The Renaissance Time of Rebirth (1300-1600)
The Middle Ages: Early Middle Ages (476 800) Heavy Roman influence Various ethnic groups High Middle Ages (800 1300) Development of feudal society 3 tiered caste system Great Schism (split) Late Middle Ages (1300 1500) Famine War 100 Years War Crusades Black Death (1348 1350) The Roman Catholic Church
Beginnings of the Renaissance Beginning of Modern European History Rebirth: an age of intellectual and artistic revival centered in the classical antiquity of Greek and Roman Literature. Began about 1350 AD and lasted until 1650 AD. The Renaissance began in wealthy northern Italian trade centers like Venice and Florence where contact with Byzantine and Moslem Empires flourished. (see: cultural diffusion spread of ideas through interaction) The Renaissance: Was it a thing?
Italy: The center of the Renaissance
City-States International Trade More urban and more populated Merchant Banking Class Northern Italy was wealthy Patrons of the Arts The wealthy had more access and interest in classical works and arts Center of Greek and Roman Heritage Why Italy?
Merchants & the Medici The Medici family of Florence became wealthy from banking, wool manufacturing, mining, trade and other ventures. Lorenzo the Magnificent was part of the Medici family and huge patron to the classical arts. Michelangelo was among the artists who benefited from Medici patronage.
Italy: The center of the Renaissance Characteristics of the Renaissance
Renewed interest in Greek and Roman culture and values. Classicism Art, literature, architecture that emulates the forms and subject matter of classical antiquity. Michelangelo s sculpture of David reflects Greek and Roman humanist philosophy. Don Quixote or Gulliver's Travels similar to Homer s Odyssey
Characteristics: Imitated classical works particularly in sculpture and architecture Paintings emphasized realism, attention to detail, and a desire for perfection. Early painters dealt with religious themes with a life like approach.
The Art Wealthy popes and princes patronized many painters and sculptures who incorporated secular and classic themes into religious topics. Perspective Study of human form Religion still a part of art but focus in on the individual
Renaissance Architecture Arches half circle like in Roman building. Proportions more based on human likeness. Huge domes. Columns and elements reflect ancient Greece and Rome. This dome was designed by Brunelleschi. It was the largest free standing dome other than the ancient Roman Pantheon.
Renaissance Writing: Early Renaissance writers tried to imitate the way people wrote in antiquity. Johannes Gutenberg invented the moveable type printing press, making written materials available to multitudes. Vernacular replaces Latin in Literature. Middle Ages Latin was the language of literature, church, and educated people. At the end of the Middle Ages writers began to use the vernacular in their writings.
Italy: The center of the Renaissance Characteristics of the Renaissance Humanism: Glorification of people & human reason.
Humanism Illustrated the spirit of the Renaissance. Concerned themselves, not with religious matters, but everyday human problem. Human reason and logic were as important in understanding the world as religion and intuition. Humanist had a strong belief of individualism and great potential of human beings Individualism: Emphasis on the importance of the individual and achievements became a prominent theme in Italy. Many philosophers wrote about the potential of man and developed their own beliefs as to the kind of person an individual should aim to be.
m Michelangelo s Moses shows the attention paid to anatomy and the power of the individual. H u m a n i s
Humanism The detail of Raphael s Sistine Madonna shows Humanism. The characters look like real people with individual differences, muscle tone. You can see their humanity.
Italy: The center of the Renaissance Characteristics of the Renaissance Humanism: Glorification of people & human reason. Secularism: Other than religion.
Secularism During the Middle Ages religion was the core. It was the main focus for people and their lives. Secularism, at the time of the Renaissance, exhibited itself in the development of humanism. When people began to show more interest in human cultural achievements and the possibilities rather than religion. Focusing on non-religious ideas.
Italy: The center of the Renaissance Characteristics of the Renaissance Humanism: Glorification of people & human reason. Intellectual Creativity Secularism: Other than religion.
Renaissance Philosophy: Writers and thinkers began to criticize the old ways of thinking. There was an increased interest in primary sources of Greek and Roman thought. New studies led to loss of faith in universal truths, like Aristotelian philosophy.
