Renaissance

An artistic, religious, and cultural movement in Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries. Acted as the transitional period between medieval and modern era.

Art and Architecture

Art in the Renaissance period took a more humanist approach. Real, mythological, religious, and symbolic people were all subjects in fine art. Architecture experienced a Greek revival, including pillars and simplistic geometrical shapes. Leonardo De Vinci's Mona Lisa was painted during the Renaissance period. The Renaissance was largely inspired by humanism, or a fixation on learning about human constructs such as literature, philosophy, and art. Some of the most famous works of this time period feature humans in a large way. Religion and religious studies were also very important in this time period.

Etymology

Renaissance as a word comes originally from the Latin word nasci or naissance, meaning birth. In French, renaissance means rebirth. The word Renaissance is used to describe the changes Europe experienced culturally during these three centuries.

Books and Literature

The Gutenberg Press

The Gutenberg press was invented in the 1440s, and the Gutenberg Bible was created in 1455, improving publishing and making literature more accessible. Before the press, ink had to be mixed by hand, so the press revolutionized the process of making and sharing a book.

Don Quixote De La Mancha and the Publishing Process

Cervantes' most famous work, El Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote De La Mancha, or The Genius Nobleman Don Quixote of La Mancha, was first published in two parts; part one was released in 1605, and part two was released in 1614. The book had multiple different editions published in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, English, and French, and further editions with illustrations were published after the second part was released. Many pirates also illegally published the first and second parts of Don Quixote, and one fan of the story even wrote and published the second part during the nine-year period after the first one was released. After both parts were published, publishers also had the idea to publish both parts as one complete volume.

Publishing improved by a wide margin during the Renaissance, and countries developed styles that influenced culture and future literature. The chivalric novel, the works of Shakespeare, and Michelangelo's works all existed and had a heavy impact on Western books, art, and music into the Early Modern Period and beyond.

References

Eastland, Devon. “A Brief Publishing History of Don Quixote - Swann Galleries.” Swann Auction Galleries, www.swanngalleries.com/news/books/2024/04/a-brief-publishing-history-of-don-quixote/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.