The Northern The Northern RenaissanceRenaissance

Northern Renaissance – Northern Renaissance – Main PointsMain Points

• More of a blend between old & new worlds More of a blend between old & new worlds = religious element was stronger than in = religious element was stronger than in Italy.Italy.

• Christian humanists studied Hebrew and Christian humanists studied Hebrew and Greek texts of the Bible to deepen their Greek texts of the Bible to deepen their understanding of the Bible. The purpose understanding of the Bible. The purpose was to restore morality to the Catholic was to restore morality to the Catholic Church.Church.

• Belgium/Netherlands, Spain, France, Belgium/Netherlands, Spain, France, Germany & England.Germany & England.

Factors That Led to The Factors That Led to The Northern RenaissanceNorthern Renaissance

1.1. Economic – Flanders (northern France, Belgium, Economic – Flanders (northern France, Belgium, Netherlands) was a thriving center of trade for northern Netherlands) was a thriving center of trade for northern Europe.Europe.

- Cities along the Rhine River (German cities) also - Cities along the Rhine River (German cities) also flourished.flourished.

- German banking families - German banking families accumulated lots of wealth (Fuggers).accumulated lots of wealth (Fuggers).

2. Invention of the Printing Press (1455) – 2. Invention of the Printing Press (1455) – Johannes GutenbergJohannes Gutenberg

- 888 The Diamond Sutra, a Buddhist scripture, was - 888 The Diamond Sutra, a Buddhist scripture, was the the first dated example of block printing.first dated example of block printing.

- 1041 Bi Sheng in China invented movable clay type- 1041 Bi Sheng in China invented movable clay type- By 1500, 15-20 million volumes of books produced.- By 1500, 15-20 million volumes of books produced.- Printed the Bible- Printed the Bible

FlandersFlanders

Rhine RiverRhine River

Gutenberg and the Gutenberg and the Printing PressPrinting Press

Northern Renaissance Northern Renaissance Artists – Jan van Eyck Artists – Jan van Eyck

(1380/90-1441)(1380/90-1441)

Van Eyck – Van Eyck – Portrait of Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and His Giovanni Arnolfini and His

Wife (1434)Wife (1434)

Northern Renaissance Northern Renaissance Artist – Peter Paul Rubens Artist – Peter Paul Rubens

(1577-1640)(1577-1640)

Northern Renaissance Northern Renaissance Artists – Albrecht Durer Artists – Albrecht Durer

(1471-1528)(1471-1528)

Northern Humanists and Northern Humanists and WritersWriters

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

• Most wrote in Latin / Some began Most wrote in Latin / Some began writing in the writing in the vernacularvernacular..

Northern Humanists: Northern Humanists: Desiderius Erasmus (1466-Desiderius Erasmus (1466-

1536)1536)• Born in Rotterdam, HollandBorn in Rotterdam, Holland• Forced to study in a monastery Forced to study in a monastery

for 6 years by his guardians.for 6 years by his guardians.• Became a priestBecame a priest• Professor in ParisProfessor in Paris• the aim of Erasmus was to the aim of Erasmus was to

introduce a more rational introduce a more rational conception of Christian conception of Christian doctrine.doctrine.

• During the Protestant During the Protestant Reformation, Erasmus found Reformation, Erasmus found himself between Church himself between Church conservatives who blamed him conservatives who blamed him for inspiring Luther and Luther for inspiring Luther and Luther himself for being a coward and himself for being a coward and not joining his movement. not joining his movement.

• First Humanist to earn a living First Humanist to earn a living by his writing.by his writing.

Erasmus on the Clergy: Erasmus on the Clergy: from from In Praise of FollyIn Praise of Folly

(1509)(1509)• . . . . . . Next to the theologians in happiness are those who commonly Next to the theologians in happiness are those who commonly

call themselves call themselves the religiousthe religious and and monksmonks. Both are complete . Both are complete misnomers, since most of them stay as far away from religion as misnomers, since most of them stay as far away from religion as possible, and no people are seen more often in public. They are so possible, and no people are seen more often in public. They are so detested that it is considered bad luck if one crosses your path, and detested that it is considered bad luck if one crosses your path, and yet they are highly pleased with themselves. They cannot read, and yet they are highly pleased with themselves. They cannot read, and so they consider it the height of piety to have no contact with so they consider it the height of piety to have no contact with literature.... Most of them capitalize on their dirt and poverty by literature.... Most of them capitalize on their dirt and poverty by whining for food from door to door. . . . These smooth fellows simply whining for food from door to door. . . . These smooth fellows simply explain that by their very filth, ignorance, boorishness, and explain that by their very filth, ignorance, boorishness, and insolence they enact the lives of the apostles for us. It is amusing to insolence they enact the lives of the apostles for us. It is amusing to see how they do everything by rule, almost mathematically. Any slip see how they do everything by rule, almost mathematically. Any slip is sacrilege. each shoe string must have so many knots and must be is sacrilege. each shoe string must have so many knots and must be of a certain color. . . . They even condemn each other, these of a certain color. . . . They even condemn each other, these professors of apostolic charity, making an extraordinary stir if a professors of apostolic charity, making an extraordinary stir if a habit is belted incorrectly or if its color is a shade too dark. . . . The habit is belted incorrectly or if its color is a shade too dark. . . . The monks of certain orders recoil in horror from money, as if it were monks of certain orders recoil in horror from money, as if it were poison, but not from wine or women. They take extreme pains, not poison, but not from wine or women. They take extreme pains, not in order to be like Christ, but to be unlike each other. Most of them in order to be like Christ, but to be unlike each other. Most of them consider one heaven an inadequate reward for their devotion to consider one heaven an inadequate reward for their devotion to ceremony and traditional details. They forget that Christ will ceremony and traditional details. They forget that Christ will condemn all of this and will call for a reckoning of that which He condemn all of this and will call for a reckoning of that which He has prescribed, namely, charity.has prescribed, namely, charity.

