This is the fourth edition of Bathroom-Break Tidbits. Enjoy!
A Grand "Rebirth"
The death of poet Francesco Petrarch in 1374 marked the beginning of a new era of European history: the Renaissance. It began in Italy and would last there until 1525, when the Holy Roman Empire's army sacked Rome, and it would last later still in Northern Europe. French for "rebirth," the Renaissance transitioned the continent away from the agrarian, politically cloistered, economically stagnant Middle Ages into a new age of urbanization, state consolidation (thanks to the rise of "new monarchs"), and transcontinental exploration (with its consequent global economics).
Cultural Transformation
Raphael Sanzio's The School of Athens (1509-10), a depiction of Greek's great thinkers. It embodies the Renaissance's revival of Greek studies as well as its artistic advancements.
The Renaissance transformed European intellectualism and culture. The religious scholasticism of medieval universities, which had focused on recapitulating Catholic-Church-approved philosophical "authorities," fell to the wayside in favor of revived Greek and Latin studies. The rise of humanism, individualism, and secularism championed the human form and sparked reinterpretations (and eventually reformations) of Catholicism. Many scholars even attempted to revive ancient Greek and Roman values in everyday life.
These new cultural sentiments manifested themselves in the art of the era. Renaissance art, born at the hands of the painter Giotto in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, focused on realistic, life-like representations of human subjects. Additionally, these subjects often performed secular, everyday tasks (see the works of the Dutch Golden Age); during the Middle Ages, by contrast, works had normally depicted biblical scenes or religious idols. To be certain, though, Renaissance works, especially those in Italy, were still largely religious.
The trends of humanism and individualism motivated some painters to even exaggerate the human form. Michelangelo's subjects were practically superhuman, more well-built than any man ever could be, but depicted as such to represent man's great power and potential. The development of new painting techniques, especially linear perspective (see del Verrocchio and da Vinci's The Annunciation below) and chiaroscuro (or realistic shading), enabled such artistic advancements.
These new cultural sentiments manifested themselves in the art of the era. Renaissance art, born at the hands of the painter Giotto in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, focused on realistic, life-like representations of human subjects. Additionally, these subjects often performed secular, everyday tasks (see the works of the Dutch Golden Age); during the Middle Ages, by contrast, works had normally depicted biblical scenes or religious idols. To be certain, though, Renaissance works, especially those in Italy, were still largely religious.
The trends of humanism and individualism motivated some painters to even exaggerate the human form. Michelangelo's subjects were practically superhuman, more well-built than any man ever could be, but depicted as such to represent man's great power and potential. The development of new painting techniques, especially linear perspective (see del Verrocchio and da Vinci's The Annunciation below) and chiaroscuro (or realistic shading), enabled such artistic advancements.
Leonardo da Vinci and Andrea del Verrocchio's The Annunciation (c. 1472-5), an example of linear perspective and the continuing influence of Catholicism during the Renaissance.
New Political Realities
Italy dominated the early Renaissance, thanks to its "head start" on the rest of the continent. Throughout the Middle Ages, Italy had remained a collection of autonomous, commercial city-states, one of the few regions of Europe that still traded on large scales; by contrast, the rest of the continent had been a mosaic of politically hierarchical, economically stagnant fiefs. This gave Italy an advantage in idea proliferation during the Renaissance, and it dominated the first century of it. However, by the late-1400s, inequalities in city-state power began to cause turmoil in Italy, and a combination of failed treaties, invasions by France and the Holy Roman Empire, and even political intrigue by the pope ended the Italian Renaissance by 1525.
Leonardo da Vinci's The Mona Lisa (c. 1503-19), likely a portrait of the wife of a wealthy Italian merchant.
Meanwhile, throughout Northern Europe, monarchs had finally begun to consolidate their kingdoms under centralized control. In some countries (England, Spain, and France), representative assemblies emerged in an attempt to stop monarchical consolidation, but to little effect. Increasing national unity as well as technological advancements like the printing press allowed ideas of the Italian Renaissance to proliferate Northern Europe, thereby beginning the Northern Renaissance. National unity also allowed national taxes, larger army budgets, and spending on exploratory projects. As a result, by 1500 Portugal had sailed around Africa to India, and Spain had (accidentally) put a man in America.
In this way, the Renaissance sparked a new, globally oriented Europe. Soon, countries had colonies dotting the coasts of Africa, America, and India, first as trading posts but eventually as settlements. Everywhere they went, Europeans brought Western culture to new peoples (most of whom would wish the Europeans had never come). Europe—and the world—had been reborn. The new politics, economics, and culture of Renaissance Europe set the stage for the modern Europe to come, and the world would never again turn back.
And that, my friends, is the European Renaissance in a bathroom break.
In this way, the Renaissance sparked a new, globally oriented Europe. Soon, countries had colonies dotting the coasts of Africa, America, and India, first as trading posts but eventually as settlements. Everywhere they went, Europeans brought Western culture to new peoples (most of whom would wish the Europeans had never come). Europe—and the world—had been reborn. The new politics, economics, and culture of Renaissance Europe set the stage for the modern Europe to come, and the world would never again turn back.
And that, my friends, is the European Renaissance in a bathroom break.
Reference
Kagan, D., Ozment, S., Turner, F. M. (2011). The Western heritage, since 1300: AP edition (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. (Amazon link to the 11th edition).
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