Station: [36] Renaissance

“One of humanity’s dreams comes true – at least for Renaissance times. A scientist reaches the edge of the world. He summons all his courage and sticks his head through the firmament to receive a breath-taking glimpse of the machinery behind the universe. That is what is depicted in this wood engraving from the 19th century. In fact, the curiosity shown can be taken as a symbol of the time we call “Renaissance”. From the 14th to 16th century, this epoch shaped the transition from the Middle Ages to the modern era by returning to classic ancient times. One aspect of this artistic and scientific awakening were new geographic ideas and concepts: Leonardo da Vinci improved the compass, Gerhard Mercator created the first modern maps and sailors, such as Christoph Columbus or Vasco da Gama ventured off into the new and bigger world. However, only few academics believed the earth to be a flat disc even during the Middle Ages, as illustrated in the painting…”