Question 1: what is the Renaissance? Include in your response that which the renaissance is not.
Renaissance is a term that simply denotes “New birth” of a “Re-birth”. The term is used to describe the period between 14th and 16th century during which major revival of intellect and classical art that took place in ancient Rome and Greek during the Middle Ages. During this time, the literature, philosophy, architecture, art, and science that emerged in Europe changed the views and perspective in such a way that Europe was re-born. Normally, history is divided into three major ages; ancient Europe-classical age, medieval, age-middle age, and the modern age. Renaissance took place during the Middle Age when Europeans began imitating ancient legacies of Greece and Rome.
The following are the main changes of the renaissance period. In Art, the artists began depicting the human form accurately bringing out the human anatomy clearly. Due to this, the renaissance period saw advancements in medicine since proper understanding of the human body was well illustrated. Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the main renaissance figures. In Literature, a shift from the traditional religious views to human behavior and characteristics began. In Philosophy, humanism took centre stage throughout to the age of enlightenment. In science, the period saw breakthrough in engineering with inventions of clocks, telescopes, and spectacles. It is also characterized by an increase in self-awareness and strive for perfection in the most aspects of the society. Renaissance did not include aspects that had not been exhibited in the earlier years of Rome and Greece. The modern technological advancements do not necessarily have their origin tied to the renaissance period.
Question 2: what is a fresco?
The word fresco is an Italian word meaning fresh. From this word then, a fresco painting refers to a water-based pigment paining on a fresh plaster. When the plaster dries, the impressions made on the fresh plasters becomes an integral part of the wall or surface. During the drying of the plaster, a chemical process occurs that bonds the pigmentation and the plaster making it permanent. One of the most well-known frescos is the Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Question 3: Interpret Michelangelo’s Last Judgment. Assume your audience knows absolutely nothing about it or Catholicism.
Michelangelo’s fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is one of the most well preserved frescos of all time. The faith of Christians is based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The death and resurrection marks the redemption of the Christian and forgiveness of their sins. When Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, He promised the Christians that he is going to make them homes and when ready, He shall come for the faithful. That is what is called the second coming of Jesus Christ and it marks the last judgment of all humans. It is this last Judgment that Michelangelo artistically present on the fresco. In the centre of the fresco, a figure representing Jesus Christ is seen seating on a cloud. Around the figure depicting Jesus Christ are saints from the ancient times who Christians believe shall accompany Jesus Christ during the second coming. The saints and Martyrs are holding some of the objects of Martyrdom, such as St. Lawrence on the left side holding the gate where he was burnt alive. On the right, Michelangelo depicts Hell, the place all sinners shall be sent after the last judgment. The hell is at the lower section of the fresco showing the triumph of the saints over evils. Condemned humans are seen been pulled down into hell. On the bottom left, the mythological King of Hell is seen in the bottom right. On the left side, Hell is sharply contrasted with the resurrection of the dead. The souls of the dead are seen gaining back the earthly bodies in readiness to meet Jesus Christ for the last judgment. The scenarios in the painting are as described in the Bible.
Question 4: The great Renaissance artists focused a great deal on "beauty." For them, what does "beauty" mean?
During the renaissance period, the perception of beauty changed from the previous ones. During this time, the philosophical emphasis on humanism affected how the renaissance artist perceived beauty. To them, the philosophical environment that one was exposed to determined what the person perceived as beautiful or not. The increasing economic status also influences the perception of beauty. In particular, the artist strived to depict the changing environment with careful precisions that forms what was considered as beautiful. The ability of the artist to clearly and maintain absolute proportion on their works are as depiction of what they viewed as beautiful. The works also imitated reality closely enough to almost real-life figures. The real-life size was also maintained or well contrasted in the paintings showing what emphasis was given while painting the figures. It is, therefore, imperative that beauty was also anchored on the reality of the times.
