A period of new interest and growth in art, science, and learning; especially the European cultural movement from the 14th to 17th centuries. More generally, a fresh start or rebirth of something.
From French *renaissance* “rebirth,” from *re-* “again” and *naissance* “birth,” from Latin *nasci* “to be born.” It was first used to describe the revival of classical art and learning in Europe.
The Renaissance wasn’t just about paintings; it was Europe’s attempt at being ‘born again’ intellectually after the Middle Ages. We now borrow the word any time a field wakes up from a long sleep—like a ‘renaissance’ in space exploration.
The term 'Renaissance' often evokes a period framed around male artists, scientists, and patrons, while women’s roles in art, scholarship, and commerce were downplayed or omitted in standard narratives. This gendered historiography has shaped which figures are remembered and which are treated as marginal.
When using 'Renaissance', include or at least acknowledge women and gender minorities who contributed to arts, science, and public life in that era.
Women such as Sofonisba Anguissola (painting), Tullia d’Aragona (philosophy), and many unnamed artisans and printers were active in the Renaissance but long excluded from canonical histories; referencing them helps correct erasure.
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