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The monstrous explosion of wealth and knowledge during the period between 1450
to 1600 is known as the Renaissance, literally meaning the ´rebirthµ or ´revivalµ of
culture. Staring in Italy, the Renaissance had a profound impact on science and
technology as well as art and sculpture. Society underwent a drastic change in the
way they approached problems. The humanistic ideas derived from the ancient
Greek and Romans were applied to all aspects of culture and as a result the overall
mood of society changed; there was a new sense of freedom and enthusiastic
inventiveness.

Prior to the Renaissance, the concept of a ¶scientist· was unknown as pe ople were
content with believing the Church·s views and never questioned what was widely
established as common sense. People began to doubt the church·s teachings and
this lead to a rebellious riot in which major scientific advances were made. Science
refers to knowledge as a whole during this period of revival; Medicine, alchemy,
magic and astronomy were among the many fields to alter dramatically.
Copernicus pioneered the movement of true scientific thinking with proper methods
and analysis of his experim ents on the stars.

A checkpoint for the scientific advance was the reinvention of the printing press by
a German goldsmith, Johann Gutenberg, in the 1450s. Although the printing press, a
mechanical device for printing multiple copies of text on sheets of paper, was
initially invented in China, Gutenberg eliminated the need for individual carving of
letters and instead i ntroduced moulds for each letter - which therefore allowed mass
production of ideas and news with minimal effort. Prior to the invention of the
Gutenberg press, books were mainly copied by monasteries. While it might take
someone a year or more to hand copy a Bible, with the Gutenberg press it was
possible to create several hundred copies a year. The result was that sharing of ideas
and the comparison of works between scientists and other workers was made easier
and therefore theories could be discussed, proved or disproved; a significant benefit
to both the scientific revolution and in general the total revival of culture.

Other scientific and technological inventions included the cast -iron pipe, the
portable clock, the rifle barrel, shotgun and screwdriver. The great thinkers during
the Renaissance developed ideas that formed the basis of modern scientific
methods. For example, Galileo Galile i. An Italian physicist, astronomer and
philosopher, made significant improvements to the telescope and wrote about a
myriad of astronomical observations, without which our society would still be forced
to believe assumptions, without being given the oppor tunity to question and
discover. These brave individuals that faced the Church and their misleading
teachings were labelled as guilty of heresy, but the resulting total scientific revolution
and revival and ancient beliefs from their rebellion made our wor ld what it is. Galileo
has been referred to as the ´father of modern science,µ with his experimental work
unanimously considered the foundation of the modern scientific method.

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Sculpture was the first form of artistic expression to exhibit distinctive Rena issance
traits. Donatello (1386 -1466) was a prominent figure in the early Renaissance. He
pioneered the revival of ancient techniques such as contrapposto ² a relaxed
asymmetrical pose of the human body ² and classical subjects, such as the nude.
Donatello·s bronze sculpture of ¶David·, finished in 1430, was the first free-standing
nude created in Europe since the fall of the Roman Empire. This evidently shows the
rebirth of the classical culture and knowledge. Michelangelo (1475-1564) sculpted
figures inspired by Donatello almost a century later. His statue of David is also a nude
study, but moving more naturally; both statues are standing in contrapost, the style
favoured by the ancient Greek and Romans.

During the period of rebirth, a rtists began to add a sense of realism to their work by
using new techniques in perspective ² which represent three-dimensions extremely
effectively. Artists also began to employ the manipulation of light and darkness. The
portraits by Titian (born c. 1488, died 1576) depicted this clearly. Michelangelo and
Giorgione both aided in the development of sfumato and chiaroscuro techniques.
Not only did the techniques used by artists drastically change, but the theme of their
works also shifted from religious the mes ² which were omnipresent in medieval art.
The saying ¶man is the measure of all things· was coined as a result of the
predominate belief during this era. The prevailing idea that beauty and good design
is inspired by the proportions of the human body m eant that the human anatomy
and natural, unaltered landscaped overrode religious themes and became
predominant in all art forms. Piero della Francesca (1420-1492) is noted for his aerial
perspective paintings, a technique previously unknown. Masaccio (1401 -1428) was
another prominent figure to employ previously unheard of techniques. His humans
have a plasticity which lacked in the flat gothic artwork. Less well -known, but still
extremely revolutionary artists, included Paolo Uccello and Domenico Ghirlandai o.

The period of Renaissance Classicism, synonymous with the term High Renaissance,
produced the most refined works of art. Raphael and Leonardo da Vi nci lead the
advances of this era. ¶The Last Supper· painted between 1495 and 1498 by
Leonardo Da Vinci f eatures excellent use of perspective as well as a lively and
natural representation of people and landscape. Additionally, ¶The School of
Athens· painted as a fresco by Raphael between 1509 and 1510 was exquisitely
expressive and, along with the bold paint ings by Titian, epitomized the rebirth in the
Renaissance.

The Renaissance was a significant cultural movement, beginning in Florence in the

late middle ages. It encompasses a revival of learning based on knowledge from
the classical Greek and Roman source s. Italy saw a period of great change and
rebirth, particularly in the areas o f art, such as the introduction of perspective, and
science ² with numerous advances and inventions . The Renaissance is viewed as a
bridge between the Middle Ages and the Modern era. The immense educational
reform resulted in today·s intellectual society; it resulted in the individual freedom to
both question and criticise their surroundings with the aim of setting higher standards
past levels previously perceived.

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