Winter Week One

As human beings, we like to worship specific things and people. We like to compare stuff and think of one work as better than another. The 15^th and 16^th centuries are a part of our history that we tend to regard as a rather good time for Western Civilization, because society was greatly concerned about improving itself through the development of logic, philosophy, science, medicine, literature, music and visual arts – the overall improvement of education (of noblemen), getting out of the Dark Ages and enlightening the mind. I think we view Renaissance art so highly, because that was the start of seeing art from a more scholarly approach. Everything was taken from a more scholarly approach and could be treated as a serious line of study or occupation. More realistic techniques were found and employed to make visual creations more believable and aesthetically pleasing. It was the first time that humans could afford to give enough attention, improve and refine arts and philosophies after the Medieval Times.

Because of the Enlightenment taking place, there was more interest in ideas beyond the church, and, therefore, there were more patrons of the arts aside from religious figures. Secular art became more profitable to artists. I think this improved sacred art, making it more varied and interesting, because there were more intentions for artistic content. A painting of the crucifixion was not just a narrative that existed so people could see and understand the event – there were more focused, underlying messages. Renaissance art was expressing for a single person, the commissioner/patron, instead of for a whole church, though sometimes it may speak for the artist if he was sneaky enough or successful enough to paint/compose/sculpt in his own interests.

Also, improving commerce benefitted the arts in the same manner. More and more patrons could exist and the religious significance decreased. People were allowed to be driven by money and intellectual enlightenment. The rich and educated felt compelled by a desire to improve on Classical ideals. “They imagined a golden age of philosophy, literature, and the arts,” as the textbook put it. Meanwhile, profit would be a greater motivator for artists to improve their work. Money was starting to flow much more freely then in the Middle Ages. Plus, the artists would come in contact with the ideas of Enlightenment when they worked for their patrons, and they probably became caught up in the same desires for progress.

This desire to improve oneself and/or his works led to new and perfecting techniques, which is why a few names stick out, like Michelangelo and Leonardo. They managed to be innovative and successful, becoming inspiration for many, many, many, many, many… many other artists, and they got the attention of many, many patrons and scholars. The illusion of perspective was properly harnessed at this time, and scientific proportions were realized.

So, in other words, the Renaissance artists held themselves up to raising standards, so we respect them by viewing their work as beautiful and genius.