Middle Ages, Dark Ages and Renaissance

 

Middle Ages, Dark Ages and Renaissance

 

Middle Ages (500 AD – 15th Century)

Middle Ages or Medieval period began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire around 500 AD and ended with the Renaissance.

With the fall of the Roman Empire the rich values and knowledge of the ancient Greek and Roman Civilizations and the appreciation of art started to diminish.

 

                   Dark Ages (500 AD – 1000 AD)

The first half of the middle ages is referred to as the Dark Ages. It lasted from about 500 AD – 1000 AD.

During this period; war, diseases and death were quite common.  Standard of living was poor and the life span was short. Little comfort and appreciation of knowledge was observed. Thus this period was called the Dark Ages.

However after about 1000 AD, things started to change slowly to the positive side.

 

Renaissance (From about mid14th Century to 17th Century)

In the 14^th and 15^th Centuries there was a rebirth or revival of the old Greek and Roman cultures where people started to rediscover the old knowledge of geography, mathematics, astrology and to appreciate the old art and craft: painting, music, sculpture and architecture. 

People started to break the limitations to imagination set forth by the Church and think for themselves. Their curiosity about things made them experiment. They started to think scientifically. With the printing press invented the knowledge was disseminated faster. New lands were discovered and Europe shifted to a new era of brightness.

This revival of the old knowledge, literature and art backed up the new inventions and discoveries were collectively known as the Renaissance.

This was the basis of the modern advancements in art, science and technology.

 

Some famous artists and their masterpieces in the Renaissance:

·        Michelangelo           -           Statue of David (sculpture)

The Creation of Adam (painting)

The last Judgment (painting)

Pietà (sculpture)

 

·        Botticelli                    -           The birth of Venus (painting)

Chart of Hell (painting)

Trials of Moses (painting)

 

 

·        Da Vinci                     -           Mona Lisa (painting)

The last supper (painting)

Vitruvian man (painting)

Virgin of the rocks (painting)