• Timeline
• History

  • 
  • 
  • 
• Artists

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
• Styles

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
• Gallery

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

Renaissance (1420/1450 - 1600)

The Renaissance began in Italy around 1420. Within 80 years this new style influenced every part of Europe. Literally the term 'Renaissance' means rebirth. In art-history the Renaissance reflects the period in which human became conscious again of their power to influence their own lifes.

The Renaissance is a period in art-history in which the end of the Middle Ages and the principles of the Middle-Ages became very obvious. It is the period of light and new beginnings, in contrast to the dark Middle-Ages. For the first time since the end of the Classic Period human became aware of the beginning of a new era. They got inspired by the ideas and principals of the Classical Period; The Greek and Roman Cultures, because they saw these cultures as the best human had ever acomplished.

During the Renaissance man as self-reliant being more and more forms the centre of society. This not in spite of God but at Gods service. People started to explore and analyse everything scientifically, like nature, philosophy, politics and art.

In the art-disciplines, architecture, sculpture and painting, one can recognize some aspects that lie on the bases of Renaissance art, over and over again.

These aspects are:

- Glorification of the beauty of the earth and the spirit of life,
- Conquest of the visible reality by spirit,
- Balance and Harmony,
- Inspired by the Classic Period,
- Scientific point of view,
- Selfconsicousness and the development of individualism.

The Renaissance painters were the first artists who used geometric structured perspective in their work to create the effect of space.