Petrarch: Humanism Within Renaissance Art Francesco Petrarca, commonly anglicized as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar and poet in Renaissance Italy, who was one of the earliest humanists. He is often credited for initiating the 14th-century Renaissance due to his humanistic observations displayed in his many letters and sonnets composed during his lifetime. Because of his eagerness to rail against the conditions of his era through his poems and other written compositions, Petrarch is often considered the founder of Humanism. This philosophical system that emphasizes the value of humanity has been the driving force to improvisation of critical thinking throughout the ages. Many of these humanistic ideas that Petrarch conveyed throughout the beginning of the Renaissance not only inspired many modern idealisms, but also influenced many artists and poets to begin showcasing their unique pieces reflecting the overall form. In his letter titled, “The Ascent of Mount Ventoux”, Petrarch encapsulates the essence of humanism by his descriptive and poetic narration of his journey. His expressive later has brought forth many observational and comparative examinations of some popular Renaissance paintings; most notably, those that reside in the Getty Center’s permanent collection. The first piece that greatly resembles the ideologies of humanism through its layout is titled Mythological Scene painted in 1524 by Dosso Dossi, an Italian artist. This painting depicts the Greek God Pan, a satyr who is usually personified as a symbol for lust according to the details listed for this piece. The vibrancy and heavy saturation in color scheme clearly make note that this painting …show more content…
This clear sign of individualism is an important piece when recognizing characters in paintings throughout the Renaissance. He