Renaissance Period - Rebirth

The Renaissance, which marks the "rebirth" of civilization after the Middle Ages, symbolized an increased interest in Classical scholarship and values. It glorifies the revival of Classical learning and wisdom after a long period of cultural decline and stagnation. i.e., after a time of slow growth and development from a social/cultural standpoint, people at the time were pleased to see a period of learning and wisdom.

Humanism was the first intellectual movement that expressed the spirit of the Renaissance. Humanism defined in the sense of the Renaissance is a "spirit of learning and a renewed confidence in the ability of human beings to determine for themselves truth and falsehood". It's a system that puts its importance on people, rather than divine matters. Constantinople's fall gave a major boost to humanism, and resulted in a flock of scholars to Italy. Humanism really captured the essence of mankind and their actions. This was a catch at self-expression because Humanism aimed to pry people of the expectations expected from that of a religious orthodoxy, thus promoting creativity.



The beauty of the Renaissance period is reflected in the artwork that came about. Artists such as Raphael, Giovanni Pisano (a sculptor), and Micaelozza (an architect). It was through art that people were able to express their thoughts of the visible world and a place for their dignity.

The Renaissance and its artistic period grew out into artwork consisting of paintings and monuments. This was the start of a great period as it transitioned into movements such as Mannerism and Baroque. I think this is a great period of time because people were diverging into their own minds and expressing their own morals and ideals through mediums of creativity. The innovation that all of these artists, whether doing sculpture or paintings, is the reason people today continue to pursue degrees in art and put their thumbprint on society.

Sources:
http://www.britannica.com/event/Renaissance
http://americanhumanist.org/humanism/what_is_humanism