Essay about The Role of the Church in the Renaissance

The Christian Church was absolutely instrumental in the art of the Renaissance. It was the driving force behind every inspiration; without the Church, there would have been no art. The Church was the only institution powerful enough to be able to support the commissions of all of the artwork, and it was the only institution, in which people had enough faith and devotion to spend so much of their time and money creating pieces that—although beautiful—were not necessities. The role of religion in art actually began during the Byzantine era. During this time, all artwork was religious in nature, and most of it was done in a consistently similar style so that figures from the Bible could be easily recognized by everyone and so that people†¦show more content†¦With so many diseases and such a high rate of death during the Renaissance, most people were superstitious and feared the wrath of God. As such, they devoted much of their time and money to Him, partly as honest methods of worship and partly as guarantees of salvation. Most large-scale architecture and paintings were religious in nature. Three religious works of art of this time period that best reflect the role of the Church are Giotto’s Arena Chapel, Duccio’s Maestà  , and Masaccio’s Trinity. Giotto is considered the first artist to be fully immersed in the Renaissance, and the man who truly brought the Renaissance to Florence. He learned from the skills and progress of the artists before him and took their work one step further. By this time, artists were viewed as skilled workers in society, whereas before they had been seen more as craftsmen. It was recognized that creative and intellectual skill were needed to create art, and artists became more educated, prosperous, and prominent in society, and this increased respect allowed the artists to develop their skills further and take greater pride in their work. One of Giotto’s most extensive proj ects was the Arena Chapel in Padua, which was a series of frescoes lining the walls and ceiling of the chapel. He worked on this for five years, from 1305 to 1310. Giotto was commissioned to paint this chapel by Scrovegni,Show MoreRelatedArt and Architecture in the Middle Ages and Renaissance Essay949 Words   |  4 PagesThe difference between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance is most visible through art and architecture, demonstrated specifically through an emphasis on religion or classical antiquity, and humanity. During the Middle Ages, art was more religious because it had a very religious influence from the church having such great power in the community. When the Renaissance started, art became more focused on ancient Greece. The Greek influence was because scholars were broadly studying the revival of classicalRead MoreThe Renaissance And The Middle Ages1516 Words   |  7 Pageseducation. 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