To understand the Renaissance, we can start with a translation of the word in French, it literally means rebirth. What is implied is that humanity had a rediscovery of sorts in terms of rational civilization, typified by Greece and Rome, after the medieval period which seemed like a superstitious and artistically primitive period by contrast. There is a general consensus amongst scholars and historians that divide the Renaissance into three phases; proto-renaissance (c. 1150, early (c. 15th Century Florence), and late renaissance (16th Century). Some historians first used the term to describe the period from the 14th to the 16th century, often retrospectively. While others agree that the ideas that characterized the Renaissance had their origin in late 13th century in Florence. The term Middle Ages makes a similar notion but differently; defining the medieval period as the time between classical and modern civilization. There are several theories as to when and where the Renaissance started. Some see general competition between artists for lucrative artistic commissions as sparking the creativity of the Renaissance. However, the difficulty lies in the task, and possibly the impossibility, of establishing a clearly defined line between medieval times and Renaissance. In the artistic realm, hints of a coming Renaissance can be seen well before 1300, but the revival of the study of classical literature is one field where a new start is consciously made in the 14th century. Particularly in the Latin and Greek phase of the Renaissance when scholars like Coluccio, Salutati, and Petrarch sought Latin works throughout the world�s libraries. A key event came by way of the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453. This subsequently led to the closure of its places of higher education by the Turks, and brought many Greek scholars to Italy. They brought with them Greek manuscripts, containing classical Greek literature, some of which had been lost for centuries in the West. Another theory centers on Italy unsurprisingly, as most scholars and historians believe that to be the birth of the rebirth, as mentioned earlier. Italy in the middle Ages had unique political structures leading many to believe this unusual social climate allowed the emergence of a rare cultural flowering of sorts. They theorize this based on the fact Italy didn�t exist as a political entity, but rather was divided into city-states. In addition, many Italian cities were among ancient Roman ruins, and as such it seems likely that the classical nature of the Renaissance was linked to the heartland of the Roman Empire. Giorgio Vasari was one of the first to touch on the notion of Italian transformation, where he defines in his book published in 1550, that what he saw was a break with the barbarities of gothic art. Vasari had claimed that the arts had fallen into a state of decay with the collapse of the Roman Empire and argued that it was Tuscan artists, beginning with Cimabue, and most importantly Giotto, who began to reverse this decline. According to Vasari antique art was critical to the rebirth of Italian art, both in inspiring the imitation of nature themes and as a model for the construction of ideal forms that could surpass nature�s imperfections. While the true origins may not be fully known, that is irrelevant by contrast to the overall impact it had on humanity. While the focus has primarily been on the achievements of Italians, the Renaissance is now being seen in a far wider context today.
Defining Italian Humanism
Parallel with the transformation in art was the revival of classical values in the study of the humanities, from which the Latin term humanist derives-humanitas, which carries the connotation of the highest human faculties and the type of intellectual culture that develops these faculties. These humane studies aimed at training men to take their place in society and public life. One of the great Roman humanists, Marcus Tullius Cicero, stated that men are set apart by reason and speech, which enables them to coexist. Italian humanism followed this ancient tradition, but also focused on rhetoric, which is the art of correct expression. This is because rhetoric had a moral purpose, an orator through effective expression, was supposed to persuade one into good action. The education of an orator in antiquity was largely literary and linguistic. Renaissance humanists also closely followed this by concentrating on a special set of subjects such as ethics, poetry, history, moral philosophy, in addition to the aforementioned oratory. It was in Italy because of the persistence of the classical tradition there, that Renaissance humanism first was born. A more accurate understanding of the ancient writers becomes evident in the late 13th century. The city of Padua was one of the important early centers of humanistic study. The great figure who contributed the most, or acted as the conduit for Italian humanism was Francesco Petrarca, or Petrarch (1304-74), who has been called the "father of humanism."As such, humanism can encompass many different ethical stances, and can be quite broad. It would appear that the word humanist meant something very different in the Renaissance than today�s meaning. In simplistic terms, Italian humanism can be defined as the spirit of learning and vast intellectual movement that developed, with the revival of classical letters and a renewed confidence in the human ability to determine for themselves truth and falsehood.
Major Artists of the Renaissance & their Contributions to their Profession
In many circles and amongst many art historians, the major and most influential artists of the Renaissance consist of da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian, all Italian born. These four will be the primary artists discussed in terms of their contributions to their professions. It is important to note that other renaissance artists like Bellini, Botticelli, Durer, Uccello, and Van Eyck are also held in high regard, and it is really subjective as to whom the top were as one could make an argument for any.
