CHAPTER 1 The Glory of the Renaissance Leaving Behind the Middle Ages In our last book, we talked about the era of Christendom. When the pagan world collapsed at the end of the Roman Empire, a new civilization rose from its ruins. This new civilization preserved the best from Greco- Roman antiquity while creating a culture wholly new. The barbarian tribes who had sliced up Rome s empire converted to Christianity and laid the foundation for the Christian culture of the Middle Ages. It was this Christian culture that we call Christendom: many kingdoms, each with their own languages and customs, but united in a single culture centered on the Catholic Church and in union with the pope, the successor of St. Peter. The age of Christendom lasted for more than a thousand years. We learned about the people and events of the Middle Ages in volume 2. Christendom went through many changes during the last few centuries of the Middle Ages. The plague known 1
THE STORY OF CIVILIZATION THE MAKING OF THE MODERN WORLD as the Black Death killed millions of people, dramatically altering European society. New inventions like the printing press, gunpowder, and the mechanical clock changed how people lived and worked. Explorations to Africa and India were bringing Europeans into contact with new people and cultures. In the Church, the Great Western Schism had weakened the authority of the popes, and strong kings felt emboldened to challenge the Church s authority. Destructive heresies also spread throughout Christendom, damaging the faith like rust corroding a piece of metal. In this book, we will be learning about European history from the end of the Middle Ages to the present day. This is only about five hundred years, but a lot happened in that time. We will learn how the religious consensus of Christendom was broken by the time of the Reformation and how afterward Europe began a slow rejection of the Christian faith. We will see how new ideas about man and his place in the world replaced traditional beliefs, sometimes with horrifying consequences. And we will learn about new advances in science and technology that are at the heart of the modern world. The Renaissance But that is all centuries in the future. We must first go back back before cars and computers and cell phones, back to the fifteenth century and the time known as the Renaissance. We have encountered this word many times already it means rebirth. The Renaissance of the 1400s and 1500s is sometimes known as the Italian Renaissance because its most notable artists were Italian although, as we shall see, there were many great non- Italian artists as well. Was the Italian Renaissance a rebirth? In some ways, 2
CHAPTER 1 THE GLORY OF THE RENAISSANCE yes. It was a great renewal of learning because the invention of the printing press had made it possible for more people to read than ever before. With more books and better education, more people were reading the Bible, as well as the classics of Greece and Rome. Not since ancient Rome had so many people been reading. Though the Renaissance was not primarily a religious movement, there were a great deal of new pious groups formed to promote Christian prayer and study. The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ and is protected by Him, but it is also governed by human beings capable of making big mistakes. The Church in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries had gone through hard times, and many Christians believed the Church was in need of reform. Pious men and women took up this idea with vigor and worked to make the Church better. In the Netherlands, groups of laypeople dedicated themselves to prayer, studying the Bible and serving the poor. New religious orders were organized in Italy for the purpose of serving the sick. In Spain, the whole Church was reorganized to ensure that priests were welleducated and of good character. In England, there was a flourishing movement of scholars dedicated to the study of the Bible. Everywhere, Christian scholars were delving into the study of the Church Fathers more than ever before. Good things were happening. Yes, the Renaissance was a renewal of piety and knowledge, but perhaps it is better to see it not as a rebirth of something old, but as a maturing of the Middle Ages. Much of what was good, true, and beautiful in the Renaissance had its origin in the Middle Ages, but it came to fruition in the Renaissance, like a beautiful flower blossoming in the sun. And the art! If there is one thing the Renaissance is 3
THE STORY OF CIVILIZATION THE MAKING OF THE MODERN WORLD known for, it is its art. From Florence to Rome to Poland to Germany, artists of the Renaissance decorated Christendom with glorious paintings and sculptures, many of which still exist today. The discovery of perspective came about during the Renaissance, which means the ability to make a picture have depth or distance. Using perspective and other new methods of painting, artists created magnificent depictions of Christ, the Blessed Virgin, and various scenes from the Bible. It was a time of great art and Catholic piety. Cities competed with each other to have the best art created by the most renowned artists. Often wealthy or influential people would pay famous artists to decorate their cities. This was called patronage. The patronage of the wealthy meant that cities could commission beautiful works of art; additionally, artists would have a way to make money and stay in business. It worked well for everybody. In Florence, the Medici family gave patronage to many famous artists, such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, Donatello, Brunelleschi, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci. The popes also gave patronage to artists. In our last book, we mentioned the painting of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo. This work was commissioned by Pope Julius II, who gave patronage to many famous artists. In the 1500s, Rome and Florence competed with each other to become the artistic capital of Italy; this competition meant both of these cities as well as many others were beautified with splendid art and architecture. It was not only cities who competed; artists often competed with each other as well. We saw in our last book how the Renaissance began with a competition between Brunelleschi and Ghiberti. Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci also strove to outdo each other. Once, both men were hired to paint frescoes in the town hall of Florence. 4
