VIEW OF THE LOVE IN THE MODERN AGE

(From the last decade of the 15th century up until the French Revolution)

The modern age is the period of history ranging from the discovery of America to the French Revolution (1492 to 1789): centuries XVI, XVII and XVIII.

The medieval darkness gave way to an explosion of life. The cities and their inhabitants began to make progress, and happiness for life was the feeling that prevails at this time. This optimism was evident in all walks of life and the vision of love gave a radical change from the past.

Love became courtship. That was an emotional and based on respect and mutual admiration. That was completely new to the man and woman. The woman had always been in the service of man, but in this age, she began to have its own personality with big aspirations.

The Church did not like this situation at all because it was a pleasant and joyous love.

There were many stories of real and intense platonic love and literature mingled the ‘perfect love’ with orgies, incest, marital exchanges, etc. The marriage was totally different love, but it was economic interests, social position, alliances between countries, and so on. And girls were married at 14 or 16 years.

Henry VIII was the first historical figure to mix love and marriage when he met Anne Boleyn. Since then, love and marriage come together; there is much romance between middle-class couples who marry in love.

Young couples begin to live independently of their families, so they have more facilities to develop their loving impulses. All this represents a radical departure from the Middle Ages, although the male chauvinism and the idea that the woman was a man's possession, continued to prevail for many centuries.

The love of life in general, is also one of the most important aspects of the Modern Age.

This time had interesting and very important love elements which show us the modern vision of the love. Art is one of these outstanding elements.

The putti were ornamental figures that consist in naked children with wings, as Cupid. They are abundant in the Italian Renaissance and Baroque, and form part of the recovery of classical motifs.

In Italia, the word "putti" means "child." In Spain, the putti’s figure of The Queen’s dressing table in La Alhambra, Granada, is one of the Julio de Aquiles’ works.

                                    

But other two putti are the most known. They are in a curious and relaxed attitude and they appear at the foot of the Sistine Madonna, these are the sculptor Donatello and the painter Raphael.

On the other hand we find the same elements in the medieval works like lots of poems, and one of the most famous love works in the history: Romeo and Juliet.

                            

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It’s among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.

Main characters:

*Juliet is the daughter of Capulet, and the play's female protagonist.

*Romeo is the son of Montague, and the play's male protagonist.

*Count Paris is an Escalus’ kinsman, who wishes to marry Juliet.

*Juliet’s mum and dad and Romeo’s mum and dad.

Other main aspects in medieval love are magic’s elements. Magic had a prime importance in medieval times and, therefore, it is also essential in love. We can find lots of recipes about potions, elixirs, amulets and we can find lots of spells too. Those things were made by witches, alchemists, apothecaries... who were very famous and requested all the time.