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci, born mid 15th century, was perhaps the finest example of a Renaissance genius who undoubtedly had one of the greatest minds of all time. His most famous works are the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper which are works in oil. His nature was careful and precise, so that he never hurried to finish a work, sometimes working for years on a piece. He was not only an amazing artist, but was an architect, botanist, mathematician, musician, engineer, scientist, anatomist, and inventor. He kept meticulous notes on every field of study conducted by him including observations of birds in flight, other animals, and most certainly humans. In addition, he studied the flow of water, studied plants, and the principal functioning of light. The most interesting were the sketches he made of things far beyond his time. He sketched the first parachute, airplane, helicopter, tank, repeating rifle, swinging bridge, paddle boat motor car, and even submarine, to name a few. He also had a great military mind and created a multitude of war machines. His contributions to the world of painting are extensive. He was one of the first artists to sketch outdoor portraits and he did the first relaxed portraits with misty landscapes, he seemed to change the way people painted and made sculptures. He was famous for the way he used light in his portraits, making it as if you could see into a paintings soul. Leonardo also contributed a significant amount in many areas of science and technology, like with his pioneering research into the brain, which led him to make discoveries in neuro-anatomy and neurophysiology. He injected hot wax into the brain of an ox which provided a cast of the ventricles and represents the first known use of a solidifying agent to define shape and size of an internal body structures. He undertook his research with the goal of providing a physical explanation of how the brain processes information via the soul. So really, his contributions are almost innumerable in a vast array of fields and since he was an artist and a scientist, he has come to be known as the ultimate "Renaissance Man."
Michelangelo
Michelangelo born late 15th century was one of the leading proponents of the Italian Renaissance. His paintings and sculptures have changed the meaning of art forever, and he could arguably be the greatest artist and sculptor who has ever lived. His greatest achievements include, painting the Sistine Chapel, and the sculptures Pieta and David, respectively. Originally, Michelangelo was to paint twelve pictures of the apostles around the outside of the ceiling of the Sistine (beginning in 1508, completed in only four years), but instead he used the central area of the ceiling to paint the entire history of the Old Testament, encompasses some 300 figures. Beginning in 1491, Michelangelo started work on some of the greatest sculptures the world has ever known when carved Madonna of the Stairs, followed by Pieta. In 1503 he began Doni Tondo in 1503. Later in his life in 1534, he started to paint The Last Judgment, located over the altar at the Sistine Chapel, some 23 years after his initial masterpiece. He also was an accomplished architect, poet, and anatomist. He was noted for his use of color, light, tone design, and draftsmanship. When sculpting, he always carved from front to back as shown in the famously unfinished piece St. Matthew. His paintings were all equally proportioned, with very good perspective. All of his works had a three-dimensional effect to make his figures stand out from the background. Michelangelo was one of the finest sculptures and painters of all time in which he set many standards and his contributions are everlasting.
Raphael
Raphael, also born late in the 15th century, was one of the greatest and most popular artists of his time and perhaps of all time. Raphael was quite popular with the popes of the period, as he decorated the papal apartments of Julius II, Leo X, and following Bramante, served as architect of St. Peter's. He is credited with revolutionizing portrait painting because of the style he used in Julius II portrait. He also designed the caricatures on the tapestries of the Sistine Chapel. In his painting The School of Athens, he reflected the classical influence upon Renaissance art, but he also paid tribute to the men who inspired him by using the faces of da Vinci, Bramante and Michelangelo as philosophers participating in the debate between Plato and Aristotle. He had great interest in portraiture and he was known as a classical perfectionist. Raphael was considered a genius of high Renaissance painters. His influence was felt dramatically into the 20th century. He had the unique ability of making people see personality when they looked at his paintings by putting ultra realistic emotional themes in his work, he simply painted life as he saw it. He essentially changed the way people viewed art. He was critical in the method of portraiture, as he was thought to be one of the most detailed painters of all portraitists.
Titian
Titian, born late 15th century was probably the most famous painter from Venice at the start of the 16th century. Recognized by his contemporaries as "The Sun Amidst Small Stars�, he trained with Giovanni Bellini. Titian was famous for pioneering rich color and dramatic light, showing relaxation in his paintings, along with his thick dramatic brush strokes. Among his famous paintings is Bacchus and Ariadne. Some believe him to be the greatest portraitist of all time, as he transformed it becoming the first, quite famous portraitist locally and abroad, by his evolutionary sympathetic and flattering depictions of his subjects. One of his best works being Man in The Red Cap, and his self portrait. His contributions in portraiture and painting in general are still seen today. He had unique painting methods that would exercise a profound influence not only on painters of the Italian Renaissance, but on future generations of Western art. In technical terms Titian was one of the first artists in Italy to extend the expressive effects of oil painting, as recently revealed through modern technologies. He was by far one of the most versatile of Italian painters, equally impressive with portraits, landscapes, and mythological and religious subjects. Few other artists had such an impact on their contemporaries and on the development of Western art as a whole. His impact since the 500 years since his death, on all generations has been nothing short than profound. He has been cited as the most perfect artist that ever lived. With Titian especially, his contributions are difficult to quantify generally speaking, though it is easy to suggest that the history of Western art would not have developed if not for his impact. It is also safe to say that in his lifetime he transformed almost all forms of painting in existence.
