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The Renaissance was instrumental in the growth of European culture. Starting in Italy in the 15th century and then spreading to the rest of Europe throughout the 16th and 17th centuries the Renaissance was a cultural, artistic, political and economic “rebirth”. Promoting the rediscovery of art and literature the Renaissance featured some of the greatest artists in history.Through their work artists and patrons were able to express their views on religion and politics as well as showing off their wealth or status. Albrecht Durer, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Matthias Grunewald are artists whose work displayed key features of Renaissance art.

Albrecht Durer was a Renaissance artist who painted works such as The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Four Apostles, and Adam and eve. Like many artists during his time Durer liked to express himself in his work. Within his paintings he speaks of religion and his political views. A good example of this is in “The Four Apostles”. Painted in 1526 this was during the time of the Protestant reformation. The Protestants believed that christianity should be about one's own connection with God rather than a connection through the Pope. In the painting above you can see Durer's Protestant beliefs as it shows the Peter and John on the left while Paul and Mark are on the left. In the painting you can see that Peter has the key to heaven meaning any human can have a connection to god and that salvation was through the bible. This was a political statement against the church Durer converted to Protestantism shortly after this was made.

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino(1483-1520), known as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. Raphael is one of the most well known artists of the Renaissance making works such as Marriage of the Virgin,Portrait of Maddalena Doni, and The School of Athens. His work portrays noble and ideal individuals who move with dignity and grace through an intelligible and ordered world. Commissioned by the Church Raphael's masterpiece “ The School of Athens” is a fresco that decorated the walls of the Vatican. It shows all the greatest mathematicians, philosophers and scientists coming together to learn and share ideas. Including scholars like Aristotle, Plato and Pythagoras the fresco highlighted the importance of knowledge and philosophy during this time.

  

Michelangelo(1475-1564) is arguably one of the most well known artists of the Renaissance. From painting on the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to his sculpture David Michelangelo was adept at bringing his work to life. The details in each of his sculptures makes the  observes feel as though it was real and moving. Michelangelo's “Pieta”, located in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, is a sculpture of the Virgin Mary carrying the dead body of christ in her arms.From the details of Christs limp body to the way Marys body connects with the flesh the sculpture was one of many works done in the Renaissance with Christ. At this period in time Christianity was “revived and many artists highlighted this in their work. In the Pieta Michelangelo uses dead body of Christ to show his suffering for humanity's sins. The goal of repentance and salvation was a large part of the Renaissance making this a reminder to all of what God did for us.

 

Matthias Grunewald(1470-1528) was another Renaissance painter who highlighted the suffering of Christ in his work. Grunewald partnered with Nikolaus Hagenauer to sculpt and paint the Isenheim Altarpiece. Constructed between 1512 to 1516 the altarpiece depicted the crucifixion of christ. Unlike many paintings however this was not a peaceful depiction of his death as you can see an over exaggeration of how thin christ was as well as his legs and feet being twisted and distorted.This graphic scene helped Grunewald connect to people and their suffering as well as reminding us of penance for our sins from  his open wounds. During the Renaissance Christianity was at a revival where everyone was worried about getting into heaven by any means necessary. The Church even had people give money to offer them places in happen which as we know led to Protestantism. This piece is meant to show you what God allowed to happen to his only son reminding us all to repent.