Renaissance

1. The Italian RenaissanceThe Italian Renaissance
-Key Concepts--Key Concepts-

2. I. Why in Italy at this Time?I. Why in Italy at this Time?
 Revival of Commerce andRevival of Commerce and
Town Building was moreTown Building was more
intense in Italyintense in Italy
 Feudalism had less of aFeudalism had less of a
grip on Italygrip on Italy
 Two competing lords forTwo competing lords for
control of Italy werecontrol of Italy were
losing influencelosing influence
 Presence of antiquity wasPresence of antiquity was
stronger in Italy thanstronger in Italy than
elsewhere in Europeelsewhere in Europe

3. II. European Economic RecoveryII. European Economic Recovery
 Dramatic recovery ofDramatic recovery of
European commerceEuropean commerce
 Important industriesImportant industries
flourish in Northern Italyflourish in Northern Italy
 The significance ofThe significance of
printing and mining asprinting and mining as
new industriesnew industries
 The fifteenth-centuryThe fifteenth-century
banking empire of thebanking empire of the
Medici family in FlorenceMedici family in Florence

4. III. Renaissance EconomicsIII. Renaissance Economics
 Profit-making becameProfit-making became
more important thanmore important than
Church doctrineChurch doctrine
 To overcome guilt, profit-To overcome guilt, profit-
makers indulge inmakers indulge in
philanthropyphilanthropy
 Influence of guildsInfluence of guilds
decliningdeclining
 High profits led toHigh profits led to
economic diversificationeconomic diversification

5. III. Renaissance Economics (cont)III. Renaissance Economics (cont)
 Art became the wayArt became the way
to advertise economicto advertise economic
successsuccess
 IntensifiedIntensified
commercialcommercial
competition createdcompetition created
the need to bethe need to be
efficientefficient

6. IV. Renaissance SocietyIV. Renaissance Society
 Renaissance is an elitistRenaissance is an elitist
historical phenomenonhistorical phenomenon
 Northern Italy was urbanNorthern Italy was urban
and commercial whileand commercial while
Southern Italy mostly wasSouthern Italy mostly was
notnot
 Very family-orientedVery family-oriented
societysociety
 Marriages wereMarriages were
frequently arranged tofrequently arranged to
strengthen business tiesstrengthen business ties

7. IV. Renaissance Society (cont)IV. Renaissance Society (cont)
 Father’s authority over hisFather’s authority over his
familyfamily
 Some wealthy womenSome wealthy women
played an important roleplayed an important role
in Italian city-statesin Italian city-states
--Isabella d’Este of--Isabella d’Este of
MantuaMantua
 Concentration of wealthConcentration of wealth
among great familiesamong great families
-- “populo grosso”-- “populo grosso”

8. IV. Renaissance Society (cont)IV. Renaissance Society (cont)
 Extreme socialExtreme social
stratification divided intostratification divided into
factions around thefactions around the
wealthiest familieswealthiest families
 Poor increasinglyPoor increasingly
attempting to improveattempting to improve
their social statustheir social status
--The Ciompi Revolt--The Ciompi Revolt
(1378)(1378)
-- “populo minuto”-- “populo minuto”
 ““The Cult of theThe Cult of the
Individual”Individual”

9. IV. Renaissance Society (cont)IV. Renaissance Society (cont)
 Number of portraitsNumber of portraits
painted during this erapainted during this era
illustrates focus on theillustrates focus on the
individualindividual
 Growing humanism andGrowing humanism and
secularism in a Christiansecularism in a Christian
contextcontext
 Focus on man’s free willFocus on man’s free will
 Rewards for livingRewards for living
excellently came in thisexcellently came in this
lifelife

10. V. Renaissance PoliticsV. Renaissance Politics
 Same pattern andSame pattern and
problems as those of theproblems as those of the
Greek city-statesGreek city-states
 Inter-city warfare led toInter-city warfare led to
new advances innew advances in
diplomacydiplomacy

