The Renaissance
The Renaissance was a period in history that began in the early 1300’s and lasted until the early to mid 1600’s. The period is known for its revival of culture, art, education, and creative thinking. Florence, Italy, is referred to as the birthplace of the Renaissance, and the Renaissance spread to all of Europe from there. The end of feudalism, the plague, and the rebirth of trade sparked an interest in classical learning, the arts, and began Humanism.
A significant part of the Renaissance was the creation of Humanism. One of the early leaders of Humanism was an Italian poet named Petrarch. Petrarch believed that people should reach their full potential through education and classical studies. He brought back classical texts from Greece and Rome, and played a hand in making education a priority.
Art went through many changes in the Renaissance, and Leonardo da Vinci was an important person in the development of that. da Vinci painted several masterpieces in his time, including that of the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. He is known for painting extremely life-like people, which was uncommon in the Middle Ages.
Raphael was another renowned artist in the Renaissance period. He took a lot of inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci. Raphael used an art method called perspective in his work, which created the illusion of a third dimension, depth. Raphael’s paintings include The School of Athens and The Marriage of the Virgin.
The Renaissance was a period of great human achievement in the fields of science, art, architecture, and education. The Renaissance forever changed the world.