Associate Professor Le Moyne College Syracuse, New York
The Renaissance period in Europe, here defined as 1300-1600 BCE, was a time of great change, not just in Europe but globally. Insects figured prominently in these changes. Fleas, especially the Oriental rat flea, were associated with the global pandemic of black plague that repeatedly swept across Europe and Asia, causing significant mortality. That pandemic had a profound impact on economic and social structures, and enabled the rise of a working middle class in many European countries. The silk industry gained in prominence and economic importance, especially in Italy, as workers refined skills in silk production, leading to increased global trade and technological innovations. Silk fabrics indicated social status and religious significance, and contributed to the magnificent artistry of tapestries. Insects were the subjects of a variety of artistic expression, including symbolic and decorative use of insects in religious art, illuminated manuscripts, and sketches and description of insects in nature. Detailed drawings also promoted the study of insects. Insects’ importance expanded following the colonization of the New World, which brought dried cochineal scales to Europe to be used in dyes, paints, and medicines. In daily life, insects continued to provide products such as honey and wax, insect pests destroyed crops, and parasites such as mosquitoes and lice spread disease. Not insignificantly, the advent of the printing press made possible the widespread dissemination of information about insects, literature and art involving insects, and an increasing scientific understanding of insects that would continue into the Age of Enlightenment.