European Cultural Eras: Renaissance to Neoclassicism

The Renaissance: Rebirth of Classical Ideals

The Renaissance began in Italy and spread throughout Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The concept of "rebirth" expressed a profound desire to restore the ideals of classical Greco-Latin civilization. This entailed the assimilation of its ideas and values, including the exaltation of human dignity and the emergence of a new type of society based on secular principles. The idea of rebirth also signified a desire to break from the immediate past, often referred to as the "Dark Ages."

Art and science became the primary means through which Renaissance intellectuals sought to achieve this renewal, viewing the Middle Ages as a dark period. In the art world, a strong desire emerged to imitate literary, pictorial, and architectural classics, often with the ambition to surpass them. The Renaissance in Catalan literature adopted some aesthetic and formal models of this renewed classicism. The most important writers of 16th-century Catalan literature include Pere Serafí and Cristòfor Despuig.

The Baroque Era: Art, Crisis, and Contradiction

The Baroque is an artistic and cultural movement that predominated in Europe during the 17th century. It emerged during a period of significant political, religious, and economic crisis. Art and literature of this period often sought to mask the harshness of reality, embellishing it through artifice, ornamentation, and a flamboyant display of skill, aiming to distract the public from an unpleasant world. Alternatively, Baroque works might accentuate negative aspects through parody, corrosive satire, and caricature, offering another way to confront disappointment and pessimism.

These attitudes contrasted sharply with the Renaissance's emphasis on human confidence and the joy of living.

Enlightenment and Neoclassicism: Reason and Classical Revival

The Enlightenment was a philosophical and scientific movement that flourished in Europe during the 18th century. It was a rationalist movement, believing that everything should be judged under the light of reason. Enlightenment thinkers undertook one of the most significant cultural projects of all time: the creation of the monumental Encyclopédie (1751-1780), the first comprehensive summary of all human knowledge.

The triumph of Enlightenment thought was artistically reflected in Neoclassicism. This artistic movement, prominent in the second half of the 18th century, was characterized by its opposition to the preceding Baroque movement, rejecting its exaggeration, artifice, and spectacle. Neoclassicism recovered classical models and ideals, emphasizing:

• Imitation
• Harmony
• Serenity
• Clarity
• The educational utility of art

An objective viewpoint and emotional containment were favored over the subjective and often pessimistic sentiments of the Baroque. One of the most important literary figures of this artistic movement was the playwright and poet Joan Ramis (1746-1819). Ramis was the foremost representative of Catalan Neoclassical theater. The containment of emotions, ethical messages, good taste, and classical themes are prominent aspects of his most successful tragedy, Lucrècia.