Italy: Birthplace of the Renaissance
17.1 and 17.2
The Italian Renaissance is a rebirth of learning that produces many great works of art and literature.
David (1501-1504), Michelangelo
Italy’s Advantages
The Renaissance Renaissance—an explosion of creativity
in art, writing, and thought Started in northern Italy Lasted from 1300-1600
Italy’s Advantages
Merchants and the Medici A wealthy merchant class develops More emphasis on individual achievement Banking family, the Medici, controls Florence Great patron of the arts in Italy
Looking to Greece and Rome Artists and scholars study ruins of Rome, and
study Latin and Greek manuscripts Scholars move to Rome after the fall of
Constantinople in 1453.
Classical and Worldly Values
Classics Lead to Humanism Humanism—intellectual movement
focused on human achievements Humanists studied classical texts,
history, literature, and philosophy Worldly Pleasures
Renaissance society was secular—worldly
Wealthy enjoyed fine food, homes, and clothes
Classical and Worldly Values Patrons of the Arts
Patron—a financial supporter of artists
Church leaders spend money on artworks to beautify cities
Wealthy merchants also patrons of the arts
The Renaissance Man Excels in many fields: the
classics, art, politics, and combat
Baldassare Castiglione’s (pictured right)The Courtier (1528) teaches how to become a “universal” person
Classical and Worldly Values The Renaissance
Woman Upper-class,
educated in classics, charming
Expected to inspire art but not create it
Isabella d’Este, patron of the artists, wields power in Mantua
The Renaissance Revolutionizes Art
Artistic Styles Change Artists use realistic style copied from classical art,
often to portray religious subjects Painters use perspective—a way to show three
dimensions on canvas Realistic Painting and Sculpture
Realistic portraits of prominent citizens Sculpture shows natural postures and
expressions The biblical David is a favorite subject among
sculptors (although he looks more like a classical Greek)
CENSORED
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni
Portrait painted after 1535 of Michelangelo at the age of 60 by Jacopino del Conte
The novel and film The Agony and the Ecstasy is about him painting the Sistine Chapel for Pope Julius II.
Photo of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, found of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel
The Renaissance Revolutionizes Art
Leonardo, Renaissance Man Leonardo da Vinci
—painter, sculptor, inventor, scientist
Paints one of the best-known portraits in the world: the Mona Lisa
Famous religious painting: The Last Supper
Leonardo’s Work: Painting
Left: Mona LisaAbove: The Last Supper
Leonardo’s Work: Science & Medicine
THE VITRUVIAN MAN STUDIES OF A FETUS FROM LEONARDO'S JOURNALS
Leonardo’s Work: Science & Medicine
INVESTIGATING THE MOTION OF THE ARM
ORGANS OF A WOMAN’S BODY
Leonardo’s Work: Inventions
Design of a flying machine based on bat’s wings
The Renaissance Revolutionizes Art
Raphael Advances Realism Raphael Sanzio,
famous for his use of perspective
Favorite subject: the Madonna and child
Famous painting: School of Athens
School of Athens by Raphael
Renaissance Writers Change Literature
New Trends in Writing Writers use the
vernacular—their native language
Self-expression or to portray individuality of the subject
Petrarch and Boccaccio Francesco Petrarch,
humanist and poet; woman named Laura is his muse
Boccaccio is best known for the Decameron, a series of stories
Renaissance Writers Change Literature
Machiavelli Advises Rulers Niccolo
Machievelli, author of a political guidebook, The Prince
The Prince examines how rulers can gain and keep power
17.2 Northern Renaissance
1450…. Population rebounds from the Black Death and the destructive Hundred’s Year War ends in 1453
Italian Renaissance ideas spread to the North and mingle with the northern traditions creating a renaissance with its own style.
German and Dutch Painters
Albrecht Durer (German) creates art that is richer and more common based than the Italian art but rich in colors and themes
Jan van Eyck (Dutch) paints works that are realistic in details and show great individuality of the subjects.
Northern writers and Reform
Humanists tried to influence society with Christian values.
Desiderius Erasmus of Holland and Thomas More of England.
More writes Utopia about an imaginary place where greed, corruption, and war have been wiped out.
Women’s Reforms
Christian Humanist believed women should be educated, founded schools for women
Elizabethan England
1558 Elizabeth becomes Queen of England after the death of her half sister Mary “ Bloody Mary” both are daughters of King Henry VIII
As a women can be in here age she was highly educated and skilled in art, music, literature, and languages
William Shakespeare
One of the most famous playwrites and writers in history
He used the classics and drew on them for ideas and inspiration.
He is know to have created more words to the English language then anyone else
Many of his characters show the flaws in humans
Greatest Invention in History
Johann Gutenberg and the Printing Press Improved on the idea of the Chinese
around 1440 he designed a machine that would reproduce an entire page of a work.
Books could now be printed quickly and cheaply
First religious books (Bible) then others works.
This increased access to books inspires literacy in the general popualtion
Legacy of the Renaissance
The Arts Art drew on the style and techniques of
classical Greece and Rome Portrayed art in a more realistic manner Artists created work that was more secular in nature Writers began use of the vernacular Art praised individual acheivement
Changes in Society
Printing made information more available
Increased the desire to learn and literacy
Lead to an era of expanded discoveries
Christian Humanists tried to reform society
People began to question practices of religion, and politics