Erasmus on the Clergy: Erasmus on the Clergy: from from In Praise of FollyIn Praise of Folly

(1509)(1509)• Perhaps it would be wise to pass over the Perhaps it would be wise to pass over the

theologians in silence. That short-tempered theologians in silence. That short-tempered and supercilious crew is unpleasant to deal and supercilious crew is unpleasant to deal with. . . . They will proclaim me a heretic. with. . . . They will proclaim me a heretic. With this thunderbolt they terrify the With this thunderbolt they terrify the people they don't like. Their opinion of people they don't like. Their opinion of themselves is so great that they behave as if themselves is so great that they behave as if they were already in heaven; they look down they were already in heaven; they look down pityingly on other men as so many worms. A pityingly on other men as so many worms. A wall of imposing definitions, conclusions, wall of imposing definitions, conclusions, corollaries, and explicit and implicit corollaries, and explicit and implicit propositions protects them. They are full of propositions protects them. They are full of big words and newly-invented terms. . . .  big words and newly-invented terms. . . . 

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare (1523-1616)(1523-1616)

• The English language The English language owes a great debt to owes a great debt to Shakespeare. He Shakespeare. He invented over 1700 of invented over 1700 of our common words by our common words by changing nouns into changing nouns into verbs, changing verbs verbs, changing verbs into adjectives, into adjectives, connecting words connecting words never before used never before used together, adding together, adding prefixes and suffixes, prefixes and suffixes, and devising words and devising words wholly original. wholly original.

William Shakespeare - William Shakespeare - WorksWorks

TragediesTragedies• Titus AndronicusTitus Andronicus first performed in first performed in

1594 (printed in 1594),1594 (printed in 1594),Romeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet 1594-95 (1597), 1594-95 (1597),HamletHamlet 1600-01 (1603), 1600-01 (1603),Julius CaesarJulius Caesar 1600-01 (1623), 1600-01 (1623),OthelloOthello 1604-05 (1622), 1604-05 (1622),Antony and CleopatraAntony and Cleopatra 1606-07 (1623), 1606-07 (1623), King LearKing Lear 1606 (1608), 1606 (1608),CoriolanusCoriolanus 1607-08 (1623), derived 1607-08 (1623), derived from Plutarchfrom PlutarchTimon of AthensTimon of Athens 1607-08 (1623), and 1607-08 (1623), and MacbethMacbeth 1611-1612 (1623). 1611-1612 (1623).

William Shakespeare - William Shakespeare - WorksWorks

HistoriesHistories• King Henry VI Part 1King Henry VI Part 1 1592 (printed in 1592 (printed in

1594); 1594); King Henry VI Part 2King Henry VI Part 2 1592-93 (1594); 1592-93 (1594); King Henry VI Part 3King Henry VI Part 3 1592-93 (1623); 1592-93 (1623); King JohnKing John 1596-97 (1623); 1596-97 (1623);King Henry IV Part 1King Henry IV Part 1 1597-98 (1598); 1597-98 (1598);King Henry IV Part 2King Henry IV Part 2 1597-98 (1600); 1597-98 (1600);King Henry VKing Henry V 1598-99 (1600); 1598-99 (1600);Richard IIRichard II 1600-01 (1597); 1600-01 (1597);Richard IIIRichard III 1601 (1597); and 1601 (1597); andKing Henry VIIIKing Henry VIII 1612-13 (1623) 1612-13 (1623)

William Shakespeare - William Shakespeare - WorksWorks

ComediesComedies

Taming of the ShrewTaming of the Shrew first performed 1593-94 (1623), first performed 1593-94 (1623),Comedy of ErrorsComedy of Errors 1594 (1623), 1594 (1623),Two Gentlemen of VeronaTwo Gentlemen of Verona 1594-95 (1623), 1594-95 (1623),Love's Labour's LostLove's Labour's Lost 1594-95 (1598), 1594-95 (1598),Midsummer Night's DreamMidsummer Night's Dream 1595-96 (1600), 1595-96 (1600), Merchant of VeniceMerchant of Venice 1596-1597 (1600), 1596-1597 (1600),Much Ado About NothingMuch Ado About Nothing 1598-1599 (1600), 1598-1599 (1600),As You Like ItAs You Like It 1599-00 (1623), 1599-00 (1623), Merry Wives of WindsorMerry Wives of Windsor 1600-01 (1602), 1600-01 (1602), Troilus and CressidaTroilus and Cressida 1602 (1609), 1602 (1609), Twelfth NightTwelfth Night 1602 (1623), 1602 (1623),All's Well That Ends WellAll's Well That Ends Well 1602-03 (1623), 1602-03 (1623), Measure for MeasureMeasure for Measure 1604 (1623), 1604 (1623), Pericles, Prince of TyrePericles, Prince of Tyre 1608-09 (1609), 1608-09 (1609), TempestTempest (1611), (1611), CymbelineCymbeline 1611-12 (1623), 1611-12 (1623), Winter's TaleWinter's Tale 1611-12 (1623). 1611-12 (1623).