20 Sep We’ve just learned about the Proto-Renaissance

We’ve just learned about the Proto-Renaissance ( Late Gothic in Italy) and the Renaissance art in the North. (Flanders) Now we return to Italy and transition right into the Early Italian Renaissance.

The Early Northern Renaissance is in the same cultural orbit (time period) as the Early Italian Renaissance. The Northern artists are very much concerned with Humanism, but stylistically their painting style is very different from the Italians, who set the standards for the Renaissance. Learning about the Italian Renaissance helps us to better understand Humanism, an idea central to the cultural explosion of the Renaissance in both Northern and Italian expressions.

1. Why is it that in the Renaissance, we are starting to learn about artists? Compared to the Medieval world, what has changed in society (the cultural context) that has allowed for this development in the arts? (220words)

2. Respond to peer’s thought. (20words)
    Peer’s thought: I think why we see a rise in information about individual artists in the time around the renaissance, is because of the growth of the merchant class that preceded the renaissance. For the majority of the Middle Ages, all the wealth was kept by the kings and lords at the top of the feudal system, leaving the majority of the population to be farmers in debt to their lords. This meant that the artists of the day had very few patrons wealthy enough to pay for their services, making it hard for an artist to hone their craft and take time to improve. It would be very hard for an artist to break through, because there were little opportunities for them to make money to either live off of or fund their projects.

This would change around the 11th century however, “Agricultural innovations…made farming more efficient and more productive, so fewer farm workers were needed.” (History.com Editors. “Middle Ages”). Along with expanding trade routes created by the Crusades, this freed up more individuals to work in cities and get involved in new economic opportunities. This expansion of the merchant class would allow for people who were once poor commoners to increase their individual wealth, and by extension, decrease their dependence on those higher up on the feudal system. With more people having access to more money, the power of kings and lords was diminished, and the people who were once poor commoners saw that they could create new economic opportunities for themselves.

With a larger number of wealthy individuals and families, there was also a larger number of patrons of the arts. This is especially seen in Florence, Italy, the epicenter of the Italian Renaissance, where “extraordinary wealth accumulated…” and a “…growing middle and upper class of merchants and bankers” thrived (Zucker and Harris) . This increased the demand of artistic projects, thus increasing the potential for artists to achieve success. With artists now being able to compete for a larger selection of patrons, it was now more important, and feasible, for artists to hone their craft and develop their style to impress potential clients. Patrons of the arts also had more artists to choose from, so it was important that they understand the talents and specialties of each individual artist.

With the increase of patrons of the arts, and increase of artists followed. There was now a reason for artists of the day to be studied, so that one could make an educated choice on which artist they should fund. It was also more important for artists to be separate themselves from the others so that they could stand out among their peers and compete in this new blossoming industry. Before this rise of the merchant class, and during the middle ages, there was not much of a market for art, with only a select few individuals being able to afford to fund artistic projects.