The Renaissance, a fairly broad period in history, is a topic that most modern individuals understand. This era in time is typically taught in middle school and high school classrooms, since the era was so innovative and important. Generally speaking, the Renaissance is credited with “reviving the best features of antiquity,” such as classical Roman or Greek beliefs, humanist philosophies, the blend of science with art, and an outpouring of the humanities (Janson 505). However, John Green, a smart, pristine individual argues in his YouTube video, “The Renaissance: was it a Thing?” that “the Renaissance was only experienced by the richest of the rich” and therefore it did not actually exist (Green). Although some could see this argument as plausible,
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The transformations in communication can be seen through Renaissance artwork, and even Early Italian artwork. Specifically speaking, in the bronze gilt panel “The Story of Jacob and Esau,” created by Lorenzo Ghiberti in 1435, the artist uses high and low relief techniques to tell an entire biblical story in one panel. Through his use of space—creating a frontal, middle, and background—Ghiberti creates three separate scenes in the painting, which was a new technique used to communicate messages, or in this case a story, to viewers. In addition, Ghiberti uses a vanishing point and creates a center of the artwork, implementing mathematical techniques to achieve symmetry and beauty in his panel. Furthermore, since this panel was part of “The Gates of Paradise,” “the east doors of the Baptistery of San Giovanni [in] Florence,” everyday citizens of Florence encountered these panels when they went to church. This elementary observation argues against one of Green’s main points as to why he believes the Renaissance never occurred; “95 percent of Europeans did not encounter the Renaissance” (Green). In broader terms, the Renaissance artist Ghiberti coupled science or mathematics with art in order to communicate and touch his audience in a different way—something that had never been done before the Renaissance …show more content…
In Filippo Brunelleschi’s Dome of Florence cathedral, completed in 1436, Brunelleschi created a unique two-layer large barrel vault. Since a freestanding dome had never been attempted before, Brunelleschi not only had to devise a sketch of the dome, but also had to create all of the tools that would be necessary to produce it. Through his successful completion of the dome, Brunelleschi created a piece of architecture that was both functional and beautiful. This dome served as a means to bring the Florentine community together—a Renaissance ideal. So when Green states, “Most of the people in Europe were totally unaware of the Renaissance because its art and learning affected a tiny sliver of the population,” he seems to have forgotten that the new forms of architecture crafted, which used new techniques and designs, were seen and appreciated by the entire surrounding population (Green). This marriage of science and art, also seen in communication through artwork, marks the change in people’s perspectives regarding problem solving through the procedure of building architecture, induced by the
The transformations in communication can be seen through Renaissance artwork, and even Early Italian artwork. Specifically speaking, in the bronze gilt panel “The Story of Jacob and Esau,” created by Lorenzo Ghiberti in 1435, the artist uses high and low relief techniques to tell an entire biblical story in one panel. Through his use of space—creating a frontal, middle, and background—Ghiberti creates three separate scenes in the painting, which was a new technique used to communicate messages, or in this case a story, to viewers. In addition, Ghiberti uses a vanishing point and creates a center of the artwork, implementing mathematical techniques to achieve symmetry and beauty in his panel. Furthermore, since this panel was part of “The Gates of Paradise,” “the east doors of the Baptistery of San Giovanni [in] Florence,” everyday citizens of Florence encountered these panels when they went to church. This elementary observation argues against one of Green’s main points as to why he believes the Renaissance never occurred; “95 percent of Europeans did not encounter the Renaissance” (Green). In broader terms, the Renaissance artist Ghiberti coupled science or mathematics with art in order to communicate and touch his audience in a different way—something that had never been done before the Renaissance …show more content…
In Filippo Brunelleschi’s Dome of Florence cathedral, completed in 1436, Brunelleschi created a unique two-layer large barrel vault. Since a freestanding dome had never been attempted before, Brunelleschi not only had to devise a sketch of the dome, but also had to create all of the tools that would be necessary to produce it. Through his successful completion of the dome, Brunelleschi created a piece of architecture that was both functional and beautiful. This dome served as a means to bring the Florentine community together—a Renaissance ideal. So when Green states, “Most of the people in Europe were totally unaware of the Renaissance because its art and learning affected a tiny sliver of the population,” he seems to have forgotten that the new forms of architecture crafted, which used new techniques and designs, were seen and appreciated by the entire surrounding population (Green). This marriage of science and art, also seen in communication through artwork, marks the change in people’s perspectives regarding problem solving through the procedure of building architecture, induced by the