Creating a Clean Slate

Last Seminar! We have all come so far through this process and even though it is a competition, being able to surround ourselves with other people passionate about learning is a refreshing experience that has made all the work worth while. Like the first seminar this year, I attended the same one last year and even though I felt I already knew what the criteria was (especially after having done the timeline) I came away with a new understanding of what Renaissance art and the Reformation meant to religion and the development of artistic techniques and purposes of the time.
       The relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the people became one shrouded in the abuse of power and neglect of the church to maintain the true meaning of attending church and proper  practices of faith. After the factioning of the church when people began to develop their own opinions on their faith, the church began to faction and see a drastic decrease in the number of those who attended regularly. In order to restore the concept that people needed to attend church in order to be closer to God, the Church was forced to reform in a way that would draw people back. This came in the forms of great artists such as Bernini, Michaelangelo, Raphael, Borromini, etc. Through art and architecture, it was the goal to create a feeling of being close to God by the atmosphere and grandiose appearance of the churches. Despite its holy purpose, competition and heated rivalry developed between some of the greatest minds and artists to ever live for the right to being the main man to be hired by the pope. I found this extremely interesting because I had always been aware of how great these men were, awed by their legacies, that I would never stop to think that any of them would feel threatened and territorial over where they worked. I wouldn't have thought that Michaelangelo would feel spiteful towards anyone for "encroaching on his space" because I would think a great mind would be above something so trivial.

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       You would think as men of many talents and gifts they'd all form a camaraderie and work together for their common interest and maybe lighten the work load. But by seeing how even the best and seemingly most enlightened individuals still are people with basic emotions and self centered issues. This seminar was definitely another highlight of this process; I could really imagine myself experiencing and almost feeling how I would react to these amazing, transcending masterpieces. This just reinforces my excitement to continue! Can't wait for San Francisco.
Simone Sheppard