The Renaissance

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorCollege, Undergraduate November 2001

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It was a time of creativity, when experimentation was the key to all problems and discovery was the purpose for many. It was the mid 1400s. The middle ages gradually came to an end to give rise to a new age of "˜rebirth,' which is now referred to as the Renaissance.

The Renaissance refers to the series of literary and cultural improvements that took place throughout the 14th, 15th, and the 16th centuries. It can be traced back to its beginnings in Italy and followed as it expands into other European countries like England, Germany, and France. The whole notion of rebirth and the Renaissance came from the perspective that Europeans rediscovered their culture after such a long time of cultural decline. It marked the rising of the modern world from the classical one that existed before the middle ages.

The ideas of the Renaissance can not be explored without a thorough understanding of the concept of humanism.

Humanism is the attitude that puts great emphasis on the worth of an individual. It is the most apparent and reiterated concept of the Renaissance. When one has grasped the concept of this self-worth, he can move on to accomplishing all that he is worth. The artists of the Renaissance are no exception. They all bloom from this simple concept. Because of their realization of their self-worth, they are able to blossom and achieve the result of the creating great masterpieces. Individualism is another concept of the Renaissance that goes hand in hand with humanism. It refers to the ever growing value of personal glory during the renaissance. The talents possessed, and displayed by an individual became very important in determining "their value." In the Renaissance, people seek this value and popularity in the world. Artists began to sign...