Running head: THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE 1

The Developments of the Italian Renaissance

Shaquille Lane

National University

THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE 2

Introduction

The Italian Renaissance was a period in Italian history that covered the 15th and 16th

centuries. Toward the end of the 14th century A.D most Italian thinkers declared that they were

living a new age (Hay,1977). During that period Italy experience a cultural rebirth, that massively

affected all sectors of the society. It was a fervent period of the European cultural, artistic, political

and economic rebirth following the middle ages. It led to the discovery of classical philosophy,

literature, and art. According to Hay (1977), the Italian renaissance is best known for its

achievements in painting, music, philosophy, architecture, sculpture. By the 15th century, Italy

became the European leader throughout the renaissance period. Most scholars have agreed that

between the 14th- 17th century there was a new way of thinking about the world and man’s place.

The Italian Renaissance was spreading throughout the Italian peninsula which resulted in the

creation of buildings, churches, villas and plenty of palaces. Miskimin (1975) stated that the

renaissance created competition between all the Italian capitals, since each one of them wanted to

be recognized as the most beautiful place in Italy. This paper is going to analyze the historical,

political, religion and cultural context for the Italian renaissance, also, it will explain the

development in art and architecture made in the Renaissance period and the role of patronage in

art creation.

During the early renaissance, the artists began to reject the Byzantine style of religious

painting and strove to create realism in their depiction of the human form and space (Miskimin,

1975). According to the study, the artist during the early renaissance was highly influenced by the

humanist philosophy which emphasized that man’s relationship with the world, the universe, and

God was no longer the exclusive province of the Church. Additionally, during that time, a new

standard of patronage in the arts came up which was separate from the church or monarchy. The

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idea was supported by the prominent Medici family. The renaissance marked a great cultural

change throughout the whole of Europe also it is viewed as a bridge between the medieval and

modern ages.

During the renaissance, there were political and economic changes that bought huge

transformation in all of Europe (Inglehart, 1988). There was a rise in a strong central government

and an increasingly urban economy. The middle ages were presided over by the catholic church.

The church used to preach about the denial of worldly pleasures. During that time the European

society was defined by the system of feudalism where societal classes were hierarchically divided

based on their position in the prevailing agrarian economy. Later in the middle ages, the situation

changes greatly whereby the church loses its power as monarchies rose to consolidate feudal

manors into powerful city-states and nation-states. The sates opposed the church in matters of tax

collection and legal jurisdictions. Apart from the rise of monarchies also money economy came

up. This happened because as monarchs brought peace to feudal society, feudal lords concentrated

less upon defending their lands and more upon accruing large quantities of cash, with which they

improved their style of living and dabbled in the growing market economy. According to Inglehart

(1988), the actions of the feudal lords led to the reduction of serfdom practice and later the serfs

became the tenant’s farmers and landowners. The trade of agricultural and manufactured goods

grew in importance and cities became populous and modern

The economic changes in Europe that made the Renaissance possible

During the renaissance, there was an economic change in Europe. The European economy

grew drastically especially in the trade area (Routt, 2008). There was development such as

population growth, expanding trade routes and a new manufacturing system that led to an overall

increase in commercial activities. Before renaissance feudalism was rampant in the middle east

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but it disappeared when Capitalism emerged. This change affected many aspects of European

society such as agriculture, the European economy, and the manufacturing sector, forcing people

to adapt to new ways of conducting bossiness with others.

Europe’s economy depended mostly on agriculture, the town and cities did not become

significant centers of production until the late middle ages. According to research, the economic

importance increased rapidly after the medieval period. During the middle ages most peasants were

serfs, but by the late 1400s serfdom was declining throughout Europe and peasants were free to

move about and they were also allowed to rent farms for themselves. The increase in population

caused the demand for food to rise. The landowners were forced to pay more for their labor and

these made food prices hike across all Europe. Both an increase in prices of commodities and

growth in the number of people needing goods and services prompted the merchants to expand

their business.

According to the study, Renaissance Europeans had a very diverse economy where

different commodities were releases in abundance. But with time some parts of the continent grew

economically while some parts declined. During the 1300s and 1400s, Italy had dominated

European trade and manufacturing. Merchants in Florence, Milan, and Venice developed large

business organizations to carry on their activities across Europe. Additionally, they manufactured,

sold, or traded a wide variety of products. They also provided banking services for governments

and other merchants in many areas of Europe.

