Renaissance Dbq Essay

The period of time that spans from around the 1400s to about 1700, otherwise known as the Renaissance was the rebirth and awakening for new ideas and inventions. It was vastly different from the previous era known as the Middle Ages, for a variety of reasons. Different advances were made in the Renaissance and, people became more educated in science, math, and literature. Ignorance about the world and nature was no longer the norm for the average person. During the Renaissance, a majority of the population were no longer illiterate, which in turn influenced the populace to become curious and ask questions. There was knowledge on a wide spectrum that would forever change the way that people thought about the world around them. Consequently,

As expressed in Document A, from Theodore Rabb’s Basic Books, The Last Days of the Renaissance & The March to Modernity, “The clearest evidence of the break with medieval culture comes from the visual arts”. The Middle Ages had an emphasis on religious figures and symbolism. The two images contained Document A included: Madonna Enthroned Between two Angels by Duccio di Buonisegna from the late 13th century as well as Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, from the early 16th century; upon further observation the conclusion can be made that not only was the art from the Middle Ages focused mostly on religious subject, but it also had two-dimensional lifeless figures and drab colors, as expressed in the painting. This great contrast is clear because the Renaissance painting is the complete opposite, possessing realistic figures which were true to form and three dimensional, vibrant landscapes, with a focus on the individual. As Rabb put it, “the new artistic styles would echo broader movements and interests of the new age.” The Renaissance art gave way to a shift and man no longer wanted to focus solely on religion but also how unique they were as

Document C presented drawings of the different universe models from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The geocentric or “earth- centered” model was done during the Middle Ages by Ptolemy, a Roman astronomer. His drawing contained different zodiacs and symbols, with the main focus on the earth. The drawing reflected the belief that the earth was god’s great creation and the writing around the illustration can be translated as “The Empire of Heaven and the home of God”; which reinstates the strong hold religion had over the people and their great belief in mythology. In contrast, during the Renaissance, the heliocentric or sun-centered model of the universe came about. “Relying mostly on mathematics and observation, he (Nicolaus Copernicus) developed a different understanding of the universe.” Unlike previous centuries where myths and religions were widely accepted in science, the Renaissance brought about a new way to look at the world through factual