11. V. Renaissance Politics (cont)V. Renaissance Politics (cont)
 Rome, Venice, Milan,Rome, Venice, Milan,
Florence, and theFlorence, and the
Kingdom of NaplesKingdom of Naples
 Renaissance VeniceRenaissance Venice
 Renaissance FlorenceRenaissance Florence
--Lorenzo the Magnificent--Lorenzo the Magnificent
(1449-1492)(1449-1492)
 1300’s republicanism1300’s republicanism
became 1400’sbecame 1400’s
despotism—with thedespotism—with the
exception of Veniceexception of Venice

12. V. Renaissance Politics (cont)V. Renaissance Politics (cont)
 Niccolo MachiavelliNiccolo Machiavelli
(1469-1527)(1469-1527)
-- “The Prince”-- “The Prince”
 The goal of the princeThe goal of the prince
must be powermust be power
 Cynical view of humanCynical view of human
naturenature
 Fear is a better motivatorFear is a better motivator
than affectionthan affection
 Politics as the art ofPolitics as the art of
deceptiondeception

13. VI. Renaissance Art andVI. Renaissance Art and
ArchitectureArchitecture
 The proliferation ofThe proliferation of
portraiture and itsportraiture and its
significancesignificance
 The depiction of nudesThe depiction of nudes
 Imitation of nature was aImitation of nature was a
primary goalprimary goal
 Pagan scenes and mythsPagan scenes and myths
were popular subjectswere popular subjects
with no apologies to thewith no apologies to the
ChurchChurch

14. VI. Renaissance Art andVI. Renaissance Art and
Architecture (cont)Architecture (cont)
 Boticelli’s “Birth of Venus”Boticelli’s “Birth of Venus”
 Status of artist is elevatedStatus of artist is elevated
to cultural heroto cultural hero
 Renaissance art stressedRenaissance art stressed
proportion, balance andproportion, balance and
harmony—and was notharmony—and was not
otherworldlyotherworldly
 Artistic problems ofArtistic problems of
perspective andperspective and
composition addressedcomposition addressed

15. VI. Renaissance Art andVI. Renaissance Art and
Architecture (cont)Architecture (cont)
 These problems wereThese problems were
solved by emphasizingsolved by emphasizing
the mathematical side ofthe mathematical side of
paintingpainting
--Brunelleschi’s “linear--Brunelleschi’s “linear
perspective”perspective”
 Innovations inInnovations in
Renaissance paintingRenaissance painting
-- “chiaroscuro”-- “chiaroscuro”
-- “sfumato”-- “sfumato”

16. VI. Renaissance Art andVI. Renaissance Art and
Architecture (cont)Architecture (cont)
 Differences betweenDifferences between
Italian and NorthernItalian and Northern
European paintingEuropean painting
--Italian frescoes vs.--Italian frescoes vs.
Northern European altarNorthern European altar
piecespieces
 Van Eyck’s oil paintingsVan Eyck’s oil paintings
 Rome became the centerRome became the center
of the High Renaissanceof the High Renaissance
(1480-1520)(1480-1520)

17. VI. Renaissance Art andVI. Renaissance Art and
Architecture (cont)Architecture (cont)
 Raphael (1483-1520)Raphael (1483-1520)
 Man of greatMan of great
sensitivity andsensitivity and
kindnesskindness
 Died at the age of 37Died at the age of 37
 ““The School ofThe School of
Athens”Athens”
 Famous for frescoesFamous for frescoes
in the Vatican Palacein the Vatican Palace

23. VI. Renaissance Art andVI. Renaissance Art and
Architecture (cont)Architecture (cont)
 Leonardo Da VinciLeonardo Da Vinci
(1452-1519)(1452-1519)
 True RenaissanceTrue Renaissance
ManMan
 Scientist, inventor,Scientist, inventor,
engineer andengineer and
naturalistnaturalist
 Dissected CorpsesDissected Corpses
 Short attention spanShort attention span

