The Power Of The Individual: Humanists?

Essay by staplerkidJunior High, 9th gradeA, December 2005

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Every depression is followed by a recession, as was Europe's Medieval Ages followed by the Renaissance. While the Medieval ages were known as the rock bottom of European life, the Renaissance was famous for many things such as the beginning of humanism, the focus on individuals here and now, which was the combination of individualism, secularism and classicism. Lorenzo De' Medici was one of the few genuine humanists during the Renaissance because he was an art patron and de facto ruler of Florence, and through this position he expressed his individualism, secularism and classicism. On January 1, 1449, he was born into the Medici family of Florence, which was the ruling family over Florence. As he grew up in his family and eventually came to power over Florence, he was not some forgettable ruler of another simple city-state. He was the ruler of a city that was in the thickness of the idea of humanism, and he lived up to that belief.

Lorenzo De' Medici demonstrated humanism as well as individualism, the study of the potential of each person, through his support of famous and also individual artists. Lorenzo's support of artistic wonders such as Botticelli, Da Vinci, Donatello, and Michelangelo shows that Lorenzo is a person that wishes to use artistic techniques to show the uniqueness of individuals. Although he never bought many of these artists' paintings, he attempted to get commissions for the painters, so as to pass on the paintings. The paintings that he helped sell were infused with the painters' beliefs, one of which for Botticelli, Da Vinci, Donatello, and Michelangelo was individualism, and by helping to sell a painting that expresses individualism, Lorenzo is promoting the spread of the individualism.

In addition to being an individualist, Lorenzo was a remarkable humanist...