July 10, 2012

Commencement of Renaissance Age: Reasons & Impacts


Renaissance Clothing
Image Source: Renaissance-Outfits.com


Renaissance Age was unquestionably an unforgettable time for the European people. This was the period when a popular art and cultural movement took place in that continent. This movement impacted the people, and a drastic change was witnessed in every walk of life. It was started in middle-ages, and some people consider its proceeding eras as dark-ages.  The dark-ages were the eras of economic decline, and technological & intellectual stagnation. A lot of dogmatism was witnessed in the early medieval times also. The society was under the control of orthodox churches, and all the literature preserved in the courts and monasteries of Europe was ignored. Then the intellectuals like Martin Luther and John Calvin came in limelight who gave a new direction to the society. This was the period of renaissance movement, when all walks of life were seen in a new light.

There were several reasons behind the commencement of this period.  The ignored classic literature was revived by various scholars, which became a prominent aspect in giving a different direction to the society. Besides, printing press was launched, so it became easy to spread the cultural awareness by mass publishing of classics. On the other hand, the hand of support was extended by rulers and some of the churches, which also helped in flourishing the movement. In addition, some nations contacted with each other in various ways. For instance, hundred years war between England and some groups of France was ceased, and these nations shared the ideas of the movement. On the contrary, a new war was started between England and Italy, which is why these nations came in contact of each other.

When the reawakening age started a number of changes took place in society. People became much aware about art and culture. This tendency was lacking up to a great extent before that era. The lifestyles of people were changed according to the new cultural parameters. Various creative expressions in all facets of daily life were witnessed.

Renaissance Shirt
Image Source: Renaissance-Outfits.com 
A huge change was observed in the dressing styles of people also.  The reason behind the change is not very clear, but the movement may be a big cause behind it. Before this era, people used to wear the simple and natural costumes. Most of these dresses were made from wool. But, in renaissance age, people started wearing the shining and flamboyant outfits.  A lot of modification was done in the costumes.

But, there was a community who was still unaffected with the movement. It was the peasant community, which was the group of labor-class. These people had no scope of change due to their hard lifestyle. With the passage of time, they also became part of the middle-class society and acquired the cultural impact of the movement. These people used to wear practical and basic dresses, but they accepted the showy dresses after becoming part of the movement.

In the present scenario, the renaissance style clothing has become the fashion-statement of the people. You can acquire these dresses for parties, festivals and casual gathering from a number of websites like Renaissance-Outfits.com & TudorDressing.com

No comments:

Post a Comment