The most significant transition in Western aesthetic thought took place at the end of the medieval period and blossomed into the Renaissance (1300-1600). I cannot find a clear explanation in the history of aesthetic thought that outlines the points at which this transition occurred. I will attempt to do it in this post, namely present the key medieval ideas that were expanded upon by Renaissance thinkers.
Point 1. Beauty was one of the names of God for medieval thinkers. Beauty was considered a mirror or veil which reflected or revealed aspects of God in the Renaissance. For this reason the study of nature was elevated in the Renaissance era which is why science was not separated from religious devotion. Many of the great early scientists were clergyman in the Renaissance.
Point 2. In medieval aesthetic thought mathematics, design and harmony deepened the meaning of an object by imparting a sense of intentionality and intelligence to it.
In the Renaissance, mathematics and geometry held mystical qualities and were used by most artists of the time as the scaffolding upon which their compositions were built.
For instance, the Golden Section can be found in both Gothic Cathedrals such as Chartres as well as in Renaissance paintings. Both medieval and Renaissance eras celebrated the science of mathematics as a metaphysical language. Artists as well as early scientists were united in the love of numbered rationality. Metaesthetics and mathematics are expressions of profound harmony in the universe.
Point 3. The medieval period held fine craftsmanship in the highest esteem while in the Renaissance it was a common belief that "what was hard to do" was the proof of outstanding human achievement.
Point 4. The great medieval thinkers, Aquinas and Augustine, believed that Beauty and imagination acted as a bridge between the human and divine realms. In the Renaissance this view was also held but with the added focus on human intelligence seen as the conscious application of imagination in the making of beautiful works of art. Human intelligence was valued as the crown of nature because conscious awareness of beauty and design in art and nature elevates these things into rational cognition. Here geometry and mathematics, drawing and shading, perspective and composition--- using the elements of nature, all of these were harmonized in the mind of the artist in the creation of beautiful works of art.
Point 5. The medieval era launched the first universities in the Western world and learning was highly valued where it could be found. In the Renaissance, because of the proliferation of manuscripts and libraries, private individuals could obtain knowledge that was previously the possession of the few. The Renaissance era saw an explosion in learning and the best artists were usually highly learned. Leonardo and Michelangelo for instance were the equals of the best educated men of their time. Previously medieval artisans were masons and craftsmen with limited formal education. Knowledge was associated with the wisdom of God for Michelangelo who aspired to please God by developing all his rational potential in thought, art and life.
Point 6. Art objects, such as the stained glass window or cathedral acted as symbols for "substance dualism" in the medieval age. In the Renaissance the work of art was less a demonstration of the distinct differences of matter and spirit and far more of an "incarnation" where the spirit was given expression in the things of nature and art.
The mind of the artist was according to da Vinci, like the mind of God in that what an artist could conceive in his imagination he or she could (with proper training) make real and evident in a work of art. In essence the Renaissance artist understood art-making as having moral and metaesthetic meaning ie. creation was considered a metaphysical action.
This deep respect for artistic action effectively lifted the artist out of the lower status of a mere craftsman into that of the esteemed philosopher and theologian. The ability to make a work of Beauty was a difficult thing to do and like all things that are hard to achieve it was the living proof of a god-like power--- hence the metaesthetic character that was given to art in the Renaissance.
28 comments:
I do believe that the artist, given proper education and context can indeed assume the role of philosopher and theologian. I also agree that the artist can make real what is in the imagination with proper training. I do not believe this role is divinely inspired, but I can see how in the Renaissance the idea of god and religion could play into this belief. I think that the artist is a product of his or her environment and the information and life experience gathered within said environment. With schooling and training an artist can reach great heights but it is my belief that this is self-driven and not of any divine nature.
