The Baroque and the Renaissance Eras: Two of the few portals of open thought

Authors Avatar

The Baroque and the Renaissance Eras: Two of the few portals of open thought.

Baroque and Renaissance art were different and similar in many ways. Art, during these specific time periods had been affected by the refortified Christian faith and the upper class. The Renaissance eras were seen as a revival or a rebirth of cultural awareness, religious reawakening and discovery that took place in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, particularly in Italy. This artistic revolution was seen in Spain, the many German areas and other European countries. Theologian Martin Luther brought forth the Protestant Reformation in 1517, igniting religious passion across Europe and the birth of Protestantism. The Church remained a formidable political, social and economic force during the era, and also became the primary patron of the arts. The period blossomed with the artistic, literary and scientific achievements of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, William Shakespeare, and Galileo Galilei. An emerging middle class began questioning the ideas and assumptions of the past, as the invention of the printing press made literature and other writings widely available. Individual achievement, scientific inquiry and new wealth set the stage for the European Renaissance to rival the triumphs of classical Greece and Rome. This era was unique due to its resurrected interest in ancient Greek and Roman art and design. This era also brought forth the deep interest of the intricacies of the human body, their respective environments, science and philosophy. The Renaissance eras were well influenced by religion, in terms of art and were strongly influenced by the architectural concepts of the ancient Holy Roman Empire. The work that distinguishes the Baroque period is that it is stylistically complex and sometimes even more contradictory than that of the Renaissance era. The Baroque era that encompassed the years of 1600-1750 was an age of great wealth and abundance, as inspired by the court of Louis XIV of France and driven by the new wealth of the middle classes. The desire to evoke emotional states by appealing to the senses, often in dramatic ways was frequently seen. Some of the qualities most frequently associated with Baroque art are grandeur, sensuous richness, drama, vitality, movement, tension, emotional exuberance, and a tendency to blur distinctions between the various arts. Baroque art, when emerged in around 1600 in Europe had a more milder and realistic approach and in some ways, more emotionally striking than Renaissance art. This art form was connected to the Catholic counter-formation in response to the Protestant reformation, as it was seen as the main promoter of the new, vibrant spirit of the reorganized Catholic Church. Religious fervor reached a climax during this period, as the Protestant-Catholic conflict in Europe erupted in war.

Join now!

Unlike the Baroque art era, the Renaissance art era was divided into two – The Early renaissance and the later Renaissance. The Early Renaissance was first seen in Florence, Italy, which faced an acute threat of independence from the Duke of Milan, who is trying to bring about all of Italy under his control. The city put up vigorous and successful attempts in military, diplomatic and intellectual fronts. The visual arts were considered an essential element of resurgence of the Florentine spirit. During these times, the outlook of many artists in that area underwent changes. The social status of ...

This is a preview of the whole essay