Renaissance art and its cultural significance

Art

Renaissance Art

Each of these readings discusses pageantry and celebration during the Renaissance, indicating how important these types of celebrations were to every citizen. These celebrations often encompass art in some form, from the decoration of the floats for the Festival of San Giovanni to the illustrations in the printed accounts of Mary Tudor's entry into Paris. They show the importance of art in society, as well, and how art influenced celebrations, pageantry, and Renaissance life.

The works also mention another important aspect of these celebrations - the city or locale as a participant in the festivities. It is easy to see how the city of Paris could indeed become a participant in the celebrations, as it is a charming and beautifully artistic city. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the rituals and celebrations is their relationship to power, as Kertzer notes in Ritual, politics, and power. It is easy, once you read this article, to see the relationship between power and ritual more clearly, and it makes sense that ritual relies on symbols, and symbolism is rampant in politics. Symbolism is also rampant in the art world, as these rituals and celebrations clearly indicate, because as they become more entrenched in society, they become symbols of the society and the society's interests, such as art, illustration, and the art of pageantry, all rolled into one.

Ritual and pageantry also surround the architecture and buildings of the time, as the article on the Medici indicates. The architecture of the Renaissance is rich in art and tradition, making it some of the most memorable architecture in the world. Without art, this would not be the case, as the buildings celebrate the beauty of design and balance as well as form and function. Clearly, art permeates every aspect of the Renaissance world, from the pageants and rituals that were so common, to the pageantry of the buildings that represent the time.