Economic influences
The Black Death had a profound and directly related impact on the renaissance in many different ways, and changed the face of Europe as a whole. Over time, the Black Death provided increased economic opportunities and a higher standard of living for the people that managed to survive it's wake. This is considered one of the reasons that the black plague marks the transition from the medieval period into the Renaissance. In fact, The first generation of Renaissance humanists, people that had confidence in the ability of human beings, such as Frances Petrarch were actually survivors of the Black Death. Despite the constant threat of plague, many people managed to flourish during the Renaissance, and it was much easier for people to climb the social ladder. This was especially true in Italy where new found wealth allowed people to spend more money on items of prestige, such as art, and in turn allowed for the patronizing of renaissance artists.
Humanism
The video below with Peter Weller is a short clip on how the survivors of the Plague, such as Frances Petrarch helped to kick off the Renaissance with the idea of Humanism.
Humanism Triggers The Renaissance. Perf. History.com Staff. History.com. A+E Networks, 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Cultural Influences
In Europe, the Black Death affected culture as well. There was an artistic movement that was fascinated with death and what happens after you die. The image on the home page called "The Dance Of Death" is a perfect example of this. There were also paintings that are joyful that did not depict death, as you can see below. Unfortunately, people also began to question their faith, especially when the church could not come up with a decent explanation for the plague, and in general the church was weakened. However, there were also grateful survivors who were still strong in their faith, and actually helped build new churches. All these changes put together have been seen to support the start of the Renaissance. In essence, the people that The Black Plague killed helped start the "snowball effect" of things to come in the Renaissance, as terrible as that sounds.
The very last part of this video does an excellent job of explaining changes to culture and the way of thinking. Start at (2:40)
Black Death Extinction. Perf. History.com Staff. History.com. A+E Networks, 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Examples of Renaissance Art
Raphael. Digital image. Renaissance Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. <https://fhswolvesden.wikispaces.com/Renaissance+Art>.Mona Lisa. Digital image. Renaissance Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. <https://fhswolvesden.wikispaces.com/Renaissance+Art>.
Saint Rosalie. Digital image. Brush with the Black Death: How Artists Painted through the Plague. Theguardian.com, 15 Feb. 2012. Web. 28 Apr. 2014
Saint Rosalie. Digital image. Brush with the Black Death: How Artists Painted through the Plague. Theguardian.com, 15 Feb. 2012. Web. 28 Apr. 2014