Years of the Renaissance. General characteristic of the Renaissance

The epochal period in the history of world culture, which preceded the New Time and replaced the Middle Ages, was called the Renaissance, or Renaissance. The history of the era dates back to the dawn of the 14th century in Italy. Several centuries can be characterized as the time of the emergence of a new, human and earthly picture of the world, which is inherently secular in nature. Progressive ideas have found their embodiment in humanism.

Years of the Renaissance and the concept of

Put a specific time frame for this phenomenon in the history of world culture is quite difficult. This is explained by the fact that during the Renaissance all the countries of Europe entered into different periods. Some earlier, others later, due to the lag in socio-economic development. Exemplary dates can be called the beginning of the 14th and the end of the 16th century. The years of the Renaissance are characterized by the manifestation of the secular nature of culture, its humanization, the flowering of interest in antiquity. With the latter, by the way, the name of this period is connected. There is a revival of ancient culture, its introduction into the European world.

General characteristic of the Renaissance

This turn in the development of the culture of mankind has occurred as a result of a change in European society and relations in it. An important role is played by the fall of Byzantium, when its citizens fled to Europe, bringing with them libraries, works of art, various ancient sources unknown earlier. The increase in the number of cities led to an increase in the influence of the simple estates of artisans, merchants, and bankers. Various centers of art and science began to appear actively, whose activities the church no longer controlled.

The first years of the Renaissance began to count down with its offensive in Italy, it was in this country that this movement began. Its initial signs became visible in the 13th and 14th centuries, but it took a firm stand in the 15th century (the 1920s), reaching its peak at its end. In the Renaissance (or Renaissance), four periods are distinguished. Let us dwell on them in more detail.

Protorenaissance

This period dates from approximately the second half of the 13th and 14th centuries. It is worth noting that all dates relate to Italy. In fact, this period represents the preparatory stage of the Renaissance. It is conventionally divided into two stages: before and after death (1137) by Giotto di Bondone (a sculpture in the photo), a key figure in the history of Western art, an architect and an artist.

The last years of the Renaissance of this period are connected with the plague epidemic that hit Italy and the whole of Europe as a whole. Protorenaissance is closely connected with the Middle Ages, Gothic, Romanesque, Byzantine traditions. The central figure is considered to be Giotto, who outlined the main trends in painting, indicated the path by which its development later went on.

Early Renaissance Period

By the time he took eighty years. The early period of the Renaissance, whose years are characterized in two ways, fell on 1420-1500. Art has not yet completely renounced the medieval traditions, but actively adds elements borrowed from classical antiquity. As if growing, year after year under the influence of changing conditions of the social environment, there is a complete refusal by the artists from the old and the transition to the ancient art as the main concept.

The founder of the period of the early Renaissance is considered to be the painter Masaccio, who was originally from Florence. Having picked up the ideas of his predecessors, he brought into his work a practically tangible sculpture of figures on canvases.

High Renaissance Period

This is the peak, the peak of the Renaissance. At this stage, the Renaissance (year 1500-1527) reached its apogee, and the center of influence of all Italian art moved to Rome from Florence. This happened in connection with the accession to the papal throne of Julius II, who had very progressive, bold views, was a man enterprising and ambitious. He attracted to the eternal city the best artists and sculptors from all over Italy. It was at this time that the real titans of the Renaissance create their masterpieces, which the whole world admires to this day.

Later, the Renaissance

It covers the time interval from 1530 to 1590-1620. The development of culture and art in this period is so heterogeneous and diverse that even historians do not reduce it to a single denominator. According to British scholars, the Renaissance era was finally extinguished at the time when Rome fell, namely in 1527. Southern Europe plunged into the Counter-Reformation, which put a "cross" on every free-thinking, including the resurrection of ancient traditions.

The crisis of ideas and contradictions in the world outlook resulted in Florence in Mannerism. A style that is characterized by disharmony and artificiality, the loss of balance between the spiritual and the body component, characteristic of the Renaissance. For example, Venice had its own road of development, until the end of the 1570s, such masters as Titian and Palladio worked. Their work has remained aloof from the crisis phenomena that are characteristic of the art of Rome and Florence. In the photo, Titian's painting "Isabella of Portugal".

Great masters of the Renaissance

Three great Italians are the Renaissance titans, its worthy crown:

1. Leonardo da Vinci. Personality in the history of mankind is truly brilliant and unique. He was not only a great artist and sculptor, but also a scientist, natural scientist, inventor, writer and architect. Contemporaries, to a greater extent, he is known for his few paintings, including the legendary Mona Lisa Gioconda (in the second photo), over the enigma of which scientists are fighting not the first century.
2. Michelangelo Buonarroti. Years of life and creativity - 1475-1564. First of all, he is known as a sculptor and artist. And its first side is much more pronounced and is reflected even in the pictures. His main work was in Rome and Florence. The genius of Michelangelo fully manifested itself in the painting of the Sistine Chapel, which became a reflection of the biblical story, and it depicts 300 figures, and none is like the other. And also the mural "The Last Judgment", the ensemble of the Capitol Square, the dome of the Vatican Cathedral, the statue of David, the composition "Pieta" (photo above) and much more.
3. Rafael Santi. Another phenomenal personality of the Renaissance. His teacher was the father of P. Perugino, an outstanding master. It is his manner that can be clearly seen in the works of the early period. The most perfect work is considered to be the Sistine Madonna (pictured).

All of their works are the best, select pearls of world art that gathered the Renaissance. Years go by, centuries change, but the creations of great masters are timeless.