Is the artwork of the Renaissance related with the word "secular" or the word "nonsecular"?

Question

I have a huge history exam coming up. I know that one of these words, "secular" or nonsecular" is associated with this time period. I just forgot what each one meant and how it connected to the Renaissance. Please help!

Answer 1

Artwork back then was very religious, so I would assume it would be "nonsecular" if that is the word.

Answer 2

I hate to confuse you, and I am not an expert. However, I think that it is both secular and nonsecular. Probably nonsecular in the sense of religious would be the most correct and appropriate answer. Many of the themes, although not all of them, are religious.

However, I also would have to remind you of the Counter Reformation and what factors brought it about. It was the drawing from ancient knowledge and practices that were not in keeping with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church that prompted The Vatican to take a stand against many of the ideals of the Renaissance and against much of the art and science that was a part of it. It was the secular, profane or paganistic element of Renaissance art forms and subject matter, fudged in with the more traditionally Christian elements, (e.g. nudes, ancient Greek and Roman columns and pillars on churches), that actually was a bone of contention with Church authorities and was not considered to be religious. An example is the painting about the Four Schools of Knowledge by Raphael. Dan Brown, in 'Angels and Demons', prequel to 'The da Vinci Code' goes into the case. Paintings by the Venetian artists of the same time show quite a bit of this mixture of the religious and the profane (e.g. the flutes of Pan, ancient Greek god).