The Renaissance period is an era that took place in history back in the 14th and 17th centuries. The place Renaissance began was Florence, Italy. The word Renaissance was derived from the French people which means rebirth. This era was in between the Middle Ages and Contemporary history. This period created so many great and creative thinkers like philosophers, artists, scientists and so much more. The people that lived in this era, got to learn so many new things and were able to express their ideas. This period was also known as the Age of Discovery where new things were being created and introduced to society. During this period, the Renaissance impacted society by introducing us to many forms of art like music, religion, literature, gaining new knowledge of medicine and, we got to learn more about famous artists like Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo Davinci, and so many others.
These artists that were famous during this period became one of the most influential artists and are still known in modern times. In recent times, there is still no one as famous as Leonardo Da Vinci and the other artists back in the day. They played such an important part throughout history. The Renaissance period wasn’t just about the rich and powerful people but instead about everyone as a whole. It expanded the minds of people who didn’t care or know anything about the arts and cultures. It helps people learn and appreciate the meanings of art. Some people agree that during the Renaissance era, a lot of positive feelings were developed even though some people thought it wasn’t that big of a difference. (Taezegül, 2019) Just like any other period, they were positive and negative impacts during this era. The advantages were that we learned about different cultural diversities, outstanding writers like William Shakespeare, and instruments like the flute, brass, and cornett were invented.
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The Renaissance Period teaches us important lessons in modern times because it can help us become inspired and learn how things were in the past and how our world evolved. It also teaches us that we can express our ideas and become innovative. The Renaissance era introduced us to religion, and we still practice all types of religions like Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and so many other. It was this period when the world that we live in today began to evolve. Back then, women did not have a lot of rights but now we are treated with equality. The difference between now and the Renaissance era is huge. In the modern era, we have technology that didn’t exist before like cell phones, the internet, cars, computers and so much more back then people use to walk on foot and traveled long distances.
Leonardo Da Vinci did not become an artist in the blink of an eye. He worked hard to get what he wanted. “For him to do what he loved which was painting he had to be competitive and gain the favor of the richest and most powerful people of Italy at that time which was the Medici Clan.” (Findlen, 2014) They were a lot of people who could draw paintings so it wasn’t easy to be recognized for your talent just because anyone can pick up a brush and decide to paint. When we hear the name, Leonardo Da Vinci, people thought of them as a creative and gifted person who could do anything with his brush. What people didn’t realize about him was that he struggled to complete his assignments which made him wonder if he was capable of succeeding. Everyone thinks of him as an amazing man which he is but he did go through some failures to get to where he was. In our society, it is hard for people to succeed in the world of arts because they are not a lot of demands and there are a lot of people who could paint but only a few prosper. There are a lot of people who don’t succeed because of uncertainty. Some people don’t pursue their dreams of becoming painters because they are too many risks since you don’t know if you will be successful or not. The risks of pursuing art are that some people won’t like your art and no one wants to buy it. You will probably end up being broke which will make you look for another job that has financial stability.
Another famous artist is Michelangelo. He was a painter and sculptor who lived in Florence, Italy. He was a big influencer when it came to Western art like architecture. He is known as one of the greatest artists to ever exist in this world. A lot of his paintings are known and are still famous like David, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, Pieta, and many others. Not only was he a famous artist but he was also a mentor who also turned out to be an amazing artist called Raphael. When Michelangelo was young he didn’t like going to school but instead was interested in drawing and wanted to become an artist. So he studied to become one and was recognized by the Medici family. The Medici family were like royalty in Italy and were in control of everything that was related to politics, wealth, and much more. His painting became popular because during this period people were trying to introduce humanism and individualism, and his work was all about that.
The Renaissance period was also an era where women no matter how big or small were seen as beautiful. The paintings back then had a lot of naked women were being painted. So, if you were a fat woman back then it was considered that you were wealthy and beautiful. In Contemporary history, big women are seen as unattractive and are body shamed. “In a study, there were 13 people chosen and were asked if they choose a partner based on their physical attraction or their personality. There were also paintings from the Renaissance that were shown and were compared to women in modern society” (Osborn, 2016) The results were college students were more attracted to women in modern times than women’s paintings in the Renaissance. It was probably because of the clothes they were wearing because people back then wore clothes that are considered old-fashioned or ugly. The concept of being beautiful has changed so much. Today, people think that women who are slim, tall, and have nice bodies are considered as being beautiful. Society in recent times cares more about physical attraction when it comes to choosing a partner than the person's personality.
There were a lot of things that were different during the Renaissance when compared to contemporary society but there were a lot of similarities even though it was in different periods. One of the similarities was the way people got their information. People might think that in the past people didn’t have technologies like the internet, cell phones, computers, laptops, and much more but what they had was the printing press. When we hear about the past, we think that people sent messages through people and letters which took days to receive and that was true but what people don’t know was that during the Renaissance period, the printing press was invented and that’s how people started getting their information. Another myth that people still believe was that people couldn’t read or write. That was not true although some people couldn’t read they were also a lot of people who could read the information coming from the press. This was a great technology for society because they were able to get accurate information on what is going on. In modern times, some people use print press even though now we have a digital print where we could read any news online and obtain our information. Society from both the Contemporary and the Renaissance was worried about if technology is doing more harm than good and if the world would be better if these technologies don’t exist. Some people from both periods are worried that this will affect the minds of their children since people can get addicted to it quickly.