fikriye ozmeral-gibson
in retrospect with the blog entry when i think about renaissance i cant put aside that immense changes that has happened in picture making and its purposes and so on,after all renaissance has created many of the pictures that are the cornerstones of aesthetic beauties peaks that lingers over to our day. for many years the church has sponsored the artist to create art works that had depicted scenes from the bible so that the uneducated and the illiterate will have a chance to understand what the bible is talking about by looking of pictures of events that take place in the bible . but this setting has changed with renaissance.renaissance was an avalanche of information outpouring from the elite few to the masses by the help of the gutenberg press and its capabilities of introducing mass communication to the masses for the very first time in the human history, which changed the very fabric of society that held it together until this time .it was the time of science and reason. in the passage to baroque to renaissance we see that picture planes has gotten more complicated which affected the aesthetics norms of the day . we started seeing images that has dealt with perspective and time lines also this was the very same time that medici family in italy has risen to power, and commissioned a secular art piece . with the sponsorship of the medici family Botticelli has painted the birth of venus . with secular arts we can see that the idea "arts for arts sake - was starting to appear as well ." the point of view in picture making was becoming an internalized action with vermeer . we are seeing the point of view in this very time . just like its meaning renaissance was the re-birth to arts and aesthetics views .
Michelangelo's idea of developing ones reason, work, and life to our highest state possible, to be in effect a more perfect vehicle to carry the potential of knowing God's wisdom is very humbling. I think that the pursuit of making worthwhile artifacts of Art can only lead to seek out inspiration, it calls for the artist to be filled with as much of the world as possible and in turn translate it and give the world a new birth. Artists are keen observers of their surroundings and looking at something long enough will cause the observer to ask questions, he will have no choice but to seek out an answer either outside or within. The life of an artists lends itself naturally to other worthwhile endeavors, especially those in the humanities like Theology and Philosophy. Leonardo saw that the creation process mirrored the mindset of any other creative impulse, even that of God. I wonder if this is a reflective quality that shows how a singular idea can reflect on itself thereby creating a reference point and in turn create an infinity out of itself. Out of one there are many. Art can be the very thing that makes us dive deeper into ourselves or farther out into the world to find that bit of truth, whatever it is to each of us.
After reading this post the point that really resided with me the most was point #3 and the proof of outstanding achievement. Being an artist / designer, really takes a toll on you because you are constantly judged and compared to what your achievements are and what clients you have even so today. It seems like you are only recognized if you are really talented at what you do and not necessarily how hard you work for things. Sometimes people that follow through and work much harder for things do not get what they deserve and these points made during the 1600's even apply to what is going on today. This is kind of amazing because it seems as though the world and art in general has changed quite a bit since then but our expectations and aesthetics have not.
I agree with Emily that artist "can assume the role of philosopher." I also agree with her when she disagree with are role being inspired by a higher being. I know it was inspired many artist such as Brad coleman. But not everyone believes in god and many artist have done work that goes against the church. I think artist work is inspired by our experiences and environment.
On part 4 this essey brought up the connection of intelligence as the ablity to be creative and express this with beautiful work. I agree a beautiful work has a great deal of intelligent thought put into it weather it was thought out or from the subconquence of the artist. This dosent mean the artist is smart. You gain smarts thru school..but intelligence is life exsperence and what you make of it and have the ability to learn from life. If an artist can portray this in the art its expressing there intelligence to a higher level. As for beauty being in the art I believe its more the emotional attraction to the work rather than it being " beautiful".
Design, harmony, and mathematics played a big role in both the Medieval Period and the Renaissance. I agree that there is some sort of "numbered rationality" in almost all art. Even in graphic design, you utilize a grid system like the rule of thirds or the golden ratio. This harmony between mathematics and artistic representation is what I would see as beauty.
On another note, I agree that it takes a level of intelligence in order to be able to produce a work of art. I think anyone can have the imagination, but there is something unique about the people who are aware of the beauty in their surroundings and makes that into the works of art.
I found it interesting that the pursuit of knowledge was motivated by God when such faith can also inhibit someone from how much knowledge they can attain, especially in the realm of science.
I think that artists are already philosophers in a way because it is the creative mind that never stops asking 'why?' Searching for answers inevitably leads to attaining more knowledge. In creating art the artist is constantly reshaping what he/she defines as beauty. Most artworks go through many manipulations until achieving the desired result, which is sometimes very different than the initial vision that lead to its creation.
