Artisans in antiquity and Middle Ages
In ancient times artisans were not highly regarded. According to Aristotle, a creator – “banausos” – who works with his hands should have no right to citizenship in the ‘polis’; he regarded them as being semi-servile. Things have changed very slowly and no doubt over the centuries that has been due to the influence of Christianity.
In the late Middle Ages and Renaissance artisanal craftsmanship reached its peak. Between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries it constituted the economic backbone of European society: it was the main driver of the cultural development of cities; it provided the basis of the autonomous municipalities; It made a broad exchange of precious goods possible; it made a decisive contribution to the realization of great masterpieces of architecture, sculpture, painting.
After having long gravitated around feudal and ecclesiastical power centers, artisans, through the civic freedoms afforded by the individual towns, acquired their own autonomy and contributed to the emergence of the bourgeoisie.
Now consider and discuss with your tutor the following questions:
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- Why does artisanal craftsmanship reach its peak in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, what are the determining factors?
- How do craftsmen contribute to the emergence of the bourgeoisie?
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