The Italian Renaissance

The Renaissance era replaced the European culture of the Middle Ages. This phenomenon originates in Italy, it was here that its first signs were noticed. The Italian Renaissance fell on the period from the thirteenth to the second half of the seventeenth century. It is based on the principle of humanism, that is, the assertion of the dignity and beauty of man. At this time, a secular culture begins to form, liberation from church scholasticism and religious dogmas. Culture becomes anthropocentric. The term "Revival" was introduced by Giorgio Vasari. He described this time as a period of the revival of antiquity. Otherwise, the era is called the Renaissance.

The Renaissance was accompanied by some contradictions, this is due to the fact that its peak occurred in wars, and at the end of their cardinally changed values. The priority was not moral, but material, the development of philistinism took place, the influence of the church increased.

Literature

The founder of the Renaissance in Italy is considered to be Dante Alighieri, it was he who managed to disclose the essence of people of this period in the literary work "Divine Comedy." In the works of the authors of the Renaissance, humanistic ideals were expressed, and the freedoms of individual creativity were glorified. The inner world of man in all his emotional diversity was revealed by Petrarch. It is impossible not to mention the novels of Boccaccio, the treatises of Machiavelli, the poems of Ariosto and Tasso. Literature was based on the traditions of antiquity and folk poetry. It combined the rational principle and poetic fantasy. Comic genres became more popular. It was during this period that such famous works as "Decameron", "Don Quixote" were written.

Architecture

The Italian Renaissance in architecture followed the medieval traditions for a long time, it was expressed in the use of Gothic elements. Italian Gothic was significantly different from the gothic of other European countries. The buildings had large, calm forms, wide walls with horizontal division. One of the most famous temples of the time is the church of Santa Croce, its construction began by Arnolfo di Cambio in the 13th century. The decoration of the diamond rustic, wooden ceiling ceilings, the unity of the interior space - all these are distinctive features of the temple.

Sculpture

The art of the Renaissance is characterized not only by the introduction of innovations in architecture, but also by changes in sculpture, which at this time is flourishing. State and merchant orders are becoming increasingly popular. The most famous sculptors of the time were Lorenzo Ghiberti, Luca della Robbia, etc. Robbia, for example, became famous for using glazing techniques in sculpture and relief. He created majolica busts of saints, Madonna and Christ. The art of this sculptor was deservedly received by contemporaries.

Painting

The Italian revival does not appear without painting. It was performed in the technique of fresco. Painters painted plaster paintings on the water. In the middle of the 15th century, cardboard drawings made on paper or cloth were distributed. In Venice, the buildings were decorated not with frescoes, but with picturesque drawings made with oil paint. Also, the Italian Renaissance gave the world and this kind of art, like engraving. Performed engravings on metal and wood. It is worth noting that the artists of the Renaissance paid attention to the landscape, human anatomy, light. Landscape becomes not just a background, but an element of the plot in the picture.

The great masters of the era in the art of the Renaissance include Brunelleschi, Verrocchio, Mantegna, Donatello, Masaccio, Botticelli and others. The first artist who painted three-dimensionality, it is considered to be Giotto.

Philosophers of this era include Nikolai Copernicus, Jean Bodin, Lorenzo Valla, Nicola Cusa, Niccolo Machiavelli.