Comparing The Ideals of The Middle Ages and Renaissance

Practices of the Middle Ages emphasized the importance of Christian beliefs, as Christianity was thought to be the most powerful and undeniable force. When the Crusades were commissioned by the Pope, information was brought back and ultimately rebirthed Europe’s thinking and artwork, signaling the Renaissance period. As a result, the understanding of human nature grew through great thinkers and artists looking into a person’s individuality as the central point of their existence. The principles of the Pope and Church were still followed by the people and influenced many, but finding new information led to the realization that humans are the most important topic. Patronage of the arts and greater emphasis on education were two features of the Renaissance that reflected a change in attitude from the church-based Middle Ages, but individualism and freedom of expression were the largest factors. Although superficiality was condemned in favor of spirituality in the Middle Ages, the Renaissance challenged the lack of individual analysis in the Middle Ages, neglecting strict religious beliefs in favor of free expression.

The Middle Ages was a period starved of creativity in stark contrast to the vastly more lively period of the Renaissance. With the heavy implementation of religious values, the Middle Ages was hardly a time for the pursuit of the ideal human existence, because the quest for a peaceful afterlife was a more pressing issue. The transition from the depths of religious order was shown in the works of painters such as the Italian Titian, (2) the best painter in the Venetian School. Titian’s painting Worship of Venus depicts a large gathering of Christian Cherubs frolicking in the shadow of Roman goddess Venus. The painting shows the cherubs looking up at the Roman goddess of beauty and love. The admiration for a symbol of beauty shows the acceptance and admiration for the pursuit of humanly perfection. This admiration also shows the interest in aesthetic appearance which went highly unconsidered in the Middle Ages. The piece stresses self expression and individualism, as the representation of love and beauty is in fact a piece of art. The topic focuses on the present life a human being, which varies greatly from the works of the Middle Ages, which were focused on the afterlife of humans. Self expression and pursuit of perfection were highly unconsidered in the Middle Ages, but the growing appreciation for one’s lifetime increased the acceptance of personal beauty and the pursuit of perfection.

Literature of the Renaissance reflects a change from writings based solely on religion to a more humanistic attitude. Middle Ages’ literature reflected the ideals of chivalry and Christian beliefs. In contrast, Renaissance literature focused more on the individual. In The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli, Machiavelli countered Christian beliefs and advised how humans should act. For example, he says that the state is not from a divine origin but a creation of man (3). Also, he rejects Christian teachings of morality by saying a prince should neglect moral codes that are not beneficial to them (3). This literature displays the complex beauty of humans in a negative manner. In addition, he argues that a prince should have a cruel reputation to keep his subjects united. Yet, he advises a prince to be like a fox and lion. A fox can recognize and detect things while a lion can protect (3). This depiction of an ideal prince shows Machiavelli’s different perspective on how an individual should act to protect the wellbeing of the state’s strength. All Machiavelli’s ideas from The Prince shows the Renaissance increasing growth of individual analysis. Renaissance writers like Machiavelli went against the ideals of the Middle Ages and reflected the importance of looking into the true human character.

Architects of the Renaissance used their now socially acceptable right to individually reason to redefine the trade, changing both functions and features. Architectural movements in the Renaissance display an increased interest in idealism through simplistic, symmetric, aesthetic components (5). Andrea Palladio, prominent architect, humanist, and inventor of Neoclassical architecture, focused on specific pieces of his architecture to create a model result in his creation, La Rotonda (6). La Rotonda functioned as both a residence for a wealthy individual and a meeting place for societal institutions. When used as a residence, it was a celebration of human success, as its elaborate forms were vastly unnecessary for an individual to live in (7). Its isolation shows an increase in independence and individualism. As a social institution, it held meetings of the intellectual aristocracy and literacy classes (5), representing both the civic and domestic life. Also, La Rotonda has a completely symmetric design with each side featuring ionic columns. The Neoclassical architectural movement is focused largely on simplistic, symmetrical designs, as it is both simple and visually appealing. This is in direct contrast with the Middle Ages’ church-oriented Gothic style, which was had large and elaborate features (8). Ionic columns were featured heavily in Classical architecture. An ionic column features a curled scroll on top (9), which is symbolic of the strive for intellectual perfection and the Renaissance’s emphasis on education. As painters sought to display a perfected human form, architects succeeded in creating idealistically formed structures.

In spite of the strict hold that religion held on society during the Middle Ages, the pursuit of knowledge was rejuvenated at the turn of the Renaissance when self expression and creativity were valued over the ideals of religion. The great writer Machiavelli rejected concrete principles of Christianity in The Prince by applying his advice on how princes should act through the analysis of people. The painter Titian used his Worship of Venus to communicate the importance the pursuit of perfection and self expression rather than commitment to the church. The architect Andrea Palladio accepted Titian’s concepts with his La Rotonda, a building with a style drastically different than the styles associated with the Middle Ages. The artwork of the Renaissance is a reflection of the advancement of the societal values as works of individualism show that self expression and individualism took precedent over the strict laws of religion. The artistic creations and literature of the Renaissance showed that the values of Humanism took precedent over the strict laws of religion and imparted the advancement of the societal values to the masses.