In response to Nicole- I agree, beauty is an emotional response, as we are learning that our senses and emotions lead to what we define as aesthetics. Even so, something regarded as 'being beautiful' still has to come from an emotion and sensory stimulation.
Point three is a bit confusing to me. Was there a difference in how the public viewed craftsmanship between the medieval and renaissance period? Was craftsmanship held in the highest esteem, yet not hard to do?
It's quite an insight into the minds of these early thinkers, in that they believed thinking aesthetically was a bridge to the divine realm. To me it signifies just how rare this sort of trait was, and that to them it was proof that god was on their side.
I think that an artist works comes within and with experience and dedication into learning their craft no matter what it is. For me, the "divine power" is internal and it's a personal drive to create meaning into some of my work.
though for the time period you can tell by the most cherished works from the medieval to renaissance are the ones that focus on God and are the works that are paid to be created.
i find it so interesting that religion was and still is such a strong motivation for artists and the arts, i wonder if it is the ultimate challenge for the artist to attempt to represent something so ethereal
Philosophy and math, along with knowledge of the sciences are such important tools for an artist. It's no wonder that Michelangelo and Leonardo were such successful artists, being so intelligent and aware of the world around them. People marveled at their skill, and still do, because it's so difficult to be a "renaissance man," especially now when there's so much more to learn and the important lessons get lost.
I think all artists mimic the holy creation process, whether or not they believe in a God or create something sacrilegious. There is something innate in an artist that compels them to create and become the master of the creation. You can not deny that the story of God's creation coincides with the artists sate of mind while creating something new. Then the time comes that we must let go of our work and watch it become something that lives on in testament to the artists mind. I can understand why the thinkers in the renaissance did not differentiate religion, science and art. The meta-aesthetic view which is that every thing is connected is a clear influence for that time. I feel many in this time need to rediscover how connected everything really is.
It's interesting to consider the switch between the medieval pattern of thought and the renaiisance, besides the increase in education and an explosion in knowledge, the artist was elevated to such a status that he could be compared to God. I can see very easily where the renaiisance stillhas influence on modern art and aesthetics, besides technical ideas like perspective and turning the form. The idea of a painter as a philosopher isn't a role that the artist assumes,it's considered a mandatory part of the process. You aren't an artist unless you have a philosophy of art.
I have a very simple definition of the difference between art and craft: craft pursues perfection of technique,and art perfects techniques while in pursuit of something higher.
Mischa,
Your concern on point 3 is not intended to be confusing. The idea is that in appreciating fine craftsmanship one is admiring something hard to do well. Even laying bricks well takes practice and skill. So building a castle and laying the bricks to this task would be admired as it is very hard to do. So likewise a painting well crafted was to be admired in an even deeper way as more skills were required.
Bill
This is weird, I already posted on this, however it did not show up?
Point 3 - Is intriguing to me because in todays world not much has changed. A lot of what is done in our world is looked at upon as if we did it with more skill it is looked at is if it were better just because there was more skill placed in the work. The thought behind the work is somewhat/sometimes secondary compared to the work and the skill level used to create it. If you are able to do more things you automatically seem to be more outstanding of a human being which can be very arguable but definitely on point with what the Renaissance considered the Renaissance man was well rounded.
It's interesting how the increase in the value of education lead to the increase in the value of thought, which lead to the increase in the value of art. I think this trend in itself exemplifies how art reflects human intelligence. In that sense, I agree with Aquinas and Augustine (Point 4) that imagination and beauty can be the bridge between human and the divine. I don't think it matters whether you're religious or not-- the divine can simply represent something intangible. So through art we observe and question our tangible world, which sheds insight on the intangible.
It seems that if there needed to be a connection during the Renaissance with divinity, what better way than associate the divine with the beautiful. Perfection had been established with geometry and why not take it to the next level with a humanistic touch. Artists during the Renaissance were inspired to build upon beliefs that were already circulating and by binding religion, humanity, and nature together there was a great escalation in thought and art.
