After the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 AD, many Greek and Roman scholars fled to Italy with their rare manuscripts. This led to the beginning of the Renaissance in Italy. Impact of the Renaissance on Art, Painting, Sculpture, Literature, and, Science is
Impact of the Renaissance
The Renaissance impacted almost every aspect of life. It influenced art, literature, philosophy, science, and religion.
Impact of the Renaissance on Art
The Renaissance led to the rebirth of art, architecture, and sculpture. The Renaissance artists adopted new methods such as oil colors, fresco wall paintings, and woodcuts. They also studied human anatomy to understand human gestures and expressions.
Impact of the Renaissance on Painting
The Renaissance painters produced some of the greatest masterpieces of art during this period. They adopted a humanistic and secular approach in their paintings. Some of the greatest painters of the period were
Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519)
He was not only a great painter but also an accomplished musician and scientist. Some of his famous paintings are the ‘Virgin of the Rocks’, ‘The Last Supper’ and ‘Mona Lisa’.
Michelangelo (1475–1564)
He was considered the most outstanding Renaissance artist because he was a painter, exceptional sculptor, architect, and poet. He painted the fresco paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He was also the architect of St Peter’s Cathedral. His ‘Last Judgement’ and ‘The Fall of Man’ are among the most famous works of art in the world.
Raphael (1483–1520)
One of his most famous paintings was ‘Sistine Madonna’. He designed the St Peter’s Cathedral.
Impact of the Renaissance on Sculpture
- Donatello was the first great sculpture of the Renaissance period. He made the bronze statue of David.
- Lorenzo Ghiberti was a famous Italian sculptor. He made two pairs of bronze doors for the Baptistery at Florence.
- Michelangelo sculpted the statue of David in Florence and the statue of Moses in Rome. He also sculpted the ‘Pieta’, a famous statue in Rome.
- Many sculptors in Italy worked for the Popes and wealthy merchants to decorate churches and their homes. Later, these sculptors were invited to England, France and Spain. They took Renaissance art to these cities.
Impact of the Renaissance on Literature
One of the most important aspects of literature in the Renaissance was the use of local languages. Writers now began to focus on humanist themes in literature.
Literature in Italy:
Machiavelli was a great political writer of Italy. He wrote ‘The Prince’. Dante wrote ‘Divine Comedy’ which deals with the human soul. Petrarch wrote many sonnets and lyrics. He is called ‘the Father of Humanism’.
Literature in England:
- Geoffrey Chaucer heralded the Renaissance literature in England. He is regarded as the ‘Father of English Poetry’. ‘Canterbury Tales’ is his important piece of work. ‘Utopia’ was written by Thomas More. Other famous writers of the period were Francis Bacon, William Shakespeare, Ben Johnson and Marlow.
- Martin Luther made important contributions to German literature. He translated the Bible into the German language. Cervantes was a Spanish writer who wrote Don Quixote. Michael De Montaigne and Francis Rabelais ushered a golden age in French literature.
Impact of the Renaissance on Science
The Renaissance marked the beginning of modern sciences. Earlier, the theories upheld by the Church were alone considered true. The scientists of the Renaissance period believed that all views on science should be based on observation and experimentation.
Astronomy
John Kepler proved that the Earth and other planets move around the Sun in elliptical orbits. Galileo invented the telescope and observed the movement of planets and stars. Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity and propounded the law of gravitation.
Medical Sciences
Great discoveries were made in the medical sciences. William Harvey was an English physician who discovered the circulation of blood from the heart to all parts of the body and back to the heart. Paracelsus proved a close connection between medicine and chemistry. Cordus prepared ether from alcohol and sulphuric acid. Helmont discovered carbon dioxide.
Mathematics
The Arabs spread the knowledge of Algebra and Indian numerals to the West. Stevin advocated the system of coins, weights, and measures.
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