Another similarity between the two periods was that the people were into arts and science. Throughout the Renaissance era, people were being introduced to so many arts and science evolving and the majority of the people were supporting these changes. Back then, people died of a disease that could be cured like Tuberculosis, Cholera, Typhoid, and even the flu which people in modern times see as nothing but they didn’t have the knowledge or technology to help people. After a while, changes were made and scientists evolved making a huge impact like Galileo who created the Scientific method which we still use in the 21st century. Isaac Newton improved the Scientific method that we use today. Isaac Newton is known for a lot of things. He is famous for his work Newton’s Law of Motion and Newton’s Law of Gravity. Other scientists that made great discoveries like astronomy during the Renaissance were Kepler, Copernicus, Galileo, and many others.
This period made arts and science famously and popular and it is still popular in current times. In modern-day, arts and sciences are important and it is supported by almost everyone. When it comes to education, arts, and science are part of the curriculum in which students learn at school. Some people think that there is no point in learning about arts but that is not true. “A Renaissance painting and a digitally generated image essentially use the same technique, a consistent set of geometrical and mathematical rules connected to perspective, to create the illusion of the existing or imaginary space.” (Volaca, 2014) This shows that art and science are connected and cannot be separated. Arts and Sciences influence each other in many ways and are hard to isolate them. Arts help students help student with their concentration and help them focus on what they are doing. It is said that arts help students improve their social skills and help them understand different cultures and art that might be able to relate to. Art is also a way to relieve stress since it helps students calm down or also helps them draw what they are feeling deep inside. It helps us with our creativity which makes us see things in so many different ways which improves our critical thinking skills. Art is so important that it is also a way of therapeutic therapy. It helps people with psychological issues so that they draw whatever they are feeling whether it is anger, sadness, or frustration. To some people, this might be the only way to communicate and share their feelings so that they can be understood.
The Medical Renaissance was an important factor during this time. “The Medical Renaissance started as the regular Renaissance did in the early 1400s and ended in the late 1600s. During this time great medical personalities and scholar humanists made unique advances to medicine and surgery.” (Toledo-Pereyra, 2014) This was a period where medical practices were improving because discoveries were being made. Before change happened, people did not live long and their life expectancy was between 30 to 40 years of age. This was because when people got sick, they rarely went to the doctors either because they were superstitious or they weren’t able to afford the cost. They would take her herbs or go to a monk but some herbs might cause more harm if people had the knowledge they would have been able to be cured. Some doctors had some ideas for medicine that were not scientifically proven they were just theories.
During the Renaissance, people were discovering new surgical approaches and medicines that could change people's lives. The thing that led to the new medical practices was that scientists and doctors learned about the anatomy of our bodies. In the past, society was against using cadavers as a way to increase scientific knowledge. Still, people started to be more open-minded about this approach which led to studying the human anatomy. Scientists started to realize that they were doing things medical practices that harmed the body. Some people were against using cadavers, especially The Church since they thought this disrupted the person's body and soul. In modern times, cadavers are still used and new scientific approaches are still being discovered. Students who are interested in going into the medical field like nurses and doctors, use cadavers to understand and learn the human body and anatomy. They are so many people that sign a paper that says that they donate their bodies to science. They are the reason that science continues to evolve and they end up saving so many lives.
In Contemporary history, science and technology are important factors in our daily lives. The Renaissance era changed our lives because this was when our world started to evolve into the world we live in today. Although they were the reason we live the way we do in modern times, they did not have the resources or money that we do. They went through so much to experience change which makes us different from them because we were born into a world that was much better when it came to everything like education, employment, medicine, and many others. Our lives are so much easier and simpler since the technology we use today as computers help us with our education. We take things for granted because so much happened in the past for us to live comfortably and we should be thankful to the great philosophers, artists, and scientists. The Renaissance is the reason that both boys and girls go to school whether they are rich or poor because everyone has the right to education.
In conclusion, the Renaissance was an era that had a huge impact on everyone’s lives including modern times. This period taught us so many things that it is known as one of the most important events that happened in history. So many changes happened in religion, politics, science, and culture that led to the Age of Discovery. Society found many exciting forms of arts like literature, music, science, and mathematics. This Age of Discovery gave society hope that one day they will be able to live in a world where anyone could follow their dreams and accomplish great things in life. The Renaissance made the 21st century a great century where people have the freedom to do whatever they want as long as it harms no one.
References
- FINDLEN, P. (2014). Seeking a Job, Renaissance Style. Leonardo, 47(5), 529–530. https://doi-org.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/10.1162/LEON_a_00811
- Osborn, D. R. (2016). Renaissance beauty = Today’s ugly: What appearance factors determine attractiveness judgments? Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 26(5), 437–446. https://doi-org.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/10911359.2015.1083508
- TAZEGÜL, Ü. (2019). Body and Sports in the Period of Medieval and Renaissance. International Journal of Eurasia Social Sciences / Uluslararasi Avrasya Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 10(35), 385–395. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=136549214&site=ehost-live&scope=site
- Toledo-Pereyra, L. H. (2015). Medical Renaissance. Journal of Investigative Surgery, 28(3), 127–130. https://doi-org.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/10.3109/08941939.2015.1054747
- VOLOACA, I. D. (2014). The Importance of Perspective in Conceptual Thinking and Visual Communication. Contemporary Readings in Law & Social Justice, 6(1), 656–661. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=97217884&site=ehost-live&scope=site
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