Cole (2012), stated that during renaissance especially in the 1500s, there were some

changes in the organization of manufacturing and trade. Major guilds such as the one for the

production of woolen cloth changes character. Occasionally the owners and investors dominated

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the guilds and they were the ones to make a decision. It is noted that investors had some political

powers which helped them advance their interest at the expense of their workers. Additionally, the

European economy experienced a mix of crises and opportunities during the renaissance period.

But people showed remarkable skills in adopting the change.

Throughout the renaissance political development and overseas exploration had a profound

effect on European trade. According to Cole (2012), the Mediterranean Sea was the main arena of

international trade during the start of the renaissance. Venice dominated commerce in the region

because of its powerful merchant fleet and strategic location. Also, the Venetians controlled the

flow of luxury goods and spices between Asia and Europe

The role of patronage in art creation

During renaissance art was very important because patrons were willing to support it. The

wealth, personal vanity and new levels of education in society all supported a growing culture of

patronage. Patronage is considered as the support, or encouragement that an organization or an

individual bestows to another. During the renaissance period, the Medici patronage played a huge

role in helping and supporting artists. The Medici family ruled the city of Florence throughout the

Renaissance. According to research, the Medici through their patronage of the arts and humanism

had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance.

Artists during the renaissance period

Through the renaissance period, there was the greatest artist who was known for their

sublime artistry. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello are known as

masters of the renaissance (Cole, 2012)

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Leonardo da Vinci was an artist, inventor, draftsman, and polymath. His best-known

masterpieces include the Mona Lisa which is kept in the Louvre in Paris. Also, he created the

last supper the sketch of the Vitruvian Man. Also, there was Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti

Simoni he was an architect, artist, poet, and engineer. He was considered as the greatest artist

during the renaissance. He is well known for his sculpture of David and famous frescoes in the

Sistine Chapel depicting the scenes from Genesis and The Last Judgment. The third was Raffaello

Sanzio da Urbino he was a painter and an architect. He was a prolific artist and he was not from

Florence, he died much younger than Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donato. He was known by his

famous works which include his paintings of the Madonna of the Pinks, Saint George, and the

Dragon, Sistine Madonna and The School of Athens. Lastly, there was Donatello, he was a sculptor

whose most well-known works include his bronze sculpture of David, bronze roundel of Chellini

Madonna which symbolizes the virgin and child with four angels. Also, he painted the wooden

sculpture of penitent.

During the renaissance, there were political and economic changes that bought huge

transformation in all of Europe (Inglehart, 1988). There was a rise in a strong central government

and an increasingly urban economy. The middle ages were presided over by the catholic church.

The church used to preach about the denial of worldly pleasures. During that time the European

society was defined by the system of feudalism where societal classes were hierarchically divided

based on their position in the prevailing agrarian economy. Later in the middle ages, the situation

changes greatly whereby the church loses its power as monarchies rose to consolidate feudal

manors into powerful city-states and nation-states. The sates opposed the church in matters of tax

collection and legal jurisdictions. Apart from the rise of monarchies also money economy came

up. This happened because as monarchs brought peace to feudal society, feudal lords concentrated

THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE 7

less upon defending their lands and more upon accruing large quantities of cash, with which they

improved their style of living and dabbled in the growing market economy. According to Inglehart,

1988) the actions of the feudal lords led to the reduction of serfdom practice and later the serfs

became the tenant’s farmers and landowners. The trade of agricultural and manufactured goods

grew in importance and cities became populous and modern

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Italian Renaissance was a rebirth of classical values in art, literature, and

philosophy.it was considered as the period of artistic development in western art and its influence

spread across Europe. It promoted the cultural and scientific ideas that shaped the artistic thoughts.

Through the research above renaissance was caused by the increase in interaction between

different cultures, the emergence of humanism and different artistic and technological innovation.

The most prominent feature of the renaissance was the furthering of arts. During the renaissance

period painters such as Giotto, and sculptors such as Ghiberti experimented with techniques to

better portray perspective.

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Reference

Cole, S. J. C. M. W. (2012). Italian Renaissance Art. Thames & Hudson.

Hay, D. (1977). The Italian Renaissance in its historical background. Cambridge University Press.

Inglehart, R. (1988). The renaissance of political culture. American political science review, 82(4),

1203-1230.

Miskimin, H. A. (1975). The economy of early Renaissance Europe, 1300-1460. Cambridge

University Press.

Routt, D. (2008). The economic impact of the Black Death. EH. net Encyclopedia.

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