Italian Renaissance: Origins, Chronology, and Characteristics

1. Introduction: Historical Coordinates, Chronology, and Characteristics of the Renaissance

1.1. The Italian Origins

This movement was born in Italy, closer to the sources that would inspire Renaissance artists. Italy was dotted with remnants of the Ancient Roman Empire, from which humanists drew inspiration. The classical spirit was preserved throughout the Middle Ages. Italy was also a place where a new economy and society developed, creating new interests and requiring a new artistic language.

1.2. Chronology of the Renaissance in Italy

1.2.1. The "Trecento"

During the fourteenth century, the Renaissance began its gestation, even within the Gothic style. In sculpture and painting, the Italian Primitives, the School of Florence, and the School of Siena allow us to speak of a Proto-Renaissance. Key artistic centers included Pisa, Florence, and Siena.

1.2.2. The "Quattrocento"

The fifteenth century marked a period of development, still experimental. A new aesthetic, a new sense of beauty, and a new style emerged—the Renaissance (a term coined by Vasari in the sixteenth century). It was a rebirth of the ideals of classical antiquity, Greco-Roman culture, not as imitation but as a starting point for a new spirit and human achievements. Florence was the capital of this early Renaissance art.

1.2.3. The "Cinquecento"

The sixteenth century was the height of the Renaissance, with Rome as its artistic center.

1.2.4. Mannerism

By the third decade of the sixteenth century, an anti-classical reaction called Mannerism questioned the Renaissance ideal of beauty. The term "Mannerism" comes from the Italian expression "alla maniera di..." (in the style of...), referring to artists like Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo. Mannerism coincided with political changes (Italy as a battleground between Spain and France, the "Sacco di Roma" in 1527) and religious upheaval (the Protestant Reformation challenging Rome's supremacy), ending the humanistic optimism.

1.3. Expansion of the Renaissance to the Rest of Europe and Spain

The Renaissance spread from Italy to the rest of Europe, though not uniformly. Local traditions and conditions nuanced its development. The chronological progression also varied; while the Gothic style reigned in the fifteenth century elsewhere, the new aesthetic emerged in the sixteenth century.

1.4. General Characteristics of the Renaissance: The New Conception of Art

1.4.1. Humanism

Humanism shifted the medieval focus, placing humans at the center of all things. This new perspective influenced culture and art, necessitating a new artistic language.

1.4.2. Rationalism

Beyond a new formal language, new intellectual demands affected the very idea of art, radically changing the artist's role and the artwork's value. Theoretical models and a scientific, rational approach to art became important. Reality was understood through reason, and artists researched aspects of architecture, painting, and sculpture rationally before creating their works.

1.4.3. The Disappearance of Anonymous Art: The Artist

Due to the emphasis on the individual, artistic anonymity disappeared. The author began to be appreciated, leading to art history focusing on artists rather than just works. Artistic activity was valued more, evolving from a trade to a science and an art.

1.4.4. The Figure of the Patrons

Patrons were protectors of artists, encouraging and supporting their creation, sometimes even commissioning works. Wealthy families like the Medici, Uffizi, Rucellai, Pitti in Italy, or Mendoza in Spain were often art collectors, providing numerous commissions.

1.4.5. Writers, Critics, and Biographers

Art theorists emerged, reflecting on past and present artistic experiences in their writings. Extensive works were written during the 15th and 16th centuries, alongside the reissue of earlier treatises, such as that of Vitruvius.

1.4.6. The Study of Classical Prototypes and Nature

Renaissance artists studied classical prototypes directly. Archaeology was enhanced, facilitating direct knowledge of ancient works, spread throughout Europe through printmaking. The Renaissance also emphasized nature, evident in painting backgrounds and anatomical depictions. However, it was an idealized naturalism, representing the perfect form of each being or thing, without imperfections.

1.4.7. Anthropometric Ideas: Order, Proportion, and Harmony

The Renaissance was obsessed with order, proportion, and harmony to convey serenity, balance, and moderation. The human figure was central, always following specific proportions and measurements. Art, architecture, sculpture, and painting sought to find the measure of man, using simple, geometric proportions.

1.4.8. The Unitary Vision

Beauty was found not only in proportions but also in the unity of the artwork. A unified vision was essential, presenting the artwork as a whole to the viewer. In architecture, space was offered as a single entity. In sculpture or painting, the composition was presented together, often using central perspective.