Emily Alexander
The Renaissance, a time period defined by its rebirth of European culture, occurred from 1300 to 1600 A.D. It was a time that placed a greater emphasis on classical Greek and Roman literature, which in turn influenced the creation of new forms of art and philosophies. Artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo gained popularity from the Renaissance through their paintings and sculptures that incorporated new artistic techniques including their use of perspective, vivid colors, and more realistic figures. Writers, such as Erasmus and Thomas More, were also able to become popular through their writings, In Praise of Folly and Utopia, which expressed new philosophies of humanism and secularism. Overall, historians claim that the Renaissance was a defining time in European history, but did the Renaissance actually happen? The Renaissance is said to have begun in Florence, Italy in the 14th century when families and individuals in Florence became wealthy as a result of trade that occurred with other empires. This wealth was a key role in funding the arts of the Renaissance. However, this increase in wealth that spawned the Renaissance was only able to affect the wealthy and the painters themselves. The wealthy primarily funded painters to create works of art for themselves, not for the rest of society, and the writings of philosophers did not reach most lower classes who were commonly illiterate. In other words, the rest of society was not impacted by the new arts and ideas of the Renaissance. Around 95% of Europeans probably did not experience the Renaissance in any way where the vast majority of Europeans still lived as peasants or tenants. This means that the new philosophies and arts of the Renaissance did not filter down to the lower classes like new technology does today. As a result, most people were unaffected by the Renaissance. Most of the population was also unaware of the Renaissance occurring. The Renaissance was not an occurrence that had a specific time frame. It did not have a precise start date or end date, and it occurred over about 300 years. It was not a specific event that took place that people knew was going to make history one day. For example, John Green argues that the Revolutionary War or the tearing down of the Berlin Wall were specific occurrences where people became aware they were living amid history. Since the Renaissance occurred over 300 years and did not reach the majority of the population, people were unaware they were living amid history. Today, we acknowledge the Renaissance because it makes sense to us and matters to us now. By giving the Renaissance specific dates, it becomes easier to analyze, study, and understand. Under the Renaissance, historians are able to categorize 300 years under one specific idea. In conclusion, although there was a change in artistic style, learning style, and the understanding of new ideas, the Renaissance was not a thing because it occurred over the course of hundreds of years and most people were unaware of its occurrence. DaShawn Duncan Owens- SPICE overview The SPICE effects of the Renaissance:
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