
reflected in the society also. The change of period can be clearly viewed from the perspective
of art and its effect of the thoughts or culture of the changed time. The Renaissance art also
capture the subtle changes in the society. For instance, the medieval education mainly
centered round the seven liberal arts which lost its importance with the advent of renaissance.
The new art form of the renaissance did not support the thoughts that do not espouse the
humanities but focus only on divinity4. Renaissance art hence invigorated them with a new
and focused scholarship of the new era where the human and everything related to human
were given the prior importance than anything else. The beginning of renaissance was
marked by coming of Popes to Rome that heralded the new period and created stage for a lot
of new ideas as well as construction to build.
As mentioned before, the world changed from theocentric to anthropocentric, where
the human is at the center of everything new and posed as the creator of their own fate.
Renaissance art established the believe that there is no presence or dominance of Catholic
church that previously made the society and desires of common people prevented from
flourishing. In discussing the renaissance period, the reference of the artist in Italy is
inevitable. The artist like Giotto di Bondone of proto-renaissance period, had revealed a new
style of drawing that contrasted the artforms of the medieval age by using a clear and simple
structure yet having a great psychological penetration rather than representing a flat and
linear decorativeness of the medieval age5. This eventually relates with the works of great
4 Steinberg, Leo. The sexuality of Christ in Renaissance art and in modern oblivion. University of Chicago
Press, 2014.
5 Townsend, Dave Derrell. Establishing Visual Narrative Using Symbolism of the Northern Renaissance and the
Expressionist Movement. Diss. Mississippi College, 2018.

3RENAISSANCE ART AND ITS EFFECT
poet Dante lived as his poetry also showed a similar apprehension with an inward experience
with subtle shades or variations of the human nature. The extensive revisions of Latin
literature were also the fruits of extensive interest on the themes used in the art of the
renaissance6. The artists like Filippo Brunelleschi, Lorenzo Ghiberti and Donatello through
their paintings and sculpture, revived the humanistic studies and the growing interest in
individualism and naturalism. The works of Masaccio is marked by new conceptions,
monumentality and high degree of naturalism which hanged the perspective of many artists
and poets of that time.
The artists of renaissance pressed the research on human anatomy by developing a
style of scientific naturalism. The perception of natural or physical beauty of the religious
figure that the medieval artists used to capture in their works lost all attraction to the people
as the new era paintings changed the definition and contemplation of beauty. The artists,
poets, musicians and scholars started to believe in the Neoplatonic ideal of the mystical union
with divine power through contemplation of beauty7. This beauty is completely different from
what the people of the early renaissance used to understand as the renaissance painters were
greatly concerned with the detailed representation of every objects. These painters started to
detail the symbolic meaning of each subjects which was mingled with the attentive study of
the scientific perspective as well as anatomy. In this respect, Leonardo Da Vinci is the most
important as all of his famous works represent his scientific research on human anatomy,
physics and creative power. The Last Supper, Mona Lisa and The Virgin of the Rocks
perfectly capture the new discoveries on human anatomy which was prevented at time before
6 Banta, AndaleebBadiee, ed. The Enduring Legacy of Venetian Renaissance Art. Routledge, 2017.
7 Mulryne, J. R., and Elizabeth Goldring. "Early Modern European Festivals-Politics and Performance, Event
and Record Helen W atanabe-O’Kelly." Court Festivals of the European Renaissance. Routledge, 2017. 39-49.

4RENAISSANCE ART AND ITS EFFECT
renaissance. Raphael, another renaissance man created his works that perfectly articulated the
classical spirit of that time mingling harmony and beauty with serenity8. Michelangelo on the
other hand through his Pieta and David, revealed a magnificent technical ability which bend
the rules of anatomy.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the renaissance was a result of new perspectives
and thoughts of these artists that served the period with greater expressive power. The art
forms of renaissance with so much of knowledge on Philosophy, thesis on the Arts, Prose,
Drama, Poetry, Science in contrast of Christian Theology effected the core thought of the
people of the period. Therefore, the idea of individualism can be found in the art forms that
became clearly dominant in the renaissance Europe especially the seat of renaissance Italy,
concurrently with the changes in concurrent economy and society. This inaugurated the path
of secularization of regular mundane life, the growth of rational economy of the period and
significantly increased the social mobility.
8 Panofsky, Erwin. Studies in iconology: humanistic themes in the art of the Renaissance. Routledge, 2018.

5RENAISSANCE ART AND ITS EFFECT
Reference:
Adams, Laurie Schneider. Italian Renaissance Art. Routledge, 2018.
Banta, AndaleebBadiee, ed. The Enduring Legacy of Venetian Renaissance Art. Routledge,
2017.
Mulryne, J. R., and Elizabeth Goldring. "Early Modern European Festivals-Politics and
Performance, Event and Record Helen W atanabe-O’Kelly." Court Festivals of the European
Renaissance. Routledge, 2017. 39-49.
Mulryne, James Ronald, and Elizabeth Goldring, eds. Court festivals of the European
Renaissance: art, politics and performance. Taylor & Francis, 2017.
Neher, Gabriele, and Rupert Shepherd, eds. Revaluing Renaissance Art. Routledge, 2017.
Panofsky, Erwin. Studies in iconology: humanistic themes in the art of the Renaissance.
Routledge, 2018.
Steinberg, Leo. The sexuality of Christ in Renaissance art and in modern oblivion. University
of Chicago Press, 2014.
Townsend, Dave Derrell. Establishing Visual Narrative Using Symbolism of the Northern
Renaissance and the Expressionist Movement. Diss. Mississippi College, 2018.