Humanism and the Renaissance / Humanism and the Renaissance

We are often taught at museums, in high school histories and many college texts that the Renaissance represented a major turning point in history. But many scholars now doubt this. Here we will explore some reasons why.



Please read Humphrey Butters, The Renaissance (Kümin, pp 229-238) & Luca Mola, Arts and Society (Kümin, pp 239-247)



Answer two or three of the following questions. Try to do this by Thursday!



1. Why does Humphrey Butters express doubt that the Renaissance was a period? What is the significance of this claim?



"For these reasons the Renaissance cannot be classed as a cultural period, sharply distinct from the Middle Ages. But it was certainly a serious cultural movement."



2. Following up on the above, why does Humphrey Butters believe that the Renaissance was a major cultural movement, and what was its importance?



3. What do you consider the most important or notable changes in the arts across the Renaissance and how do these changes reflect wider changes in society?



4. Taking everything in the two articles, offer your own impressions of how these chapters differ from what you have usually learned about the "Renaissance"? This is a bit less of an academic question if you will but you should have a good grasp of the articles and make clear what you thought about the Renaissance before now to your reader.