Humanism During the Renaissance - Essay Example

Humanism during the Renaissance The term ‘Humanism’ is a relatively modern term yet, the concept of humanism based on the studia humanitatis was fundamental to the course of the European Renaissance and the European Enlightenment. Discuss the fundamental concerns of humanism and how were these concerns addressed in the art, architecture and design of a given period or in the work of a particular individual. Introduction In European history, the Middle Ages was the period between the 3rd and the 13th centuries, when acquiring knowledge or learning was mostly centered around religion, focusing mostly on God, Heaven, Saints and the Church. However, during the turn of the 14th century, the position of the Church weakened considerably and the values and ideals of the people underwent a revolutionary change because they became less interested in God and the Church and more interested in themselves, their daily lives and their own environment. The Church too did not do anything much to put an end to more humanistic ideals that permeated the fabric of religion. In fact, they encouraged Popes like Julius II1, (1503 – 13) (Neil Collins, Art Encyclopedia) to be extravagant where art, sculpture and architecture were concerned. As a result there was a great flourish of creative thoughts and ideas that were exchanged and this gave a potent platform for a new kind of thinking. The major shift in thinking was brought about during the Renaissance period by the scholars who turned away from the study of traditional subjects such as religion, law and medicine and began exploring the writings of the ancient Romans and Greeks because they were greatly influenced by them. These ancient Roman and Greek writings included art, scientific material, philosophy and matters pertaining to the Government. During the period of Renaissance, the common people turned their interests from religion and became interested in the natural world around them and other areas of Science such as Biology and Astronomy and hence began pursuing subjects such as architecture, Mathematics and Engineering. In this essay, an attempt would be made to explore the period of European Renaissance and Enlightenment in relation to ‘Humanism’ and how this served to influence the art and architecture of this period. ‘Humanism’ can be described as a Renaissance cultural movement that served to move away from the scholasticism of the Middle Ages and a revival of interest in Greek and Roman thinking. It is also defined as a rationalist outlook that served to give prime importance to the human form and nature rather than the Heavenly or Divine matters of religion. Humanism comprised of a system of thought that was rational and gave the individual full freedom of expression. According to the American Humanist Association Humanism is defined as a progressive way of life, devoid of supernaturalism, that enables us to live a life that is more meaningful ‘by adding to the greater good of humanity.’ (American Humanist Association, 2014) The core of humanistic ideals was centered around the human being and gave them the dignity and right to social justice and at the same time it made them responsible for their own destinies. According to humanism, humans are given the right to shape their lives in the way they seem fit, and their goals in life arise from their own needs and interests. These ideals that are based on human nature and the experience of human beings, are directed towards humanity and reason, that is devoid of anything religious or supernatural. Humanists were of the opinion, that if people were given total freedom to think and act for themselves, then they would be in a better position to solve their problems in life and also help others to solve their problems. Making use of this knowledge and freedom of will, they would be capable of appreciating art and craft, music and literature in a much better manner. People who followed humanistic ideals approached life with an open mind and an adventurous spirit and took full responsibility of their actions while they explored new options in the world around them. Humanists were endowed with a world view that was directed towards naturalism and therefore, they considered only nature to be real. They did not believe in life after death, miracles, the supernatural or in deities because their mode or method of thinking was through inquiry and logical reasoning and evaluation of their achievements to gauge the extent of its reliability and creativity. This kind of independent thinking served to nurture a more democratic society. Humanism spread in many different ways such as migration, trade and through ancient manuscripts and books, where there was a great flourish of exchange of thoughts and ideas. (Art and Humanism, YouTube) The printing press by Guttenberg2 served to spread the concept of humanism further with the invention of the printing press because these ancient books and manuscripts were easily printed and circulated instead of being written by hand which was indeed very tedious. During the period of the European Renaissance3, the values and ideals of the people, took on a whole new meaning, very unlike the religious connotation that was present before. It was termed as ‘secular humanism’ which meant that it had little or nothing to do with religion and humanism meant the pursuing and progress of human nature and everything related to