The notion of Renaissance refers to both an artistic movement and a historical period.
Rebirth is the consequence of being reborn (born again). The concept is usually used to name the resurgence or revivification of something or someone.
For example: "After several months of poor results, the tennis player won three consecutive tournaments and confirmed his rebirth" , "The city's rebirth occurred thanks to the tourism boom" , "The fourth album marked the singer's rebirth" .
The Renaissance, a historical period and artistic movement
When the idea is written with a capital letter ( Renaissance ), it refers to a historical period and artistic movement that developed in Europe between the 15th century and the 16th century .
Originating in Italy , the Renaissance was characterized by a revaluation of the classical culture of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece . Renaissance artists tried to represent nature and reality faithfully and were interested in various branches of art and science .
Leonardo da Vinci is one of the greatest exponents of the Renaissance . "The Last Supper" , "La Mona Lisa" and "The Vitruvian Man" are some of the most famous works of this man who, in addition to being a painter and sculptor, stood out in countless scientific areas. On the other hand, his various inventions are also appreciated.
Michelangelo's David is considered one of the jewels of the Renaissance.
A return to antiquity
One of the main characteristics of the Renaissance was a kind of return to Antiquity , in that various methods and ideas from the past re-emerged, such as the following: ancient beliefs, symbolic elements that were adopted again, themes related to the mythological plane, ancient architectural forms, the classical order, ancient plastics and formal motifs that were used again. This was not a mere reinsertion of isolated components, but the result of their assessment and an attempt to merge them with the wisdom of the time.
In the Renaissance, the relationship that human beings had with nature was also renewed, something that was linked to the realistic and ideal way in which science was conceived. The search for a rational foundation for the idea of beauty was based on mathematical knowledge. It is important to note that, just as in Antiquity, in the Renaissance people aspired to reveal the secrets of nature to delve into all its concepts, to immerse themselves in them and not merely to record them as part of human knowledge .
The importance of artists in the Renaissance
The human being became the standard by which all things were measured during the Renaissance. The artists, based on this new way of observing the world, freed themselves from certain features typical of the Middle Ages and began to rely on scientific training, which positioned them in the highest social rank.
Much of the upper class had a deep interest in art, and it was not unusual for them to commission countless original pieces from artists for private use, a fact that partly explains the rise of art related to this historical period. In addition to Leonardo da Vinci , we can name Raphael , Titian , Michelangelo , Donatello and Botticelli , among the most notable figures of the Renaissance.
The concept beyond the 15th century
Beyond the Renaissance of the 15th century , historians often use the notion to name other stages that are characterized by a splendor of art and science that comes after a crisis or complicated periods. Thus we can speak, to cite one case, of the Harlem Renaissance , which took place in this neighborhood of New York in the 1920s .
The Harlem Renaissance marked a revival of black art that took place among citizens of African American descent in the New York neighborhood. Among the fundamental components of this period of artistic rebirth, painting, literature and Jazz stood out especially.