Humanism is the movement which focused on the value and worth of each person’s individualism and was based on the ideals of ancient Greek and Roman civilisation. Petrarch (1304-74) is believed to be the first renaissance humanist, by theorising that what was required to bring renaissance society forward from the dark ages, was to study, imitate and replicate the philosophers and writers of classical times (e.g. Plato, Sophocles, Virgil, Homer). Petrarch gave momentum to the emergence of humanism in the fourteenth century, to lead to its establishment as a central component of much of Italian art and culture in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries- and therefore the early renaissance. It was then that art began to focus on more secular (worldly) themes instead of religious ideas and the afterlife- moving away from their previously god-centred society, where the main life goal was to reach heaven, to a time more focussed on secular ideas such as individualism and human improvement.
Masaccio, Donatello and Jan Van Eyck were all artists born into the age of humanism, and each portrayed the key principles of humanism differently in their early renaissance artworks. These key principles are dynamic self, was a new way of thinking of their culture in a similar way that the classical Greek and Roman’s did because just like the ancients, humanists still saw human beings existing in a universe guided by God, but as also possessing powerful capabilities of body and spirit, capable of greatness. it was put into words by Protagoras as, “of all things, the measure is man”, giving the people a much higher sense of self and the desire to move away from their interests in god into an interest in man. This then led to a newfound enthusiasm to discover what man can do, rather than what God is doing. Individual dignity or, individualism follows the principle of being independent, self-reliant and free. Artists at this time stopped looking for ordinary jobs, and instead started searching for fame, and the right to be remembered because of their own achievements, rather than the achievements of God and / or the church. It was Individualism which inspired many artists and artworks of the Early Renaissance, as it gave people a chance to leave behind a legacy and to demonstrate their personal knowledge and skill to the wider public so as to become famous. The re-invention of society and state was largely about education as, a humanist education is based on Roman and Greek literature. Previous to the renaissance and humanism, all knowledge (scrolls and tablets) had been held in monasteries and controlled by the religious. But with the popularity of humanism growing, these documents became more public to the communities and increased the population’s desire and ability for education.
The Humanism key principal Individual dignity or individualism can be witnessed in each of the three artworks the Holy Trinity by Masaccio, the Arnolfini Wedding Portrait by Jan Van Eyck and David by Donatello, with The Holy Trinity and David also expressing old classical Greek and Roman ideals through dynamic self. The principals can be seen in: The David sculpture by Donatello shows the principals in its overall contrapposto stance, its religious context and its classical sculpture techniques. Then, The Holy Trinity through Masaccio’s incorporation of convincingly realistic classical architecture, architecture that creates single point perspective, and his realistic/ naturalistic human figures. Also, in Arnolfini Wedding Portrait, they can be seen with the signs of wealth within the portrait, the Jan Van Eyck’s attention to detail and his revolutionary use of reflection.
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