The blending of beauty and religion reminds me of the transcendentalist movement during the early 1900’s. The motive of creating beautiful works of art reminds me of the modernist movement, because beauty was the main driving force behind artists during that time. It is interesting that in modern times most art is created as a form of self expression but during the renaissance the artist’s goal was to please god. I find it fascinating the perception that art is for the talented and elite has remained strong since renaissance era.
I think the Renaissance was a great time for the mass to obtain knowledge they would not have received otherwise due to the distribution of books. I do believe with higher knowledge you can also heighten the aesthetic qualities in artwork such as the use of perspective and other mathematical formula that can help create the "perfect" figure and form. The Renaissance was a rebirth to the arts with new craftsmanship and philosophers who expanded the knowledge and aesthetics of art during their time.
-Hannah Ryu
I think the notion of the artists not only being a craftsman but a philospher and theologian is beautiful. The emphasis on intelligence and learning in the Renaissance is intriguing and you can see how this emphasis expanded the works of art being created at the time. It further shows the potential our minds have and how that potential for higher thinking and reflective reasoning can elevate our works of art deeper levels of meaning. To teach your hands to make beautiful shapes and lines is challenging and admirable but to involve higher level of thought with high level of craft takes the creation of art to another level. I understand why thinkers during the Renaissance attributed the power of that kind of art with something god-like and other worldly.
The access of new knowledge to a previously illiterate public was crucial to the artists of the Renaissance and I believe that as an artist, knowledge is important to creating good art. Sometimes people make assumptions that artists are generally not science or math people. That they are two different things entirely. However, as proven by artists like Leonardo da Vinci, art is a grouping of all these things together. I believe having more knowledge doesn't hinder but only enhances the artist and his art.
i find it interesting that mathematics and the arts held such great importance in both medieval times and the renaissance because of its sense of intelligence and intentionality.
bringing it back into today. the arts have become less important, its the first thing to be cut. Yet mathematics and the sciences continue to be shoved in our faces.
many people have a hard time learning mathematics and write it off. i hated math until i saw put into visual terms. learning about the golden ratio and how everything found in nature consist of it made me spark an interest in mathematics again.
I appreciate the advancement of knowledge and thinking in the Renaissance era. However I find that a lot of the advancement in painting is in the process rather than the subject. This I think alienates the audience and only allows the educated painters to enjoy the work. Being a designer and illustrator I don't agree that art is separate from a world audience and only made for a select group.
I, too find it very fascinating how much religion influenced the arts.
We as artists today look up to the works created during the Renaissance period. We highly praise and admire the formal elements we frequently practice, but to them these formal elements are "elements of nature, all of these were harmonized in the mind of the artist in the creation of beautiful works of art".
I too believe in the ideas of Davinci, that art and creation being a metaphysical action as he compares the mind of an artist to God as He is the creator of all things.
-eunjung lee
Love to see the artist elevated to more than a craftsmen. though i sometimes feel Leonardo and Michelangelo are held to too high esteem for there scientific discovery rather than pure artistic value, as most of there surviving artworks are more craft and talent dedicated to a client. I've always thought of them as a slave to the church though there work ethic and skill are beyond compare. there discovery in mathematics leave me in true awe of there work and dedication to discovering the divine. I myself still use the golden ratio when creating images and laying out web pages.
These days when we see magic-users in video games, movies, or TV shows and whatever casting up 'mystical signs of power' or whatever, the kind of thinking present in the middle ages with regards to knowledge and information is where those ideas came from. If someone knows how to read or perform mathematical equations, the symbols and scripts have an awe to them that ignorant illiterates are likely to attach superstition to. It's more than that though - the teaching methods and mystery cult-like status of many groups also reinforced the idea that equations or written words were enough to literally rewrite god's creation.
Think about that the next time you see arcane symbols fly up in a video game you're playing after your character casts a spell. What you're seeing is the fictional end-product of the mysticism surrounding mathematics and literacy.
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