Humanism and the Rinascita

Humanism and the Rinascita

Introduction

Between the fourteenth and sixteenth century, the two hundred years' period saw an astonishing revival in the field of architecture, drawing, sculpture, fine art, and painting. Italy was the center of this revival period, and today we call this period the Renaissance (rinascita in Italian language). The Italian Renaissance has its great importance and significance in the history of art. It was the re-birth of western art that transformed in Italy, and based on the principles of classical Greek Art. The classical traditions were present mainly in Italy during the period of late thirteenth century, which is the reason why Renaissance aroused from there. Moreover, Italian Renaissance bases its foundation on the philosophy of 'Humanism'. Leon Battista Alberti is one of the most famous painters, architects, and sculptures of the Renaissance period and he is famous for his valuable explorations in the field of arts. His treatise 'On Painting' (de pictura) was the first text in the Renaissance that instructs the artist that how to attain complete mastery in the art of painting. The Renaissance was a golden age in the history of Europe, which explored numerous ideas of life including humanism, secularism, materialism, and individualism.

Discussion

From the Italian 'rinascita', the word Renaissance means revival or rebirth'. Historian of the nineteenth century began to realize that the values and beliefs of the medieval world transformed from Italy. As historians considered the Middle Ages an age of faith, the Renaissance is the period in which intellectual exploration was at its fullest. From Florence, Italy, the Renaissance began and started spreading to the rest of Italy and then to Northern Europe. The famous people who were the pillars of bringing this revival in the history of art include the Medici family, Leon Alberti, Leonardo da Vinci, and many more. Alberti was considered as the prophet of the 'new, grand style' in art history and the Renaissance.

What did Alberti intended to achieve with 'de Pictura'?

The “universal man' of the Early Renaissance, Leon Battista Alberti was the art theorist, humanist, mathematician, and the Italian architect, who provide the first modern manual for painters. His inspiring treatise 'de pictura' (on painting) was first printed and circulated in the form of manuscript in 1540. Alberti reflects his intention of making artists master in the art of painting in his following words:

"Let no one doubt, that the man who does not perfectly understand what he is attempting to do when painting, will never be a good painter. It is useless to draw the bow, unless you have a target to aim to arrow at." (From On Painting)

The first version of 'On Painting', de Pictura

Alberti wrote the first version of 'On Painting' in Latin, and translated it later into Italian. He intended to explain both intellectual and manual skills for working painters. A significant achievement of Alberti in the Renaissance art was the creation of pictorial perspective and space. To make the linear perspective mathematically coherent, Alberti summarized the basic concepts of ...