Individualism, Secularism and Humanism During the Renaissance

The Renaissance, or cultural achievements in the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries, is characterized by the art of the period. During the Middle Ages, art contained mainly religious themes, and were used to glorify God. Images were shown in a size relative to their importance to the overall meaning of the painting. In the Renaissance, new techniques were developed, and Michelangelo's David, as well as Raphael's School of Athens , showed the importance in humanism, individualism, and secularism.

The idea of humanism is shown in Renaissance art. Humanists strove to learn about human nature through the study of Latin classics. Raphael's School of Athens depicts a number of Greek philosophers debating; In the Renaissance, anti-scholasticism was encouraged, which encouraged arguments and critique. Humanists were skeptical of the authority of classical authors and artists, and were aware that many classical authors often disagreed with each other. For example, On the False Donation of Constantine was a humanist work during the Renaissance; it proved that a classical text was a forgery, and was the beginning of a new age of criticism.

In addition classical critique, humanists stressed the realization of human potential. Michelangelo's David is an example of this because his is an ideal Renaissance male. He is physically perfect, and is also well rounded in education. In the Renaissance, an ideal man was adept in many educational facilities. Art in the Renaissance brought out the individual. In contrast to the Middle Ages, uniqueness was encouraged, and many artists were thought to have been "genius". Raphael, while creating the School of Athens , depicted himself in the painting. This was common way Renaissance artists used "self-glorification" to show their own importance. Michelangelo's David also depicts individualism. His confident pose, in contrast to the Middle Ages' Christian humility, is used to symbolize that man accomplish anything. Man in the Renaissance was considered "exceptional" because he was depicted in the image of God, and stated in Pico della Mirandola's On the Dignity of Man.

Michelangelo's David and Raphael's School of Athens both depict the rising secularism in the Renaissance. As a result of the Babylonian Captivity and the Great Schism, a general movement away from the Catholic Church occurred. Michelangelo's sculpture was a recreation of the Biblical figure David. Although Michelangelo used a religious theme in his art, religious themes were portrayed not to glorify God, but to glorify the artists themselves. In Raphael's School of Athens, secularism is shown in the philosophers themselves. Lavish clothing of the era shows an importance in wealth. Also, a religious theme may have been shown in School of Athens , but was not a main theme.

Humanism, individualism, and secularism depicted in Italian art can be shown to depict ideas of the Renaissance. But these ideas were shown in much more than only art. Literature, politics, and the economy used these concepts, and all contributed to the Renaissance. These new ideas and concepts were a foundation for the growth of Western Europe during the period.