The Italian Renaissance: Cosimo And Lorenzo Medici

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Leonardo and other Renaissance artists would not have been as successful or have the impact that they had if it were not for Patronage. Again, the influence the Medici family had upon the to the Italian Renaissance cannot be stated enough. Particularly Cosimo and Lorenzo Medici used their family’s financial capital to achieve political power, but also affect many Italians perception of reality. The Renaissance was about the move away from scholasticism toward humanism, but to not fully devoid the scholasticism’s existence and doing so by providing balance between the two. There is an important lesson to take from this its application to contemporary leadership. In order for leader’s ideas to take shape and reach the masses, we to need patrons who are willing to sponsor our visions. This sponsor does not necessarily need to be in the form of financial capital, rather, it is the support by believing and understanding that greatness comes from the unknown. Leadership in the 21st century is filled with qualified candidates that would serve as a “Modern-Day Medici”. These notable people include the likes of Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, or Paul Allen to name a few. …show more content…

His financial success allowed him leisure time to pursue a life-long dream, being a patron to budding American and European artists (Drake, 2003). Kahn often stated that he had wanted to be a poet/playwright. However, his parents refused to encourage—and sometimes openly condemned—his aspirations. Kahn claimed it was his parents’ response to his dreams that hardened his resolve to become a patron to artists. Many artists during Kahn’s era did not enjoy the financial support of the state, church, or individuals that artists had during the Renaissance. During his life, Kahn was sometimes even referred to as ‘Manhattan’s Maecenas’ or ‘Otto the Magnificent,’ after Lorenzo the Magnificent of the Medici family (Drake,

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