it and this is what became the core of all their interests. Art, Architecture and design were revolutionized during the Renaissance and artists, musicians and writers explored the natural world to give more meaning to their works of art. Humanism flourished as gradually scholars and other people broke away from the traditional and studied and wrote about other subjects. Artists, composers, musicians and writers explored their own environment and wrote stories or autobiographies about themselves which had nothing to do with religion or the Church. Artists began using the concept of humanism in their works of art. A clear demarcation can be seen between the art work of the Middle Ages and the Art during the Renaissance. A good example of this can be seen in the painting of saints during the Middle Ages. The saints were painted with a halo around their heads depicting their holiness. However, during the Renaissance, the halo around the saint’s heads became much lighter and gradually disappeared. During the Middle Ages, art had a different perspective. God and all Heavenly Beings were measured and drawn using the hieratic scale and therefore the paintings had larger than life images when compared to other less important people or objects. Art in the Middle Ages – The Hieratic Scale4 Fig. 1. Madonna and Child in Glory by Jacopo di Cione5 from the Samuel H. Kress Collection, year 1360/65 Artists in the Middle Ages made use of the Hieratic Scale where the most important figures were depicted much bigger than the other figures who were less important. The halos and the gold used for the background represented that they resided in Heaven. However, when Humanism spread far and wide during the Renaissance, artists began using the same size for both Heavenly figures as well as ordinary people. They also began painting saints to look more like ordinary people. They mostly did away with the halos or used a faint glow of light to depict their holiness. During the Renaissance, artists began making their landscapes more natural and scenic, quite unlike the heavy gold backgrounds used in the Middle Ages. The use of oil paint enabled the artist to create layers for light to shine through. Artists of the Renaissance period did away with the Hieratic Scale and made all the figures on their canvas alike and not larger like those of the Middle Ages. The figures as well as the landscape had a more natural look to it by making use of subtle and vibrant oil colors in their depictions instead of tempera6 that was used during the Middle Ages. Artists also made use of mathematical calculations to create the right or accurate perspective of their paintings and giving it a more natural and convincing appearance in the way they represented space. Humanists of that period discarded the more utilitarian approach and tried to bring in a more humanistic attitude. This resulted in the “studia humanitatis”7 or the study of humanities which included subjects such as poetry, moral philosophy, rhetoric, grammar and history. Art during the Renaissance – Natural Depiction Fig. 2 - Madonna and Child with Saint John by Guilliano Bugiardini8 from the Samuel H. Kress Collection, year 1523/1525 During the period of Renaissance, the subjects for painting centered around religion and religious subjects, but the style of art work differed a lot from that of the Middle Ages. However, as the concept of Humanism seeped deeper, artists began using ordinary people for their paintings as they felt they were worthy enough to be used as models for their works. Therefore, gradually, humanism became the central motif of Renaissance art for the sculptors and painters of that period. They moved away from religious characters or heavenly scenes and depicted their art works in a totally new light. Rather than the religious themes, their art moved towards more human based ideals. (Evan Smith, 2012) Divinity and holiness was replaced with humanity and the beauty of the human form. Human figures became a centrifugal point as it kindled the curiosity and keen interests of the artists and sculptors of that period. Humanism gained momentum at a rapid pace during Renaissance and this served to cause a major shift in tastes and attitudes of creative people such as artists, sculptors and those in the literary or music circuits. During the Medieval Age artists painted their portraits with figures that were clothed, but with the spread of humanism which greatly influenced their work, they embraced the concept of humanism wholeheartedly and this shift was clearly seen in their art works. During the Renaissance period, artists and sculptors began focusing more on the human form and therefore painted or sculpted nude figures of the human form, thus giving it a more life- like appearance. A very good example of such depiction is Michelangelo’s9 ‘David’. The craftsmanship is incredible and astonishing because the figure of David appears to be almost alive. The figure exudes strength in the artistic presenting of the muscles and veins on the body, which is so well crafted by Michelangelo, its creator. He is one of the artists that closely followed the ideals of humanism by studying about the human form and carrying out these humanistic ideals to great perfection. Renaissance – Nude Figure of David by Michelangelo . Fig. 3 – David, by artist Michelangelo, Marble – height 434cms. Galleria dell’ Accademia, Florence, year 1504 Leonardo da Vinci, one of the greatest artists of his time was also famously known as the ‘Renaissance Man.’ He too was filled with humanistic thoughts and ideas and he put these ideals into practice as can be seen reflected in al his paintings. He was an astounding virtuoso, besides two other great masters, Michelangelo and Raphael, who also happened to be his contemporaries during the period of High Renaissance art. One of Leonardo’s most famous paintings during the Renaissance was a picture of the beautiful ‘Mona Lisa’10 who was actually a Florentine Official’s wife, which he painted in 1502. According to (Jonathan Jones,11 ‘the guardian, 2012) when Leonardo was painting the picture, his model did not smile at all. However, the smile appeared after many years of reworking his picture. The famous picture of ‘Mona Lisa’ has an enviable place at the Louvre. Leonardo’s da Vinci’s masterpiece “The Mona Lisa” Fig. 4 - The ‘Mona Lisa’ by Leonardo’s da Vinci, year 1502 “The Vitruvian Man” was another famous sketch by Leonardo that reflected his humanistic principles and ideals. He made use of scientific knowledge and concepts in his creations. He was also given special permission that allowed him to dissect corpses and to learn its anatomy. (Vincent Finnan, 2014) The artist closely observed and made a study of it and these concepts were used by him in his works of art. The Vitruvian Man was mainly a study of the proportions of the human male, which was based on a book written by Vitruvius, an architect of ancient Rome. It is also recognized as the Canon of Properties or Proportions of Man. (Totally History, 2014) Leonardo’s inquiring mind filled with humanistic ideas is clearly seen reflected in this sketch as he strives to bring together both Science and Art, both subjects which interested him so much, in the same work. Leonardo believed that the human form is linked to the structure of the universe. In the sketch we see the perfect figure of a man, with his arms and legs extended within a circle and a square that represents the universe. This famous sketch is presently housed at the Galleria dell Accademia in Venice, Italy. “Leonardo’s “The Vitruvian Man” 12(1487) Gallerie dell Accademia, Venice, Italy Fig. 5 – The Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci, 34.4 into 25.5cms., year 1487 Conclusion Humanism impacted on the community of artists during the Renaissance and this changed the whole perspective of how they were perceived. During the Medieval Ages artists and craftsmen were looked upon as servants but during the Renaissance, they were viewed as trained intellectuals and this new found perspective to their personality is seen reflected in their works of art because they had so much of liberty to bring out and express their creative skills in the way they thought was most beautiful. Artists were no longer commissioned to create works with only religious themes, but were given the freedom to create works which were secular in nature. Patronage became an important activity, while artists became busy ushering in a totally new style using new thoughts and ideas more close to nature and the human form. References Art and Humanism in the Renaissance. Web. Accessed in May 2014 www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPcPHzxTMx0 Definitions of Humanism- American Humanist Association. Web. Accessed in May 2014. www.americanhumanist.org Evan Smith (2012) Art History: Influence of Humanism in Renaissance Art. Web. Accessed in May 2014 www.central235.blogspot.com/.../influence-of-humanism-in-renaissance.html Humanism in the Renaissance – The Renaissance Connection. Web. Accessed in May 2014 www.renaissanceconnection.org/lesson_social_humanism.html Humanistic Art – Humanism. Web, accessed in May 2014 www.boundless.com Neil Collins. Renaissance Art: History, Characteristics. Art Encyclopedia. Web, Accessed in May 2014. www.visual-arts-cork.com/renaissance-art.htm Vincent Finnan. Leonardo da Vinci – Italian Renaissance Art www.italian-renaissance-art.com/Leonardo-Da-Vinci.html What is Humanism? Exploring the Idea of Humanism, Advocating Progressive Values and Equality for Humanists, Atheists and Freethinkers, Web, May 2014 www.americanhumanist.org/Humanism Figure Reference List Fig. 1 - Madonna and Child in Glory by Jacopo di Cione13 from the Samuel H. Kress Collection, year 1360/65. Humanism in the Renaissance – The Renaissance Connection. Web. Accessed in May 2014 www.renaissanceconnection.org/lesson_social_humanism.html Fig. 2 - Madonna and Child with Saint John by Guilliano Bugiardini14 from the Samuel H. Kress Collection, year 1523/1525. Humanism in the Renaissance – The Renaissance Connection. Web. Accessed in May 2014 www.renaissanceconnection.org/lesson_social_humanism.html Fig. 3 – Fig. 3 – David, by artist Michelangelo, Marble – height 434cms. Galleria dell’ Accademia, Florence, year 1504 David by Michelangelo – Web Gallery of Art, Image Collection. Accessed in May 2014 www.wga.hu/html/m/michelan/1sculptu/david/david.html Fig. 4 - The ‘Mona Lisa’ by Leonardo’s da Vinci, year 1502 Jonathan Jones. (2012) The Secret of Mona Lisa’s Smile lies in Leonardo’s painting. ‘the guardian’, Web, accessed in May 2014. www.theguardian.com Fig. 5 – The Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci, 34.4 into 25.5cms., year 1487 The Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci – Facts and History. Web, Accessed in May 2014 www.totallyhistory.com/vitruvian-man/ Read More