CHAPTER 1 THE GLORY OF THE RENAISSANCE The two artists disliked each other immediately. They both fell to bickering and insulting each other s art. Eventually, both quit and left the project unfinished. A Friendly Rivalry But not all artistic rivalry was mean- spirited. Much of it was friendly, as we can see from this humorous tale from the early Renaissance: In the city of Florence, there lived two talented sculptors, friends named Brunelleschi and Donatello. The two artists respected each other greatly, but they were also very competitive. Donatello made many marvelous sculptures in his youth, but what really made him famous was a stone carving of the Annunciation he did for the parish of St. Croce in Florence. The carving depicted the angel Gabriel kneeling before the Blessed Virgin Mary announcing the Incarnation of Jesus. In many places the stone was gilded with gold, giving it a glorious luster. People came from all over Italy to see the masterpiece. Look at how excellent Master Donatello s work is! they exclaimed. Donatello loved the attention and couldn t help but gloat to his friend. Well, Brunelleschi, he said one day, the people all agree. It looks like I am the greatest sculptor in Florence! Brunelleschi chuckled. Enjoy it while you are still young, Donatello. You are good now, but someone else might come along and do better. Well, the parishioners are so happy with my Annunciation, I have been commissioned to carve a magnificent wooden crucifix for the altar. I have been working on it 5
THE STORY OF CIVILIZATION THE MAKING OF THE MODERN WORLD day and night for many weeks. Say, Brunelleschi, would you mind taking a look at it? I would very much like your opinion. Very well. Show me your crucifix. Donatello disappeared into his crowded studio and emerged a few moments later carrying the large crucifix. Donatello laid it on the table before Brunelleschi. The Christ was rugged, with messy hair, a face twisted in pain, and a thin, wiry body. All of Christ s muscles were stretched from the suffering of the crucifixion, and his legs were bowed outward, as if struggling to support the weight of his sagging body. It was a frightfully realistic image, but not what Brunelleschi was expecting. He snorted, then smiled. What is it? Donatello asked indignantly. Nothing, Master Donatello, nothing at all. But then Brunelleschi laughed. I pray thee, by our friendship, speak your mind! What do you think of my Christ? Well, if you insist... said Brunelleschi. I do! You re very talented, Donatello... it s just... it looks more like a peasant than Christ. Donatello had expected praise from his friend and he was hurt. If you think it is so easy, he shouted, why don t you take some wood and make a better one yourself? Brunelleschi s face turned red. He rose without saying another word and left Donatello s house. That evening, he put on a work smock, lit his oil lamp, and took up a large block of wood in his rugged hands. So Donatello thinks I can t do better? he murmured to himself. Challenge accepted! He sat down and began to work the block over with his chisel. Brunelleschi carefully crafted his wooden crucifix for 6
CHAPTER 1 THE GLORY OF THE RENAISSANCE many months. He took so long that Donatello almost forgot about his challenge. But finally, one night Brunelleschi invited Donatello to have dinner with him. As they walked together, they stopped at the market to get food for supper. Brunelleschi bought a great deal of eggs and cheese and other items. Would you carry these, my friend? he asked Donatello. Certainly, Donatello replied, and the two walked to Brunelleschi s home where he had a surprise waiting. Brunelleschi had set up his wooden crucifix prominently in the main hall so his friend would see it as soon as he walked in the door. When Donatello entered and saw the crucifix, it was so impressive that, with a crash, the eggs, cheese, and all the other items he had been carrying fell to the ground and smashed everywhere. Brunelleschi walked in behind his friend. He looked at the mess and laughed. What are you about, Donatello? How can we dine when you have dropped all of our food? Without averting his eyes from the elegant crucifix, Donatello said, I am satisfied. You have won, Brunelleschi. To you it is given to do Christs. To me, peasants. Did you recognize the name Brunelleschi? You should. He was the sculptor mentioned in the final chapter of volume 2 who competed with Ghiberti to sculpt the doors of the Florence Baptistery. The Dutch and Flemish Our study of the Renaissance would be incomplete if we didn t mention the Dutch and Flemish painters. The Dutch and Flemish come from the regions of Holland and Flanders, two territories squeezed side- by- side on the coast of the English Channel, between France and 7
THE STORY OF CIVILIZATION THE MAKING OF THE MODERN WORLD Germany, in northern Europe. The Dutch and Flemish painted some of the most realistic art of the Renaissance, including portraits, which brought them the most fame. Some of their better- known painters were Jan van Eyck, Pieter Bruegel, and Hieronymus Bosch. They might not be as famous as Leonardo and Michelangelo, but their paintings are every bit as good. What sorts of things did they paint? Like other artists, the Dutch and Flemish masters painted religious works, decorating churches and altar pieces. But they also painted images of common life. We mentioned that they were famous for their portraits. One of the most spectacular Dutch Renaissance paintings is the Arnolfini Marriage by Jan van Eyck. Done in 1434 on a large oak panel, it is considered one of the greatest paintings of the Renaissance. It shows a recently married man and wife standing 8
CHAPTER 1 THE GLORY OF THE RENAISSANCE together in their home. It is full of intense colors and has an extraordinary realistic quality to it. It is especially famous for its use of light and a mirror to give depth to the room. When we look at Eyck s Arnolfini Marriage, it feels like we are actually looking into a real room. It can be difficult to describe a painting in words. Hopefully someday you can see Jan van Eyck s Arnolfini Marriage for yourself, as well as the crucifixes of Donatello and Brunelleschi and many other wonderful works of the Renaissance. Isn t it interesting how lots of different things can come together to make something wonderful? Just like different ingredients in a recipe, all sorts of things came together to make the Renaissance what it was. Increased literacy, the study of different languages, interest in the heritage of classical Greece and Rome, a renewed sense of Christian piety, new techniques in painting and sculpture, patronage of the Church and the wealthy, the competition between cities and artists all of these came together to make the Renaissance a glorious time to be alive. 9