Art History Journal

The printing press was invented by Johann Gutenberg in the 1400’s. What he discovered then, would save the world from the rampant humanism that would later go unchecked in the Catholic Church. The common people in that day could not read the Bible’s that were used day to day by the church. They were forced to attend the church and tricked out of their money, being lead to believe that they could and must purchase salvation for themselves and loved ones. Humanism was not just beginning it was wide spread from the oldest priest to the youngest child it was thought and taught by all that the church was infallible and the pope was the ultimate authority on all things, not to be questioned. The people of course did not question this, they had no reason to. They could not read what had been written to save their souls, until in the 1500’s, Martin Luther a man who would have meant nothing had it not been for Gutenberg’s printing press, stood up to the pope and the church and posted ninety five points in which he found the Catholic Church to be at fault. These then started a huge reformation as his document circulated the country, not one piece of paper or fifty pieces with his word’s on them, but thousands of papers proclaiming Luther’s message traveled the country reaching far and wide to the oldest priest and the youngest child. Not only this but many writings of Martin Luther were soon in circulation and read abroad. He translated the Bible into the language of the people so that all could read it and understand for themselves not relying on the humanistic pope and church of the times. Luther’s intentions where vastly different from the result that would come of his writings, he wanted only to confront the Catholic Church and hoped that change would come about but it instead resulted after his death in several different factions and churches coming into existence because the Catholic Church would not yield to this mockery of a monk accusing them of being the servants of the devil. All of this then brought about an age that was referred to as the Renaissance. The Renaissance was a time where the people found that it was okay to learn for themselves’ and art became more and more popular as artists such as Leonardo da Vinci came on the scene and made great masterpieces.