Renaissance, meaning “rebirth”, began in the 1300s but reached its peak around 1500, then further lasting until the 1700s. This new age emerged in Western Europe, with many contributors such as artists and thinkers. This period marked the transition from medieval times to the early modern world, marking a great shift from an agricultural to an urban society, in which trade assumed greater importance that in the past. The Renaissance was a time of creativity and great change in areas including political, social, economic, and cultural. In time, the Renaissance would transform nearly every aspect of European culture. Girolamo Savonarola, a Dominican friar who arrived in Florence, Italy, condemned the city’s arts and culture. Savonarola understood the radical changes befalling European society because he was a holdover from the older Medieval worldview. A new philosophy called humanism had come into play and, with it, the Renaissance was born. Humanist writers were able to influence audiences everywhere with a philosophy that stressed education and personal experience over religious dogma. …show more content…
Generally, art focused on religious themes and were lacking visual dimension. “In the Middle Ages, art evolves as humans continue addressing the traditional and the new, including Biblical subjects, Christian dogma, and Classical mythology” (Art History, p. 1). With the discovery of linear dimension, the Renaissance artists were able to portray distance and proportion more realistically. Artists also began depicting secular and classical themes, with prominent examples including Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” and Raphael’s “The School of Athens”. Advancements also developed in musical composition and performance. In the Middle Ages, sacred music had been limited to the Gregorian chant, a melody performed in Latin without instrumental