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The Middle Ages, sometimes referred to as the Dark Ages was a period of around 1000 years, starting from the fall of the Roman Empire, around 476AD, and ending between 1400-1450. A time characterised by a rigid and devout society, fraught with war, famine and plague. Very little advancements were made in art or science.

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During the tail-end of the Middle Ages and the early days of the Renaissance, there was an increase in interaction between different countries, cultures and societies due to highly popular trade routes like the Silk Road. Just like the goods being traded, ideas, beliefs, values and philosophies were too.

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Johannes Gutenberg's revolutionary invention, the printing press, played a key role in the widespread distribution of ground-breaking texts.

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Fall of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire

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Fall of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire

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The fall of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire to the Ottomans, in around 1453, led to many scholars, poets, artists, philosophers and more educated citizens to migrate out. This helped the spread of new thoughts, ideas and philosophies into the surrounding areas.

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The humanism movement was a key moment for the Renaissance. The core values of humanism contrasted greatly from the highly devout, conservative beliefs of the Middle Ages. Believing that man was the centre of his own universe, and should live as such. Celebrating man's achievements in art, literature and education was championed.

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"Vetruvian Man" - Leonardo Da Vinci (1490)

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Francis Petrarch, The Father of Humanism

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Francis Petrarch, The Father of Humanism

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Despite living before the Renaissance, Petrarch was a key figure in this time, generally thought of as the father of humanism. His own musings, along with the compiling and subsequent publishing of Cicero's letters, illustrated a way of life that involved faith AND humanism. Rather than choosing one or the other, Petrarch believed one can have strong faith and still celebrate man's potential and achievements.

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Shifting attitudes, higher levels of education and fascination with the styles of antiquity all culminated in an artistic shift away from the gothic style of the Middle Ages and towards a more detailed, dynamic and intimate style. In line with the humanist ideals, the subjects depicted in these artworks almost seem to become more human, compared to those depicted in Middle Age art.

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"Death Of Procris" by Piero Di Cosimo (1510)

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A fundamental part of what sets Renaissance and Middle Ages art apart is the developments in depth, perspective, expression and composition. As each generation of artists refined these skills, they passed them down to their pupils who mastered these techniques.

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Many different mediums were used by Renaissance artists including sculpture, oil painting and drawing. Prior to oil painting on canvas's rise in popularity, frescoes were a favoured medium. Some of the Renaissance's most famous pieces of art were frescoes, such as the roof of the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo.

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"The Creation of Adam" - Michelangelo (1508-1512)

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The culmination of the spread and popularity of new philosophies, new advancements in art and science, and the honing of techniques, ushered in a wave of highly influential artists. Artists were no longer just employee's, but pioneers of culture and their works remain highly regarded and influential to this day.

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Botticelli's work was romantic with a rare, soft eroticism. Some of his most famous work focused on mythology, like "The Birth of Venus" pictured behind, but held a realistic essence.

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Regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time, Da Vinci was not only a talented artist but also made many advancements in several areas such as science, engineering, anatomy and philosophy. Apprenticed to Andrea del Verrocchio as a young boy, Da Vinci learned and subsequently excelled in creating lively and realistic pieces of art in his workshop. His work has gone on to become some of the most widely recognisable Renaissance art.

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The culmination of generational apprenticeships is that of Michelangelo. The skill and precision in his work, made him a highly sought after artist. Commissioned to decorate tombs, paint murals and create intricate sculptures, Michelangelo's talent left an indelible mark on the world.

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Credited with the rebirth of painting, Masaccio championed naturalism in his paintings. Depicting biblical events but comparatively to the previous gothic styles, Masaccio's works displayed great emotion and human tendencies.

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"The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden" (1425)

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"Venus and Mars" (1483)

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The Renaissance was a critical period in art history, affecting all facets of art to this today. Preceding it was a time when art was no more than a laborious service with little to no expression, but a shift in ideals coupled with a few auspicious inventions and daring artists, set the precedent for the most influential artistic movement in human history.

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"The Mona Lisa" (1503)

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"Aerial Screw" (late 1480's)

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"The Last Supper" (1495)

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"The Last Judgement" (1536-1541)

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"David" (1501-1503)

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Pietà (1499)

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Holy Trinity (1426-1427)

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La Primavera (1477-1478)

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Augustyn, A. (2024) Middle ages, Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/event/Middle-Ages (Accessed: 16 October 2024).

Beck, E. (2018) Causes of the Renaissance, HISTORY CRUNCH - History Articles, Biographies, Infographics, Resources and More. Available at: https://www.historycrunch.com/causes-of-the-renaissance.html#/ (Accessed: 16 October 2024).

The counter reformation (2012) Art 109 Renaissance to Modern. Available at: https://art109textbook.wordpress.com/new-online-textbook-2-2/the-counter-reformation/ (Accessed: 16 October 2024).

Hill, I.B. (1980) The Italian Renaissance. New York, NY: Galley Press.

History.com Editors (2018) Renaissance period: Timeline, art & facts, History.com. Available at: https://www.history.com/topics/renaissance/renaissance (Accessed: 16 October 2024).

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Generally considered to be the artistic pinnacle of the time, most of the works depicted here were created during the High Renaissance. When Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael were creating pieces now considered to be irreplaceable art history.

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Just as the Renaissance began with new ideals, the rejection of those ideals saw its demise. Ending around the 1550s, many factors played a hand in the eventual end of this influential period, namely invasion, a declining economy, the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation. This severely censored what artists could produce, a belief and new style started to take hold of Italian art thus signalling the end of The Renaissance.

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Libretexts (2020) 16.4: Reading: Humanist thought, Chemistry LibreTexts. Available at: https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/Lumen_Learning/Book%3A_Western_Civilization_I_(Lumen)/16%3A_Week_14%3A_Italian_City-states_and_Renaissance/16.4%3A_Reading%3A_Humanist_Thought (Accessed: 24 September 2024).

Ridley                    Head of Engineering  Warsash School of Maritime Science and Engineering, J. (2023) Leonardo da Vinci’s helicopter: 15th-century flight of fancy led to Modern Aeronautics, The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/leonardo-da-vincis-helicopter-15th-century-flight-of-fancy-led-to-modern-aeronautics-116241 (Accessed: 16 October 2024).

Why did the Italian renaissance end (2021) Why did the Italian Renaissance End - DailyHistory.org. Available at: https://www.dailyhistory.org/Why_did_the_Italian_Renaissance_End (Accessed: 16 October 2024).