According to the American Humanist Association Humanism is defined as a progressive way of life, devoid of supernaturalism, that enables us to live a life that is more meaningful ‘by adding to the greater good of humanity.’ (American Humanist Association, 2014) The core of humanistic ideals was centered around the human being and gave them the dignity and right to social justice and at the same time it made them responsible for their own destinies. According to humanism, humans are given the right to shape their lives in the way they seem fit, and their goals in life arise from their own needs and interests.

These ideals that are based on human nature and the experience of human beings, are directed towards humanity and reason, that is devoid of anything religious or supernatural. Humanists were of the opinion, that if people were given total freedom to think and act for themselves, then they would be in a better position to solve their problems in life and also help others to solve their problems. Making use of this knowledge and freedom of will, they would be capable of appreciating art and craft, music and literature in a much better manner.

People who followed humanistic ideals approached life with an open mind and an adventurous spirit and took full responsibility of their actions while they explored new options in the world around them. Humanists were endowed with a world view that was directed towards naturalism and therefore, they considered only nature to be real. They did not believe in life after death, miracles, the supernatural or in deities because their mode or method of thinking was through inquiry and logical reasoning and evaluation of their achievements to gauge the extent of its reliability and creativity.

This kind of independent thinking served to nurture a more democratic society. Humanism spread in many different ways such as migration, trade and through ancient manuscripts and books, where there was a great flourish of exchange of thoughts and ideas. (Art and Humanism, YouTube) The printing press by Guttenberg2 served to spread the concept of humanism further with the invention of the printing press because these ancient books and manuscripts were easily printed and circulated instead of being written by hand which was indeed very tedious.

During the period of the European Renaissance3, the values and ideals of the people, took on a whole new meaning, very unlike the religious connotation that was present before. It was termed as ‘secular humanism’ which meant that it had little or nothing to do with religion and humanism meant the pursuing and progress of human nature and everything related to it and this is what became the core of all their interests. Art, Architecture and design were revolutionized during the Renaissance and artists, musicians and writers explored the natural world to give more meaning to their works of art.

Humanism flourished as gradually scholars and other people broke away from the traditional and studied and wrote about other subjects. Artists, composers, musicians and writers explored their own environment and wrote stories or autobiographies about themselves which had nothing to do with religion or the Church. Artists began using the concept of humanism in their works of art. A clear demarcation can be seen between the art work of the Middle Ages and the Art during the Renaissance. A good example of this can be seen in the painting of saints during the Middle Ages.

The saints were painted with a halo around their heads depicting their holiness. However, during the Renaissance, the halo around the saint’s heads became much lighter and gradually disappeared. During the Middle Ages, art had a different perspective. God and all Heavenly Beings were measured and drawn using the hieratic scale and therefore the paintings had larger than life images when compared to other less important people or objects. Art in the Middle Ages – The Hieratic Scale4 Fig. 1. Madonna and Child in Glory by Jacopo di Cione5 from the Samuel H.

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