Questioning Spirit Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374) Father of Humanism He was a Renaissance writer and a Florentine humanist. He wrote secular (not religious) poetry about love and life in the here and now, not just in the afterlife. He was the first to use critical textual analysis to ancient texts. Wrote in Italian vernacular.
Questioning Spirit Erasmus (1466 1536)- Northern Renaissance Most famous and celebrated of all Northern Humanist. First Humanist to earn a living by writing. Praise of Folly Best seller (only the Bible sold more by 1550) Written in Latin Satirized peoples worldly ambitions, including the clergy. Criticized immorality and hypocrisy of church leaders and clergy. Inspired renewed call for reform and helped influence Martin Luther.
Intellectual & Creativity Nicolo Machiavelli (1469 1527) His views were secular and his emphasis on individualism reflected humanist philosophy He studied classical history thoroughly in order to get a more realistic portrait of politics The Prince (1513) which was a work on ethics and government describing how rulers maintain power by methods that ignore right or wrong and accept that the end justifies the means Machiavelli s ideas have been used by despots to justify abusive use of power.
Intellectual & Creativity Nicholas Copernicus (1473 1543) Renaissance polymath He wrote that the earth rotates around the sun. Heliocentric theory
Intellectual & Creativity Sir Thomas More(1478-1536) Northern Renaissance He was a civic humanist; that rose to the highest government position of any humanist He was Lord Chancellor to King Henry VIII in England Utopia (1516): More s humanistic masterpiece Mixes civic humanism with religious ideals to describe a perfect (utopian) society located on an imaginary island In order to achieve harmony and order people have to be willing to sacrifice their individual rights for the common good.
Italy: The center of the Renaissance Characteristics of the Renaissance Artistic Creativity Humanism: Glorification of people & human reason. Intellectual Creativity Secularism: Other than religion.
Artistic Creativity Leonardo Da Vinci (1452 1519) He was the ultimate Renaissance man. Painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, writer, and scientist. Mona Lisa Last Supper He worked in Florence, Milan, and Rome. He devised the possibility of a parachute and a flying machine.
Artistic Creativity Michelangelo (1475-1564) Painter He incorporated classical and religious features in his work on the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter s cathedral in Rome. Architect - He designed the largest dome in Europe atop St. Peters Cathedral.
Botticelli (1444-1510) Artistic Creativity Painter and Florentine Renaissance artist and architect. Birth of Venus - example of humanism as the subject is Venus, Roman goddess of love
Donatello (1386-1466) sculptor His bronze statue of David (1408-09) was the first since antiquity (See right) First Renaissance artist to utilize a nude figure in sculpture Artistic Creativity
Artistic Creativity Raphael (1483-1520) leading figure of Italian High Renaissance classicism. painter Created numerous Madonna and Child paintings School of Athens (1510-11) is a prime example of humanism
Italy: The center of the Renaissance Northern Renaissance Characteristics of the Renaissance Artistic Creativity Humanism: Glorification of people & human reason. Intellectual Creativity Secularism: Other than religion.
Northern Renaissance: late-15th and 16th centuries Christian Humanism: Emphasized early Church writings that provided answers on how to improve society and reform the Church Less emphasis on pagan works from ancient Greece and Rome Drew on Hebrew and Greek texts of the Bible and the writings of the church fathers. Emphasized education and power of human intellect to bring about institutional change and moral improvement. Writings led to criticism of the church thus leading to the Reformation Erasmus Christian humanist Sir Thomas More Utopia
Northern Renaissance: Flemish style: the Low Countries produced especially important artists Jan Van Eyck (c. 1339- c. 1441) Most famous and innovative Flemish painter of the 15th century Perfected oil painting William Shakespeare (1564-1616) Elizabethan era Greatest of the English Renaissance authors His works reflected the Renaissance ideas of classical Greek and Roman culture, individualism and humanism Wrote comedies, tragedies, histories and sonnets
Shakespeare in the movies! Lion King = Hamlet West Side Story= Romeo and Juliet 10 Things I hate about you= Taming of the Shrew O= Othello She s the man= 12 th Night
The End.