What is Humanism?
Renaissance humanism is a complex philosophical belief which developed out of Italy and can be defined loosely as an aspiration to imitate the work of art, literature, and culture of the ancients. Humanism became most popular with artists, historians, and aristocrats from a desire to study the culture of the ancient Romans. Those belonging to the upper class desired a more fulfilling education, one inspired by Petrarch (1304- 1374). Petrarch, a poet, and translator of classical texts from Italy, is said to be the one to bridge the cultural gap from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance and the originator of Renaissance humanism. His work emphasized Roman superiority because of his belief in their commitment to civic duty, valuing their definition of morality over that of the dominant belief with Christianity. However, humanism did not reject Christianity as a faith, but rather held a dissonant belief that revolved around individualism within a Christian context. With individualism as a major influence, artists in the Renaissance took to imitation and illustration of ancient myths and figures. They began to paint nudes, though modestly covered, bringing back the appreciation the Greeks had for the physical form. In addition, artists incorporated nature and animals into their work. These elements of life provided an outlet for exploring how humans fit into the grand scheme of life between heaven and earth.