The Origin of Humanism during Renaissance

It is true to say that the subject of the Renaissance was a particular cluster of changes in Western culture rather than an isolated cultural miracle or the sudden emergence of modernity. Many historians of the nineteenth century only particularly looked at the period of the Renaissance and not its preceding years. Hence, they believed that the Renaissance was a sudden emergence of modernity and that “Renaissance Italy was the birthplace of the modern world.” Historians of the nineteenth century such as Jacob Burckhardt and Jules Michelet, came to the conclusion that the Renaissance was a “crucial period in European history, radically different from the Middle Ages.” But Renaissance thinkers at the time derived the terms of “Middle Ages” and

Artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Albrecht Durer were all sponsored by patrons who developed their skills and talents. Michelangelo created the powerful sculpture of David (1504) in Florence. “Michelangelo’s work represents the epitome of art during the renaissance, a time of cultural rebirth” It symbolises the power of the individual and the power of the state at the time. A powerful patron that was Pope Julius 2nd commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel which conveyed the individuality and talent of this cultural genius. “Painters now faithfully depicted the beauty of mountains, rocks and gardens for their own sakes.” These artists “experimented with perspective, paid greater attention to proportion, shadowing and naturalistic representation and took their subjects from antiquity.” Although many new techniques such as perspective and linear drawings were introduced, they also learnt from both the Greeks and the Romans about soul when they drew a human face. “Leonardo’s famous Mona Lisa with its

The political structure and economic prosperity of Italy at this period created a perfect opportunity for the Renaissance to occur while the evolution of the printing press provided the basis of the Renaissance to develop throughout Western Europe. Although these features allowed the Renaissance to develop, one would have to recognise that all their writings, ideas, individuality and success were derived from the medieval period. “It is usual to acknowledge the continuity of the Renaissance with the medieval past, while at the same time recognising the role of the Renaissance in fostering new and challenging approaches to the status