The Renaissance

Shifting from text to artworks, the Renaissance, which spanned the 14th to 17th centuries, allowed the evolution of graphic communication to progress through the expression of storytelling, emotions, and significance in art. The Renaissance sparked the beginnings of graphic design, shifting the focus from knowledge and symbolism to a more human-centered aesthetic. This period emphasized sharing knowledge and storytelling through artworks and creations, as humans expressed their views of the world through visuals, allowing others to understand different perspectives. Graphic communication grew from conveying meaning to facilitating learning, and then to experiencing others’ emotions. This shift served as a stepping stone in design principles and modern graphic design, effectively conveying information.

World History Encyclopedia. Ghent Altarpiece [Painting by Jan van Eyck]. In A gallery of 50 Renaissance paintings. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/collection/120/a-gallery-of-50-renaissance-paintings/2/#gallery_wrapper

Leading artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, and others paved the way for a new rebirth in communication through art. Their depictions of the world told stories from their perspectives, covering themes such as religion, nature, humanism, realism, and everyday life, which all were conveyed through portraits and paintings instead of through print and text from the Gutenberg press. Overall, the Renaissance conveyed human experiences and aesthetics through artworks, paving the way for present-day graphic communication. It gave pictures and artworks new meaning beyond mere function, as a picture is truly worth a thousand words.
World History Encyclopedia.. Mona Lisa [Painting by Leonardo da Vinci]. In A gallery of 50 Renaissance paintings. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/collection/120/a-gallery-of-50-renaissance-paintings/2/#gallery_wrapper