Italian Renaissance Humanism
Renaissance Humanism encompasses the philosophy that people are capable of truth and goodness. Much of this ideology and philosophy representing art and literature, whose roots are deeply planted in classic Latin, came to the forefront in the Fifteenth Century. Art and literature in the Fifteenth Century were a revival of “Greek and Roman studies, which emphasized the value of the classics for their own sake, rather than for their relevance to Christianity” (Hunter & Payne, 2003). Humanists believed that through the study of “…the classical study of text of ancient Greece and Rome” (Humanism, 2007) one would be able to improve on society as a whole. During previous periods, this type of teaching was kept mostly to theologians, authors
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Once again we see a correlation between the art of the time and the literature. The art work of the Renaissance …”shows not only realism in the figures, but also a profound sense of human emotions: the shame and the dismay…” (Cunningham & Reich, 2006). Madonna with the Carnation (Madonna with the Vase) by Leonardo da Vinci (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci) is a primary example of the work of the time. This picture shows the Mother of Christ not as an angelic figure, but rather as a mother and human. Also, this is a humanlike portrayal of Christ, again not as a God but rather as a child, who is helpless and in need of his mother. This is a prime example of Mirandola’s theme of Oration of the Dignity of Man “…is that humanity stands at the apex of creation in a way to create the link between the world of God and that of creation” (Cunningham & Reich, 2006). Madonna is human and not divine and is the link in the picture of God and creation, she created God.
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“This century, like a golden age, has restored to light the liberal arts, which were almost extinct; grammar, poetry, rhetoric, painting, sculpture, architecture, music, the ancient singing of songs to the Orphic lyre, and all this in Florence” (Murray, 1963). Renaissance Humanism encompassed what Mirandola and the great scholars of the time had learned which is that people are capable of truth and goodness and man is mortal and not above mistakes. This theme is evident in even how gods and icons were viewed, still with the respect and admiration of being a God.
Once again we see a correlation between the art of the time and the literature. The art work of the Renaissance …”shows not only realism in the figures, but also a profound sense of human emotions: the shame and the dismay…” (Cunningham & Reich, 2006). Madonna with the Carnation (Madonna with the Vase) by Leonardo da Vinci (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci) is a primary example of the work of the time. This picture shows the Mother of Christ not as an angelic figure, but rather as a mother and human. Also, this is a humanlike portrayal of Christ, again not as a God but rather as a child, who is helpless and in need of his mother. This is a prime example of Mirandola’s theme of Oration of the Dignity of Man “…is that humanity stands at the apex of creation in a way to create the link between the world of God and that of creation” (Cunningham & Reich, 2006). Madonna is human and not divine and is the link in the picture of God and creation, she created God.
[pic]
“This century, like a golden age, has restored to light the liberal arts, which were almost extinct; grammar, poetry, rhetoric, painting, sculpture, architecture, music, the ancient singing of songs to the Orphic lyre, and all this in Florence” (Murray, 1963). Renaissance Humanism encompassed what Mirandola and the great scholars of the time had learned which is that people are capable of truth and goodness and man is mortal and not above mistakes. This theme is evident in even how gods and icons were viewed, still with the respect and admiration of being a God.