The Renaissance

The Renaissance1300-1500

Terms, People, and Places to Know

• Humanism Patron• Humanities Perspective• Petrarch Leonardo da Vinci• Florence Michelangelo• Raphael Baladassare

Castiglione• Niccolo Machiavelli

A New Age• Expression in thought• Remarkable artist and thinkers• Renaissance means “rebirth”• 1300’s-1500s

Renaissance• Time of creativity and great change• Change in politics, social, economics and culture• Agricultural society to urban society• Trade is more important now• Reawakened interest in the classical learning of Greece and Rome.• Latin was the language of the church• Renaissance thinkers explored the richness and variety of human

experience in the here and now.• Individual achievement• Renaissance Man: someone who was talented in many fields.

Expressing Humanism• Intellectual movement known as humanism.• Studied classical culture of Greece and Rome.• Focus more on worldly objects and not religious

issues.• Education should stimulate the individuals creative

powers.• Humanities: grammar, rhetoric, poetry and history. • Francesco Petrarch (PEE trahrk), Florentine who lived

in the 1300’s, was a humanist, poet, and scholar. He is known as the father of Humanism.

CheckPoint

• What were the main characteristics of the Renaissance?

Italy• Renaissance began in Italy.

• Italy was the center for the Roman Empire so the reawakening took place here.

• Architectural remains, statues, and coins were all available for people to study.

• Rome was also the seat of the Roman Catholic Church-patron of the arts-and as the center of Catholicism Rome also served as an inspiration for religious themes used by artist and writers.

Location of Italy• Encouraged Trade

• Extensive banking, manufacturing, and merchant workers developed to support trade.

City States• Italy was divided into

many small city states.

• Each city state was controlled by a powerful family and was dominated by wealthy and powerful merchant class.

Medici Family• Medici family of Florence was

the richest merchants and bankers in Europe.

• Cosimo de’ Medici gained control of the Floretine government in 1434. Lorenzo, grandson of Cosimo, is known as “the Magnificent” was a clever politician. He was also a generous patron of the arts.

• Patron of the arts: financial supporter.

• Florence came to symbolize the energy and brilliance of the Italian Renaissance.

CheckPoint

• Why was Italy a favorable setting for the Renaissance?

Renaissance Art• Renaissance art reflected the ideas of

humanism.• Portrayed religious themes-however they

often set religious figures such as Jesus and Mary against classical Greek or Roman backgrounds.

• Portraits: individual achievement• Sculptor Donatello created a life size statue of

a soldier on horse back. First time any figure like this was done.

Techniques• Realism• Perspective: allowed artist to create realistic

art• 3 Dimensional• Shading• New oil paints to reflect light• Studied human anatomy• Drew while observing live models

Social Art• Architecture • Meant to blend beauty with utility and

improvement of society.• Columns, arches, domes

Leonardo Da Vinci• Curious

• Sketches of nature and models

• Dissected corpses to learn how bones and muscles work.

• Mona Lisa

• The Last Supper (experimented with new paint)

• Artist

• Botany, anatomy, optics, music, architecture, and engineering

• Flying machines, undersea boats

Michelangelo• Sculptor, engineer,

painter, architect, and poet

• Melancholy Genius: b/c of his work reflecting his many life long spiritual and artistic struggle.

• David, Pieta (captures the sorrow of the Biblical Mary as she cradles her dead son Jesus on her knees).

• Sistine Chapel

Sistine Chapel • 4 years to complete

• Partially crippled

• Depicted the biblical history of the world from the creation to the flood.

• Dome of St. Peters Cathedral in Rome.

Raphael• Had his own style that

blended Christian and classical styles.

• Madonna, Mother of Jesus

• The School of Athens ( Raphael pictured an imaginary gathering of great thinkers and scientist, including Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, and the Arab philosopher Averroes. Also included are the greatest artist of the time: Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael.)

Checkpoint

• How were Renaissance ideals reflected in the arts?

Writing• Castiglione

• Most widely read handbook was The Book of the Courtier.

• Baldassare Castiglione: describes the manners, skills, learning, and virtues that a member of the court should have.

• Was educated, well mannered and a master in many fields from poetry to music to sports.

CastiglioneMen

• Athletic but not overactive

• Good at games but not a gambler

• Plays a musical instrument

• Knows literature and history but is not arrogant.

Women• Offers a balance to men

• She is graceful and kind

• Lively but reserved

• She is beautiful, “for outer beauty is the true sign of inner goodness.”

Machiavelli’s Prince• Niccolo Machiavelli wrote a

guide for rulers on how to gain and maintain power. He did not discuss leadership in terms of high ideals like those before him.

• The Prince looked real rulers in an age of ruthless power politics. The end justifies the means.

• Use whatever methods were necessary to achieve their goals.

• Deceit in politics is now referred to as “Machiavellian tactics.”

Checkpoint

• How did Renaissance writings express realism?

The Renaissance in the North

• Terms, People, and Places:• Johann Gutenberg Erasmus• Flanders Thomas More• Albrecht Durer Utopian• Engraving Shakespeare• Vernacular

Printing Revolution• 1455 Johann Gutenberg of Germany printed the 1st

complete edition of the Bible using the printing press. • Before the PP only a few 1,000 books • By 1500 15-20 million volumes procedure • Cheaper and easier• More people learned to read. • Knowledge about medicine, law, and mining• Books exposed educated Europeans to new ideas and

new places.

Checkpoint

• What was the impact of the printing press?

Northern Renaissance artists

• Began in the prosperous cities of Flanders, a region that included parts of present day northern France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

• From here the Renaissance spread to Spain, France, Germany, and England.

Flemish Painters• Jan Van Eyck in the 1400’s was one of the most important

Flemish painters.• Portrayed townspeople as well as religious scenes around rich,

realistic detail.• 1500’s Pieter Brugel used vibrant colors to portray lively

scenes of peasant life. Nickname: Peasant Bruegel.• Drew religious and classical themes but set them against

common people back ground. • 1600s Peter Paul Rubens blended realistic traditions with

classical themes and artistic freedom of the Italian Renaissance.

• Knowledge of mythology, the bible, and classical history.

Leonardo of the North• German painter Albrecht Durer• Interested in many things like Leonardo which

earned him the nickname Leonardo of the North.

• Engraving• Portray religious upheaval

Checkpoint

• What themes did Northern Renaissance artist explore?

Northern Humanists and Writers

• Stressed education and classical learning to bring about religious and moral reform.

• Many wrote in Latin• Many began writing in vernacular-everyday

language of ordinary people.

Erasmus• Dutch Priest

• Born 1466

• Important scholar of his day

• Greek addition to the bible.

• Translation of the bible.

• Open minded, show good will toward others.

• Disturbed by the corruption of the church.

Sir Thomas More• Wanted social reform

• Utopia: ideal society in which men and women live in peace and harmony.

• All are educated

• Justice is used to end crime not to get rid of the criminal.

Shakespeare Writes for All Time

• 1590-1613: he wrote 37 plays

• Complexity of the individual and the importance of the classics.

• Common language

• 1,700 words appeared for the 1st time

CheckPoint

• What Renaissance ideas did Shakespeare’s work address?