30. VI. Renaissance Art andVI. Renaissance Art and
Architecture (cont)Architecture (cont)
 MichelangeloMichelangelo
 Neo-PlatonistNeo-Platonist
 Ceiling of the SistineCeiling of the Sistine
ChapelChapel
 Conflict with PopeConflict with Pope
Julius IIJulius II
 Incredible energy andIncredible energy and
enduranceendurance
 ““Mannerism”Mannerism”

36. VII. Renaissance Education andVII. Renaissance Education and
PhilosophyPhilosophy
 Humanistic ageHumanistic age
 Various types ofVarious types of
humanismhumanism
 Great fervor displayed inGreat fervor displayed in
finding and collecting oldfinding and collecting old
documentsdocuments
 Leads to criticalLeads to critical
examination ofexamination of
documentsdocuments
--Lorenzo Valla--Lorenzo Valla
 Education producesEducation produces
moral upliftmoral uplift

37. VII. Renaissance Education andVII. Renaissance Education and
Philosophy (cont)Philosophy (cont)
 A true liberal educationA true liberal education
 Humanist education forHumanist education for
womenwomen
 Love for the study ofLove for the study of
history most of allhistory most of all
 A Greek language fadA Greek language fad
after 1454after 1454
 Petrarch (1304-1374): thePetrarch (1304-1374): the
Father of ItalianFather of Italian
Renaissance humanismRenaissance humanism
 Focus on the individualFocus on the individual
and his dignityand his dignity

38. VII. Renaissance Education andVII. Renaissance Education and
Philosophy (cont)Philosophy (cont)
 First influencedFirst influenced
secondary educationsecondary education
 Extreme vanity ofExtreme vanity of
Renaissance scholarsRenaissance scholars
 The importance of lawThe importance of law
and rhetoric inand rhetoric in
Renaissance educationRenaissance education
 Classical political idealsClassical political ideals
were cultivatedwere cultivated
 Knowledge needed to beKnowledge needed to be
usefuluseful

39. VIII. The Renaissance PapacyVIII. The Renaissance Papacy
 Loss of influence overLoss of influence over
European nation-statesEuropean nation-states
 Decline in moral prestigeDecline in moral prestige
and leadershipand leadership
 Pope Julius II (1503-Pope Julius II (1503-
1513)1513)
 Popes as patrons ofPopes as patrons of
Renaissance artRenaissance art
--Leo X (1513-1521)--Leo X (1513-1521)
 Nepotism used toNepotism used to
promote family interestpromote family interest

40. IX. Spread of Humanism to theIX. Spread of Humanism to the
Rest of EuropeRest of Europe
 The significance ofThe significance of
Gutenberg’s printingGutenberg’s printing
presspress
 Explosion of printedExplosion of printed
materialsmaterials
--By 1500, 40,000 titles--By 1500, 40,000 titles
printed and between 8-10printed and between 8-10
million copiesmillion copies
 The impact of movable-The impact of movable-
type printing presses:type printing presses:
research and literacyresearch and literacy

41. IX. Spread of Humanism to theIX. Spread of Humanism to the
Rest of Europe (cont)Rest of Europe (cont)
 Popular publicationsPopular publications
in the early days ofin the early days of
the printing pressthe printing press
 Thomas MoreThomas More
----UtopiaUtopia
----Executed by HenryExecuted by Henry
VIII in 1535VIII in 1535
 Erasmus—DutchErasmus—Dutch
Christian HumanistChristian Humanist

42. IX. Spread of Humanism to theIX. Spread of Humanism to the
Rest of Europe (cont)Rest of Europe (cont)
 William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare
(1564-1616)(1564-1616)
--Globe Theater--Globe Theater
 Shakespeare returns toShakespeare returns to
classical subjects andclassical subjects and
genresgenres
 His history plays were theHis history plays were the
most popular at the timemost popular at the time
 MacbethMacbeth: ambition: ambition
 HamletHamlet: individualism: individualism
 Keen sensitivity toKeen sensitivity to
sounds and meanings ofsounds and meanings of
wordswords