Renaissance Propaganda Analysis

The Renaissance was a period in Europe, from the 14th to the 17th century, which was widely regarded as a cultural bridge between the Middle Ages and modern times. It started as a cultural movement in Italy, and though this cultural movement of extravagant arts and political ideals many Italian city states and merchant families began to internally compete with each other in a cyclical trend of showman ship. This showmanship was intended to project the ideas of cultural superiority upon neighboring Italian states, in order to convey to them that they were far less superior in every conceivable way. Before the Renaissance propaganda as we know it today did not exist, it consisted largly of church rhetoric condemning heretics in a sort of “burn …show more content…
One such instance of this is Venice’s Lion of St Mark. Its purpose was to embody the essence of Venice and Venetian culture, in order to present a picture of the state to the world, and of course its own citizens. There are several symbolic representations within the Lion of St Mark, which attempt to personify Venetian culture as a whole, including the power of the Evangelist's word, a sense of the spiritual elevation, and a traditional depiction of Christian holiness amongst people. Furthermore, the lion symbols express also the significance of majesty and power that existed in the Venice (Notes on the “Venetian Renaissance Propaganda Machine”). The Lion of St Mark thusly created a unifying sense of nationalism within the city state of Venice. Copies of the stature would have been seen throughout the city, instilling a sense of power and dominance amongst the lay people. There by exemplifying the powerful nature of propaganda through symbolism brought about by the …show more content…
The Medici commissioned several frescos throughout Florence depicting The Adoration of Magi, which portrayed the Medici on a level equal to biblical figures. This imagery clearly would have resonated with people who saw it, as the artwork as meant to display the prevalent power and importance of the Medici and their allies (Gilbert). This implementation of propaganda through architecture would have proven to be especially effective; even the most common person would have been able to surmise the shear power and wealth of the Medici family simply by observing the grandeur of their buildings, in conjunction with the ornate frescos that ordained their walls. The Medici’s patronage of these architectural projects erupted from the Renaissance humanist idea that “a great man expresses the magnificence of his status and quality through architecture” (Brinton), hence these projects provided a blank canvas that could be filled with propaganda that furthered the goals and social status of the Medici