Field of Reeds

Renaissance, a rebirth and an age of rediscovering man and the world, always attracts people’s attention from antiquity until now. The names of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Rapheal become the most famous in people’s mind. It is true that the Renaissance was a golden age when the connection to the classical world was re-created, but more importantly, the Renaissance gave birth to the true European culture, which stays unique in the world and also severs as a tie binding people in Europe together.
Surprisingly, such a revolutionary event would happen in the age of Medieval, an age equal with Christendom. In fact the relationship between Renaissance and Medieval was quite close and maybe the Middle Age provided nutrition to the Renaissance, both economically and spiritually. So the Renaissance was not as modern as people think but was quite Middle Age.
Spiritually, Middle Age was dominated by one religion only—Christianity. With the effort paid by churches, Christianity permeated into the daily life of Europeans. And it did so deep that even in the Renaissance; the trace of this religion could be found. People of Middle Age received the calendar from church, heard some stories from the church men about Bible or saints, and celebrated biblical festivals. They were so used to the tradition of Christianity that it was just like a brand in their mind.
Economically, with the development of agricultural tools, a number of people were freed from land, meanwhile the weakened Feudalism and the expanse of towns made a suitable environment for the change. People wanted some new business and new life. Gradually trade was flourished, and people became rich. And once people were contented about their material life they would turn to a higher level. With the finance of rich people, art, education was renewed and the minds of people were more active.
Especially in Italy the commercial environment was second to none, as it served as a trade center of east and west. The coast cities were filled with goods and traders. Notably the banking business in Italy helped the prosperity of the economy. And by lending money to different authorities, the banking families became powerful and collected enough political power. Besides their situation just fit the political environment in Italy.
Due tot the less influence of Feudalism, the political structure was very innovative at that time. The people in Italy revived the idea of republic and put it into the practice. The states in Italy kept growing bigger by conquering neighbors, at last a few was survived and became stronger: Florence, Milan, Venice and so on. But in fact those cities were dominated by rich commercial families who controlled the government. When compared those rulers to the traditional ones, they were highly educated. What’s more, to support this system, governors needed more educated people who knew how to govern well. They eagerly wanted the knowledge from classical heritage and also to legitimate their system.
With the fusion of different elements: Christianity, heritage from Middle Age, new economy, and the revived passion for the classical knowledge, the prosperity and social stability made the Renaissance possible. And the scholars from Greece who brought enormous memories from classical times speeded up the rebirth.
With the flourish of classical heritages, people in Italy were changing: they concentrated on the earthly life more than the city of God, they celebrated the beauty and dignity of man more than the glory of the God, and they paid more attention to the ability of man than to the sin of man. They praised the man, questioned man, exalted man, and placed him in the middle of the foreground. Those ideas spread quickly but the power of church and Christianity remained powerful and fundamental. In fact, those innovative ideas were totally within the framework of Christianity: God was still the only one who created man and world, but what was different was this time man could use his own ability to understand the intelligence of God and the beauty and dignity of man and God.
Holding those ideas, art gradually changed which perfectly reflected the fusion of Christianity and classical ideas. The artist who wanted to represent the true world used different ways of achieving this goal. The most innovative change in the painting was the usage of prospective. Artists who by using this technique created a world in reality took advantage of 3-D. Those mathematical method really shocked people in Italy. The Holy Trinity, which by the artist Masaccio really astonished people who walked into the church, they did not expected to see such a revolutionary scene, the symbolic figures who were similar with each other was gone, instead of that was a special picture in which each characters were distinct. Later the technique of perspective was widely applied into private painting which showed more individualism. Since the invention of prospective, the painting was no longer symbolism but a reflection of the beauty of man in the world. Different types of beauties were understood by artist and then presented: Michelangelo’s strengthen, Rapheal’s softness and Leonardo da Vinci’s scientific desire.

The most famous painting, which more clearly showed the fusion of traditions, was by Botticelli, the Birth of Venus. Botticelli portrayed a pagan myth in which the center was not the Virgin or the Christ but the Goddess of beauty. Surprisingly, people did not feel strange when looking at this picture; because they felt something they were familiar. The Venus has the quality of the Virgin; she carries the message of motherhood through her gesture.

This fusion would be more popular in the later portrays of persons, they were all reflections of the fusion of traditions.
The Renaissance saw the rebirth of classical heritages, the derisory of man and the birth of true European culture. Until toady, people all around the world will queue before the masterpieces to just glance and to feel the legacy past down by that golden age. Renaissance will never be a remote memory but will continue to serve as a mental tie binding people in Europe.