Cultural and social values tend to change over time, and it can be traced back to the example of several centuries. When it comes to the Renaissance, basic ideas that come to mind are, as a rule, humanism and the desire to emphasize a human personality. Most of the ideas of the Europe of that time have practically not been preserved until today, and common ideas and ideals have mostly changed to a sufficient extent.
Attitude towards People and Social Values
The ideals of the early Renaissance in Europe were connected with the attitude towards the man as a supreme being. Confidence in the uniqueness of human nature is reflected in the works of most figures of that era. The main idea of that time is humanism, and Stephens (2014) calls this term a puzzle because its essence included more than just the notion of kindness. Social norms reflected the desire to comprehend harmony and to achieve people’s living in peace and enjoying the world around them.
The values of modern Europe have little in common with the time of the Renaissance. Heller (2016) claims that if a modern man appeared in the society that was described by the humanists of that era, he or she would feel as if in prison. It is social norms have changed by today. A person’s life still has an essential role in society, but now all attention is paid to human’s rights and freedoms, and admiration for the beautiful has faded into the background.
Thus, the attitude towards a person in society is different then and now, and the main reason for these shifts is probably the change of values. Technical progress, industrial revolutions, and other factors have led to the fact that social ideals have changed beyond recognition. Humanism remained in the past, and now in today’s Europe preference is given to more practical and realistic values.
Perception of Art and Beauty in Society
The paintings and written works of talented people who lived during the early Renaissance are known today, and many of them are exhibited in the largest museums of Europe. Brucker (2015) remarks, for example, that Florentine art has had a significant impact on the development of the culture of subsequent generations. One of the main ideas that are revealed in the works of the Renaissance great people is the demonstration of Utopia and the desire to show the beauty of a surrounding world, albeit in a somewhat distorted form.
Modern European art is not similar to the art of the early Renaissance. The reference is given to the display of realism, and ideas that are closely related to the political, economic or national characteristics of a particular country are traced in the works of many contemporary artists and sculptors. As Osborn (2016) notes, social factors are one of the primary determiners of beauty and attractiveness. Therefore, all the changes, which take place in society today, as a rule, are displayed in art.
All these nuances allow us to say that the difference in the perception of culture and beauty between the two epochs is quite evident. One of the key factors that determine this difference is a change in social norms and priorities, as well as the emergence of such a genre as realism. Despite the fact that the art of that time is highly valued today, it is rather difficult to find similarities in the culture of modernity and that era, which is called the early Renaissance.
Thus, most of the ideas of the Europe of that time have practically not been preserved until today, and common ideas and ideals have mostly changed to a sufficient extent. It is quite difficult to say whether it is good or bad. Perhaps, it is an entirely consistent trend, and such a change of interests is rather a natural concept. It is possible that those ideas, which are relevant in the society of today, will also be forgotten and will cease to be popular.
References
Brucker, G. A. (2015). The civic world of early Renaissance Florence. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Heller, A. (2016). Renaissance man. New York, NY: Routledge.
Osborn, D. R. (2016). Renaissance beauty = today’s ugly: What appearance factors determine attractiveness judgments? Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 26(16), 437-446.
Stephens, J. (2014). The Italian Renaissance: The origins of intellectual and artistic change before the reformation. New York, NY: Routledge.