Medieval versus Renaissance Eras

Medieval and Renaissance Eras

It is amazing how significantly various aspects of society can and will

change over a prolonged period of time. Between the time periods of the

Medieval era and the Renaissance, one can note numerous significant changes,

mainly those pertaining to art and religion. In general, ideals and subjects

during the Renaissance became more secular. In Medieval times, people seemed

to focus mainly on the church, God, and the afterlife; during the

Renaissance, the focus was more secular: humans and life on earth. Although

these two eras differ in many ways, the most concentrated differences deal with

the realms of architecture, painting, and philosophy.

Architecture noticeably shifted from religious awe to classical reason

between the Medieval era and the Renaissance. During the Middle Ages,

architecture was aimed mainly at making advancements in the church. Medieval

cathedrals had very distinct features, such as pointed spires, which were

exactly that -- spires, or steeples, that were pointed and extended upward from

the tower area; the rose window, which was a large stained glass window that

was located on the front of the tower; and squared-off exterior walls, which

were a contrast to the usual rounded exterior designs that people were

accustomed to. Overall, cathedrals during this time could have very elegant

features due to the excellent techniques of support and stabilization.

Buttresses, simple extensions of the cathedral wall to enhance support, and

flying buttresses, stone structures set away from the cathedral wall and

attached at the top, contributed to the excellent support that Medieval

cathedrals experienced. While architectural advancements during the Middle

Ages were concerned mainly with making elegant reformations in the structure of

the cathedral, architecture during the Renaissance was much less religion-

centered, and revolved more around classical reason and secularity.

Architecture in this time was concentrated mostly with the design of castles,

such as the home of the prevailing Italian Medici family, perhaps the richest

family in Europe. Architectural focus had changed from the cathedral in the

Medieval era to other, more classical and secular subjects, such as castles and

homes of significant rulers.

The style, subjects, and overall attitude of painting was something that

underwent very significant changes during the progression from Medieval times

to the Renaissance. Generally, paintings became more secular, and less focused

on aspects of the church, as the Renaissance approached. Medieval paintings

seem to be focused almost entirely on religion and are given heavenly

attributes, while paintings of the Renaissance consist mainly of secular

subjects and contain much more realism, especially noted in human subjects. In

Giotto's Madonna With Child, a Medieval painting, any observer will obviously

notice that the child and woman are very awkwardly proportioned, indicating the