Renaissance

Renaissance from the 15th to the 16th century

Historical context• Before the Renaissance: Middle Ages

o X – XV centuryo Theocentrism = God is the centero Irrational faitho Life with religious meaningo Pessimismo Culture in the clergy (Latin)o Europe = Catholico Feudalismo Social life - three estates : no exchange or possibility of moving

between them

Renaissance - Overview

• Cultural movement

• The word ‘Renaissance’ means ‘Rebirth’

• Generally, from the 15th to the 16th century o depends on the country

• Beginning in Florence (Italy) in the Late Middle Ages (14th century)o The Conquest of Constantinople at the hands of the Ottoman Turkso Hellenistic culture influence

• Later spreading to the rest of Europe

Italian city states 1494

Overview• Learning based on classical sources  

o Greco-Roman

• Historians often argue this intellectual transformation was a bridge between the Middle Ages and the Modern era

• Influence in literature, philosophy, art, music, politics, science, religion, and other aspects of intellectual inquiry.

The beginning• While in Italy the Renaissance was developing

in the rest of Europe the Gothic remains o to early 16th century

• Italy coexist with the Roman Antiquity and can inspire on it.

• Florence (1400s)o the starting point of the new style o the first works from here will be extended to the rest of Italyo the development of a rich bourgeoisie aid the deployment of the

forces of the Renaissance. o the protection of the Medici

FlorenceSanta Maria del Fiore, known as The Duomo, whose dome was built by Filippo Brunelleschi

The Pietà (Michelangelo)David (Michelangelo)

Annunciation (Fra Angelico)

The Birth of Venus (Botticelli)

Characteristics• Research of Classical Antiquity• Humanism• Positivism• Modern spirit of individuality & Self-awareness• Anthropocentric trend• Realism in sculpture and painting

o New ideal of beauty

• Scientific development• New relationship with Nature• Search for harmony, balance and serenity• Rational attitude to the world, but without

abandoning religious faith

Humanism• European intellectual, philosophical and cultural

movement• Revived the ideas of Greek and Roman thinkers

 The purpose of humanism was to create a universal man whose person combined intellectual and physical excellence and who was capable of functioning honorably in virtually any situation

Hause, S. & Maltby, W. (2001)

Humanism• In spite of formal allegiance to ascetic Christian

doctrine

• The return to favor of the pagan classics stimulated:

o the philosophy of secularismo the appreciation of worldly pleasureso intensified the assertion of personal independenceo individual expressiono growing secular view of life

• Honest doubt began to replace unreasoning faitho The importance of reasoning

Individualism• Individualistic conception at all levels of life

• Potential of people to overcomeo Man is conscious of his own worth and intelligence.

• The human is the center

• “The moral worth of the individual”

• Belief in the human capacity to choose between good and evil, and act accordingly

• Man is the protagonist of destination

Individualism• Freedom of individual expression

• Works of art is signedo Role/ protagonism of the artisto Personal growth and dignity

• Expansion of Trade – Capitalismo growth of prosperity and luxury

Spiritual movement• The Renaissance had a profound effect in the way

people perceived the relationship between man and God

Theocentrism Anthropocentrism

• Many of the period's foremost theologians were followers of the humanist method:o Erasmuso Zwinglio Thomas Moreo Martin Luthero John Calvin

Spiritual movement• Humanism and the Individualism played a direct

role in sparking the Reformation

• Churchmen such as Erasmus and Luther proposed reform to the Church, often based on humanist textual criticism of the New Testament

Renaissance periods1. Quattrocento Florence (15th century)

o Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378 - 1458)o Donatello (1382 - 1466)o Fra Angelico (1387- 1455)o Sandro Botticelli (1445 ‐ 1510)

2. Cinquecento Rome (16th century) Popes: Julius II, Leo X, Clement VII and Paul III and Medici Family

o Donato Bramante (1444 –1514)o Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 -1564)o Rafael Sanzio (1483 -1520)o Leonardo Da Vinci (1452 ‐ 1519)

Humanist ideal

Leonardo Da VinciItalian Renaissance

polymath:o Paintero Sculptoro Architecto Musiciano Mathematiciano Engineero Inventoro Anatomisto Geologisto Cartographero Botanisto Writer

Last Supper (Leonardo Da Vinci)

The Mona Lisa Vitruvian Man

The influence of the Renaissance in

Germany• Architecture retained strong influences from

medieval Gothic.

• The artistic renaissance in Germany was not an attempted resurrection of classical art. It was an intense renewal of the Germanic spirit, motivated by the Protestant Reformation.

• The most famous German Renaissance artist: Albrecht Dürer

(1471 - 1528)

Albrecht Dürerself-portraits

The influence of the Renaissance in

Germany• After the Reformation, the patronage of the

German nobility focused primarily on architectureo Ability of architecture to show the power and prestige of the rulers

• Most German princes preferred to keep the Gothic works. Only decorated with Renaissance ornamentation.

• Habsburg emperors and the Fugger family were the most important patrons

Rosenkranzaltar (Albrecht Dürer)

Heidelberg Castle

Church of San Miguel in Munich

AuthorCristina

Domene Beviá