The Renaissance was a moment in human history when everything seemed impossible. New structures were built every year that simply defied logic. Art was being produced at a breakneck pace. Not just any art though, this was the age of masterpieces, where every painting became more realistic than anybody prior thought was possible. Trade in the Italian peninsula was booming, with bankers such as Cosimo de Medici becoming rich and acquiring large amounts of power. While the secular world seemed to be flourishing, the world of the church did not seem to be flourishing as well.
In the midst of all this though, the church had entered into one of its darker times in its history. Corruption was prevalent in the Vatican. Corrupt church leaders, such as Pope Alexander VI, were in power, falling prey to the vices encountered the rest of the populace. In place of St. Francis’ following of Jesus through poverty, the leaders of the church were “by and large, [ . . . .] worldly men, pragmatic, tough, concerned with power [ . . . ] they did not wish to be outshone by their rivals in the symbolic display of wealth and greatness” (Plumb, 88). There was little spirituality present in the leadership of this church. The Bishop of Rome acted more as a temporal power, and neglected his spiritual authority. For anybody looking for an authentic Christian religion, on the whole, the hierarchy of the Catholic Church was not the place to go to find it.
For as little as the Renaissance church was concerned with spirituality, on one hand, it is not hard to blame them. This was the Renaissance, and “It would be folly to underestimate the creative strength and originality of fifteenth-century Italy” (Plumb 15). This time was one of the great periods of human development. New technologies, in art, architecture, and even in science did certainly abound. The surrounding world of the church had come to adore the excesses of this time period. Furthermore, “They ceased to look for answers to the fate of man in the dogmas of the Church” (Plumb 18). As authentic believers began to dwindle, the church tried to maintain superiority the same way that the rest of the world did: through great displays of its prestige: “St. Peter’s, the Vatican, the churches, the tombs, the squares, the great palaces at the heart of Rome” (Plumb 87). These temporal means by which the church increased its social standing showed its participation in the culture of the time, one of self-indulgence, care for power, and an overwhelming desire for the things of the world.
While Raphael’s The Deposition shows participation in, if not also a short critique, of the culture of the time, it demonstrates the Renaissance care for self, a trait that has been, and always will be, present with humanity.
Photo Credit for The School of Athens goes to vatican.va
In the midst of all this though, the church had entered into one of its darker times in its history. Corruption was prevalent in the Vatican. Corrupt church leaders, such as Pope Alexander VI, were in power, falling prey to the vices encountered the rest of the populace. In place of St. Francis’ following of Jesus through poverty, the leaders of the church were “by and large, [ . . . .] worldly men, pragmatic, tough, concerned with power [ . . . ] they did not wish to be outshone by their rivals in the symbolic display of wealth and greatness” (Plumb, 88). There was little spirituality present in the leadership of this church. The Bishop of Rome acted more as a temporal power, and neglected his spiritual authority. For anybody looking for an authentic Christian religion, on the whole, the hierarchy of the Catholic Church was not the place to go to find it.
For as little as the Renaissance church was concerned with spirituality, on one hand, it is not hard to blame them. This was the Renaissance, and “It would be folly to underestimate the creative strength and originality of fifteenth-century Italy” (Plumb 15). This time was one of the great periods of human development. New technologies, in art, architecture, and even in science did certainly abound. The surrounding world of the church had come to adore the excesses of this time period. Furthermore, “They ceased to look for answers to the fate of man in the dogmas of the Church” (Plumb 18). As authentic believers began to dwindle, the church tried to maintain superiority the same way that the rest of the world did: through great displays of its prestige: “St. Peter’s, the Vatican, the churches, the tombs, the squares, the great palaces at the heart of Rome” (Plumb 87). These temporal means by which the church increased its social standing showed its participation in the culture of the time, one of self-indulgence, care for power, and an overwhelming desire for the things of the world.
While Raphael’s The Deposition shows participation in, if not also a short critique, of the culture of the time, it demonstrates the Renaissance care for self, a trait that has been, and always will be, present with humanity.
Photo Credit for The School of Athens goes to vatican.va