European Modern Age: Renaissance, Baroque, and Enlightenment

The Modern Age

The Modern Age spans from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. European society witnessed significant social and economic progress, particularly in culture and art. Italian Humanism laid the foundation for the great artistic and literary movements of the Modern Ages, including the Renaissance (XV-XVI), the Baroque (XVII), and the Enlightenment and Neoclassicism (XVIII).

The Renaissance

The Renaissance originated in Italy, expressing a desire to restore the ideals of classical Greco-Roman civilization. It emphasized human dignity and a new societal order based on secular principles, rather than religious ones. This era marked a break from the immediate past. Art and science became the primary means of achieving these goals. In art, artists imitated literary, pictorial, and architectural classics, with the ambition to surpass them.

Perhaps the most important writers of Catalan literature of the sixteenth century are Peter and Christopher Serafí Despuig. Serafí's work represents a confluence of literary trends. While not abandoning medieval traditions and popular styles, he introduced the influence of the poet Petrarch. Serafí is considered the most representative of Petrarchism. Cristòfol Despuig, following the example of humanists, cultivated prose dialogue to express his thoughts and ideas. He advocated for the use of religion to defend the Catalan national languages.

The Baroque

The Baroque movement predominated in Europe, particularly in Spain and England, during the seventeenth century. It emerged during a time of political, religious, economic, and cultural crisis. In this context, art and literature often employed artifice through brilliance and ornamentation. They tended to accentuate negative aspects through parody, caricature, and corrosive satire, reflecting disappointment and pessimism.

Francis Vicente Garcia, known as the Rector of Vallfogona, is characterized by his diversity of forms and especially the artificial rhetoric of records. Garcia is considered the most representative Baroque figure in Catalonia.

The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment was a philosophical and scientific movement that spread across Europe during the eighteenth century. The rationalist movement believed that everything should be judged in the light of reason. The Encyclopédie was a key achievement of this period. The triumph of enlightened thinking is artistically reflected in Neoclassicism. This movement opposed the Baroque, rejecting exaggeration, artifice, and spectacle. It embraced classic models and high ideals: imitation, harmony, serenity, clarity, and the educational usefulness of art.