Characteristics of the Renaissance Man and the Renaissance Woman Essay Example

to commemorate themselves—that is, to make themselves look good and be remembered forever (Artist’s, 2007).

However, unlike the times prior to the Renaissance, artists at this time were no longer regarded as mere tradesmen. Along with the Renaissance came the Renaissance Courtier. He was considered the “ideal man. ” Although he was to be muscular, athletic and knowledgeable in all sports, he also had an appreciation of the arts. This universal man or uomo universale was considered to be the production of the ideal of Renaissance humanistic education. This “universal man” contained “within himself knowledge and all the skills of the various arts” (Hooker, 1996).

Those arts included skills in such areas as grammar, diverse languages, geometry, philosophy, art, music while playing a variety of instruments, dance, poetry, architecture and in being a skilled rider, wrestler and swordsman. From the words “uomo universale” is where the expression “Renaissance man” came from. One of the e major cultural and political figures of the Italian Renaissance was Isabella d’Este. Isabella would fit in more today than in her time. Because her father believed in equality for both male and female, he made sure all of his children were educated well.

This came to serve Isabella well later. At 16, Isabella had married the Prince of Mantua, Italy named Francesco Gonzago and she became Marchioness of Mantua. Although Isabella would govern Mantua during her husband’s absences, after her husband died, Isabella ruled Mantua by herself (Brianne, 2007). While Isabella ruled, Isabella patronized and promoted the Arts, collecting many paintings and statues.

Isabella wrote over two thousand letters which are of value to history because

the letters commented on everything from war to politics of the time. That was the closest that any woman at that time ever got to writing history” (Brianne, 2007). Isabella’s home was open to writers, artists and poets to exchange ideas. She set an example for women to break out of what was their expected place in society at that time and came to be known as “The First Lady of the Renaissance. ” The end of the Renaissance is usually considered to be around the late 1600’s with the beginning of The Enlightenment Period.