Art in Florence, Italy
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a time of intense artisitic activity. Symptoms of this renewed interest in studying and creating art were the appreciation and outright "competetive patronage" that occurred during that time.
The Medici family were of great influence, as were churches and other affluent families of that time. Many of our greatest and most-beloved pieces were born out of that time.
The Renaissance spanned the 14th through the 17th centuries in Europe, largely centered in Florence, Italy. One of the largest reasons for the concentration in this city (Firenze) was, again, the Medici family.
A huge portion of Renaissance art was commissioned by the Church, therefore depicts religious themes and scenes. However, patrons played a huge role as well. Patrons could request paintings in a certain theme or could be included in a painting and depicted in a certain light.
The Renaissance was also a time of scientific exploration and the intense study of "realism." Leonardi da Vinci's paintings, drawings, notes and sketches of that time bear out that fact. The combined effect of aestheticism and realism in depicting the human and natural world worked to create pieces that take one's breath away.
Renaissance art, with it's study of realism and aesthetics, often highlights the beauty in our world. The realism of expression, also, creates emotion in the viewer. And when the scenes are not just of beauty, but of scenes of battle or religious or human struggle, they can illicit incredible emotion.
Such are just a very few of the reasons Renaissance art is so cherished by the world. The work, the technique, the study, the struggle, the genius, the end product - and our feeling when reviewing all of that - that is why we love art. And that is why we protect it.
Art filters life and makes it bearable.