During the Medieval Period, there was a sudden rise in the number of tradesmen with apprentices because of the transformation from a feudalistic society to a more urbanized society. During the Anglo-Saxon Period a feudalistic society was more favorable because of the constant wars and the need for protection. The peasants had no choice but to farm for the kings with little pay in return and barely enough to eat. However, once the warring tribes settled down and entered into an era of knights and chivalry, the peasants were free to leave the farmlands and create shops in newly formed towns. In order to be successful, they had to take up skill trades. They also needed apprentices to continue the trade. If a tradesman was very skilled, he could become known across towns and be paid great sums of money for his work.
This growth of the tradesman was depicted in The Effects of Good Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti in 1338. The painting shows the results of the new urbanization described above. The city is relatively modern for the time and is not focused on one castle, but the equality of the buildings and the spreading of wealth. Each worker can be seen performing a unique job, which shows the specialization required by skilled workers in order to succeed at this time. The quality of the clothes worn by the tradesmen suggests that one could become wealthy if skilled. These tradesmen led the world into the Renaissance Era.
Cody Dunn, Carlton Lew, Tyler Wong, Stephen Hwang
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ReplyDeleteGreat job team four! We felt that you answered each aspect of the question in describing the art of Ambrogio Lorenzetti and its depiction of the Medieval Period. By highlighting each person in his painting, you focused on the responsibilities of the tradesmen and apprentices and their importance to the time period. However, the question does ask for references of the "rocking of economic statuses" during this period of growth and it was not clearly defined. We feel that the painting displays the positive effects of the Medieval urbanization, but it is missing the aristocrats' reaction. By comparing another painting or looking for more depth in Lorenzetti's piece of art, the audience could better grasp an entire view of "Good Government."
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