The Medieval Period marked the flourish of a new class, the tradesmen. Many factors during this era motivated this new class, such as the economics and social status. During the medieval era, lifestyles were altered in a way that called for tradesmen. People in villages needed more necessities and food than they could gather on their own. The economy was highly dependent on weekly markets, which were gathering places for both country and town people. People of all statuses would congregate at the marketplace, which evoked the significance of tradesmen. Trade was crucial to the survival of villages and towns, and tradesmen became quickly enriched with wealth traveling from village to village offering everything including art, handiwork, cloth, meals, metal, wood, and much more. Social status also played a key role in the boom of tradesmen. Merchant guilds were associations of tradesmen that set standards and rules for trade, but they were seen as a social status ladder. The higher status achieved through membership of these merchant guilds, the more prominent and well-respected the tradesman became. For this reason, the tradesmen class became more appealing and desired. With the economy in demand for tradesmen and the potential improvement of overall status, society during the Medieval Period awakened this new tradesmen class.
This class was evident in the marketplace, villages, and everyday life, but it was also captured in art form. Medieval art portrayed the tradesmen class in paintings. Anachronism was constantly practiced by medieval artists, encapsulating tools used in their daily lives. These paintings of daily life depict works of tradesmen, for example, a painting in Sanctuary Notre-Dame des Fontaines by La Brigue, a tradesman is offering water and handiwork in transporting water in a wooden bucket. Because trade has become a common aspect of everyday life in the Medieval Period, painters encompass tradesmen influence and significance in their art.
Tim Szu, Devin Mitchell, Jason Sim
The detail in which the tradesmen is depicted in this synthesis is definitely in a flattering light, one of which should be applauded. However, I must ask, would the tradesmen have been the link literally both between places and classes, wealthy enough to be defined as the middle class, while lacking the nobility to be part of the aristocracy. If anything, the lack of such a link, if there would be one as a metaphor for modern times, seems to be the only kink in the armor of this overall response to the synthesis question. Besides this kink, there are a few grammar mistakes that cause confusion in the actual meaning of the sentence, such as in the Tradesmen painting example. Overall, leaving out the occasional, understandable, grammar mistake and a clear link to modern society that seems to have been missed, it is a well structured, great response.
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