Throughout history, scholars have paid keen attention to the 14th century as a period marking the end of tradition and the beginning of modernity. Typically it marks the decline of the medieval period and the start of the Renaissance in Europe. In gaining a better understanding of the transition, it is crucial to establish the distinctive features between both historical epochs.
The Medieval Period as Tradition
The Middle Ages refer to a period lasting between the 5th and 14th centuries. Historians and anthropologists refer to this period as the dark ages by asserting that it was marked by a lack of innovation, unlike the preceding era. Quintessentially, middle-age societies were feudal and hierarchical. The communities comprised of the nobility, the clergy, and the commoners. The king and the nobility possessed land on which the commoners worked for a living. In medieval Europe, societies were Catholic Christians even though divisions emerged gradually. The church was prominent in controlling social, economic, and political aspects of society. The period was overruled by massive Christian values and dogma that held members of the community at ransom by the church (Leighton, Denys). Although reformations and schisms were prevalent at the time, no one dared to resist or challenge Christianity. Medieval poems and literature were much about theology, the church, and other aspects that revolved around religion and governance. For instance, the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the most significant works of literature ever written in the middle ages. The Canterbury tales consisted of short stories with characters meant to depict various aspects of medieval English society. Music has always been a vital part of life since human civilization. Medieval music was primarily elemental and monophonic. Typically, it constituted of chants with minimum voices added to harmonize the tunes (Cunningham et al., 288). However with time, musical notes were developed and music became increasingly polyphonic towards the start of the renaissance (Caldwell). Much of the music produced during the Middle Ages was from oral tradition, and remained anonymous. According to (Ogrin, Darko), medieval ages lacked much contribution to geography due to lack of antiquities. However, it formed basis for further developments during the renaissance periods.
Like many other aspects in the middle-ages, music, art, and architecture in the medieval period were geared towards religion. In this context, the church invested a lot of resources in building enormous cathedrals and monasteries all over Europe. A notable feature of most structures constructed during this period is that all of them had a similar Roman-style comprising of rounded arches and columns (Cunningham et al., 367). However, this trend eventually started changing as church builders adopted a Gothic style as secularism gained much more ground at the start of the renaissance. In churches, artists painted religious murals of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Even so, the paintings looked stiff, flat and motionless (Tomasi, Michele). The Allegory of Faith drawn by Luigi Garzi is a good example.
The Renaissance as Innovation
The renaissance is the period marking the end of the middle ages in the 14th century. Towards the end of the medieval period, various inventions in science and art stemmed from individuals like Giovanni Boccaccio. Quite often, scholars assert that the renaissance emanated from innovations initially existing during the middle ages. Renaissance started in Florence, Italy (Cunningham et al. 394). The renaissance periods displayed a shift of the world view from religion to a humanistic view of the world. In this view, humanity was at the center of the universe (Monfasani). Renaissance spread to other centers in the country like Venice and Rome, and into other countries like France and England. Although other countries experienced the renaissance much later, the effects were as vivid as they were in Italy. As a period of innovation, the renaissance witnessed inventions, knowledge, and discoveries. One of the most notable features was renaissance art, architecture, music, exploration and religion.
Arguably, all the disciplines present during the middle ages were refined in the renaissance period. In particular, renaissance art displayed realism and innovation that were not present in medieval art. For instance, Michelangelo painted the Pieta, which displayed Jesus dead on His mother’s arms. Basically, renaissance art was much more different in that it contained emotions, feelings and humanism. The people painted looked ordinary, unlike gods as depicted in paintings from the previous epoch (Lettelier, Aurélie). Other artists like Filippo Brunelleschi re-discovered the linear perspective. Renaissance scientists and philosophers employed facts in fostering a shift in world view. Nicolas Copernicus established a monumental shift by scientifically proving that the sun and not the earth, was at the center of the universe. This new fact did not sit well with the church traditions. In his work, Corpenicus took the chance to discredit geocentrism leading to his persecution and several run-ins with the authorities. Despite this, he managed to publish On the Revolutions in 1514.
Although many scholars paint the medieval period as dark and static, it is agreeable that without it, the renaissance could not have occurred. Despite that religion and tradition shrouded science and technology in the Middle-Ages, much of the developments in art, music, architecture, and religion occurring during the renaissance build on initial discoveries made in the medieval period.
Works Cited
Caldwell, John. Medieval Music. Taylor and Francis, 2019. Medieval Music. Web.
Cunningham, Lawrence, & John J. Reich. Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2024.
Leighton, Denys P. Religion and Culture in Medieval Europe. Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, 2020.
Letellier, Aurélie. Medieval and Renaissance Art in Nineteenth-century Paris. Journal of the History of Collections 27.3 (2015): 297-307.
Monfasani, J. Renaissance Humanism, from the middle Ages to Modern Times. Routledge, 2016.
Ogrin, Darko. Development of Geography in the Middle Ages. Dela 2018.49 (2018): 75–94. Dela.
Tomasi, Michele. From Minor to Major: The Minor Arts in Medieval Art History.” Bulletin Monumental 173.3 (2015): 288–289. Print.
