Wednesday, April 4, 2007

New age in understanding and living


About 1450, European scholars became more interested in studying the world around them. Their art became more true to life. They began to explore new lands. The new age in Europe was eventually called “the Renaissance.” Renaissance is a French word that means “rebirth.” Historians consider the Renaissance to be the beginning of modern history.

The Renaissance began in northern Italy and then spread through Europe. Italian cities such as Naples, Genoa, and Venice became centers of trade between Europe and the Middle East. Arab scholars preserved the writings of the ancient Greeks in their libraries. When the Italian cities traded with the Arabs, ideas were exchanged along with goods. These ideas, preserved from the ancient past, served as the basis of the Renaissance. When the Byzantine empire fell to Muslim Turks in 1453, many Christian scholars left Greece for Italy.

The Renaissance was much more than simply studying the work of ancient scholars. It influenced painting, sculpture, and architecture. Paintings became more realistic and focused less often on religious topics. Rich families became patrons and commissioned great art. Artists advanced the Renaissance style of showing nature and depicting the feelings of people. In Britain, there was a flowering in literature and drama that included the plays of William Shakespeare.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

very nice intro with mona lisa!

GavinT said...

I enjoyed your post because it was simple and informative. It's interesting that the study of ancient ideas and works provoked the people of that time to progress and change. I believe that's one of the reasons why it's so important to continue to learn from the past so we can continue to improve and grow...don't you think? thanks for the post!

GavinT said...

"The Renaissance was much more than simply studying the work of ancient scholars. It influenced painting, sculpture, and architecture."-- that's awesome!

digiciv

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

The Renaissance is a time period from the 14th to the 17th century. This period produced what are undoubtedly among the greatest masterpieces of all humanity. According to me we have entered in a new Renaissance. If you want to buy traditional paintings, glass paintings & handicraft items, you can visit India Handicrafts.