Arts and Creations

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.” – George Bernard Shaw

During the Middle Ages (from about 500 C.E. to the mid-1400s) there were no great changes in the way of life in Europe.

People continued to do what their ancestors did before them, and there were few new innovations or discoveries were made.

Most people trusted what they were taught and were unconcerned about anything else.

This could be due to the fact that just a few people obtained an education and books were rare.

people improved their education, trade and industry grew, the arts thrived, and explorers found new regions with time.

The Renaissance, which means "rebirth" in French, brought about significant change. The Renaissance, which occurred in Europe during the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries, was a turning point in world history.

Some believe the Renaissance began in 1453, when the Turks conquered the Greek city of Constantinople (now Istanbul). Greek scholars emigrated from Constantinople to different parts of Europe.

They taught Greek and shared their priceless books in these new areas. The study of classical Greek and Roman writers and intellectuals resurfaced, and a renewed thirst for knowledge swept across Europe.

People began to question their ideas and methods of thinking, and some began to delve into everything. Martin Luther began a revolt against the Roman Catholic Church's traditions in Germany.

Other Christians quickly agreed that the Church needed to change, and a number of new Christian established their own religions.

Others began to consider new forms of government that were founded on ancient Greece's democratic values. Italy, the birthplace of the Renaissance, was divided into self-governing city-states.

Despite the fact that wealthy families and the Church wielded much of the power in these locations, the city-states were taking steps toward popular government. Niccolo Machiavelli was the most famous Renaissance political thinker.

According to the Prince, a good leader can do bad and dishonest things to keep his power and safeguard his government. Though some thought Machiavelli was terrible for expressing these things at that time, his book became well-known, and modern political philosophers recognized some of his views.

The "new learning" taught people to paint pictures, create sculptures and buildings, and write great literature by teaching them to think in new ways. All of these items were done by some of the best artists of the day. 

The Renaissance's aesthetic developments began in the Italian city of Florence, and eventually extended to Venice, and Milan grew extremely wealthy as a result of trade and banking, and its wealthy residents had both the time and the money to enjoy music, art, and poetry.

Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael were among the great painters and sculptors who emerged from these places. 

These painters created some of the greatest works of art in history. Michelangelo, for example, painted hundreds of feet of curved ceiling in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel over the course of four years. 

He had to master a completely new painting style. He had to paint while lying down beneath the ceiling, with paint dripping down his face. Despite these challenges, he created one of the greatest works of art.

During the Renaissance, a new type of architecture emerged. It combined old, classical styles with innovative concepts. It began in Florence cathedral begun in 1296, but it sat unfinished for more than a century because no one could figure out how to construct the curved roof what was required.

Then-architect Filippo Brunelleschi created a new sort of dome that was higher and grander than any seen before. The dome is considered the start of Renaissance architecture.

Interest in the arts and new ways of thinking expanded around the world. The Netherlands was known for its great artists; England was known for its writers, especially William Shakespeare; and Spain was known for Cervantes' writings.

Galileo, Kepler, and Newton all made incredible scientific discoveries as zeal for learning.

Some findings went against the most basic beliefs of the time. example, Galileo’s discovery that the sun, not the Earth, was the centre of the solar system got him into serious trouble with many religious people.

They forced him to say that he had been wrong about his discovery, even though he knew he was right. 

The invention of the printing press in Germany by Johannes Gutenberg aided the spread of the Renaissance's new ideas more than anything else. Because they were written by hand, books were scarce and expensive prior in that period.

In 1455, Gutenberg discovered how to employ movable metal type and published his first book. Printing was a game-changing invention. It allowed books to be produced more cheaply and swiftly than ever before.

These men represented countries all around Europe, explored new oceans and discovered new continents, including America. 

The exploration and navigation technologies were improved, and better ships have been built. People got new ideas as they traveled, which helped to improve their way of life, Europeans began to desire products from faraway nations, such as spices, silk, and gold.

Sailors were embarking on journeys of discovery around the time when the printing was developed. It wasn't possible to trade with India via the ancient land route that are Turks controlled by eastern Mediterranean. 

New route has to be discovered, perhaps by sailing around the African coast or perhaps around the planet! Columbus, Vasco de Gama, Cabot, Magellan, and Drake were among the many explorers active at the period.

The Renaissance didn't start when the Turks conquered Constantinople or when the first book was produced in 1455. 

The forces that led had been building for years, as Europeans began to crave and acquire new information.

 

The tremendous transformations known as the Renaissance arose from this new learning.

These developments impacted practically every aspect of European society, from the invention of printing to a revitalized interest in art and literature to the discovery of new territories. 

They were also the foundation for many aspects of the lives and beliefs. This is why some consider the Renaissance to be the start of modern history.

- Broukal Milada