The Northern and Southern Renaissance is often seen as the “Golden Age”, as many new creations were developed. Although, both the Northern and Southern Renaissance introduced us to many different innovations, both sides were different, especially when it came to terms of humanism, etc. The Renaissance era innovated the arts, literature, architecture, sciences, politics, religion, etc. Along the lines of the altered changes, the birth of the many creations that we know of and study today, were freshly developed throughout the Middle Ages. What brought Europe to a split was mostly religion.
The Northern part of Europe was very much strongly attached to Christianity. Throughout the Northern Renaissance, it was strongly viewed that the church ruled the era. Meanwhile, in the Southern part of Europe, it became very precise that religion did not matter as much as it did in Northern Europe. Unlike the Northern Renaissance, the Southern Renaissance strongly desired the change in religion, due to their precise thoughts over the arts, literature, politics, sciences, etc. Many changes were brought during the Middle Ages, but without changes and alterations we would not be shaped into the society that the we live in and are today.
Many people that lived in Italy experienced the “rebirth” of Italy, which meant that the new era, (the Renaissance), had just begun. The Italian Renaissance for many people meant that the worlds of the ancient Greeks and the Romans were going to experience rebirth, this has a huge impact on art and literature innovations. The Southern Renaissance had deep thoughts on how arts should be viewed and appreciated as it did shape who they really were.
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Throughout this era, the people lived to see quality art, meaning it was art that was highly invested in. It was even used as a political or social representation of one self, and it also meant city pride. For example, the city Florence was known for their local art. During the 14thcentury, cities like Florence, Venice, Pisa, Milan, and more came to prominence. Long distance trade started, as well as the production of luxury goods. The new rich during the Italian Renaissance looked for ways to spend and as a cause many of the wealthy found themselves investing highly in quality art. As for politics during the Italian Renaissance, the political life in the city was very chaotic.
The new commercial elite held power in the cities, (meaning the young people). The young people that were aggressive and very individualistic dominated the commercial and industrial life. This drove Italy to stake, as they could potentially lose a lot. There were many patrons roaming the world of the Italian Renaissance, and they invested a lot into education, writers, philosophers, and artists. The Italian Renaissance was really the revival of the classical civilization, and really emphasized more about being human.
The thing that really distinguished the Northern Renaissance to the Southern Renaissance was that the Northern Renaissance leaned more into humanism. The religion also had a huge impact on the Northern Renaissance, it shaped who they really were. Unlike the Southern Renaissance, the Northern Renaissance people really emphasized characteristics into their paintings. They focused on color and detail, for example, they focused on the hair, and facial attributes, when it came to paintings.
The Northern people did not direct or tried to emphasize the ancient Greeks and Rome. They were really more the religious people, as they believed the God lead them to final peace. They believed there should be boundaries church from state. The church held power, and humanist pictured their society as being more close to God or nature as possible. The northerners had very different lifestyles than the southerners did.
In conclusion, among the lines of the Southern and the Northern Renaissance held many different aspects as they viewed life. Such as, religion, culture, politics, literature, sciences, and humanism. Although their differences, both the Northern and the Southern Renaissance played major roles, and helped shape who we are as of today. The Renaissance era is often considered to have its own internal divisions. The artwork from the North are based on humanism and landscapes, while in the South, artwork was more about Classical Greece and Rome Mythologies.
References
- History.com – Renaissance
- Britannica – Renaissance
- Khan Academy – Renaissance and Reformation
- National Geographic Society – The Enduring Influence of the Renaissance
- Marquette University – Religion and the Northern Renaissance: Challenges to Authority and the Religious Settlement in Germany and Switzerland
