Renaissance Humanism

The Influence of Humanism on Renaissance Art

One of the most obvious differences between Medieval and Renaissance Art is in the representation of the human form.  Medieval art stylized the human form, usually by elongating and simplifying it.  The human figure was usually clothed and often somewhat stiff; emotions and subject matter were emphasized over realism.  Renaissance artists were looking back to classical Rome for inspiration.  They rediscovered the humanist ideal; that humans have a great potential for perfection and that this perfection can be expressed in art as a natural, idealized human form.  Renaissance art used classical along with Christian Biblical themes to provide subject matter that could be treated with this new sensibility- such as Michelangelo’s sculpture of David.   The mythical beings and stories that came from Rome allowed artists to perfect the nude, as it was acceptable to portray the ancient gods and goddesses in this way.  The artist or patron reproducing classical subjects was regarded as an educated person, one who had read or learned about the mythic structure of Rome, not just someone who liked looking at naked people.  The availability of printed books also allowed people who were not super-rich or of the noble class, such as upwardly mobile merchants or artists to learn about classical themes more easily.

Humanism put artists in a position to grow into individuals noted for their achievements.  Artists often traveled widely and studied with several more experienced masters to learn their craft.  Most of the greats of the Renaissance such as Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo Da Vinci came from fairly humble backgrounds and served as apprentices during their early years.  They received the patronage of kings, popes and rich merchant-princes during the height of their careers.  Van Eyck had started the process of the transformation of the way artists were regarded in the stratified society of his time from a worker to a learned individual and the big three of the high Renaissance completed this change and went beyond it.  Leonardo worked for the Sforza family of Milan, lived at the Vatican at the invitation of Pope Leo X and then lived in France to be an advisor to King Francis I.  Raphael painted portraits of several wealthy Florentine patrons, and worked for Pope Julius II and Pope Leo X.  Michelangelo worked for the Medici family of Florence, sculpted the Pieta which was commissioned by a French cardinal and painted the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling at the behest of Pope Julius II.  All of these artists produced works that were considered to be divinely inspired.  Now we consider these artists to be among the immortal Masters of Art but they were probably something like an equivalent to modern rock or movie stars even during their own time.

The merchant-prince patrons of the arts also benefitted from the atmosphere of humanism during the Renaissance.  They did not automatically receive their power by inheritance; they had to buy, bribe or fight their way into prominence.  One way for the powerful merchant to proclaim his dominance was to hire important, in-demand artists to paint not only portraits of himself and his family but also to commission paintings in the churches and chapels being supported or built by this patron.  Leonardo’s The Last Supper was such a work.  It was commissioned to decorate the dining hall in the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy by Duke Ludovico Sforza of the ruling family of Milan at that time.  One of the ways ruling families in what is now Italy held onto their power was to form alliances with the local religious authorities and those of Rome, so supporting the church was very important.  The merchant-prince was expected to lead by his own competence and the power of his money, he could be challenged and deposed if he was seen to be losing either.  He had to rule based upon his ability; not just who his father was (though a powerful parent was a great help).  This sounds tough to do- but living up (or down) to one’s potential is also a humanist ideal.