2. Objectives
❖ Students will identify elements of the Renaissance in
Northern Europe and their impact.
❖ Students will analyze the changes in European thought and
culture resulting from the Renaissance.
3. Vocabulary
❖ engraving: technique where the artist etches a design on a
metal plate with acid to make prints.
❖ vernacular: everyday language of ordinary people.
❖ utopian: an ideal society in which men and women live in
peace and harmony
4. The Printing Revolution
❖ 1455: Johann Gutenberg printed the first entire
edition of the bible using a printing press with
movable type
❖ Before Gutenberg: Books were rare, expensive
and only available in sparse locations
❖ 1400: only several thousand books in
existence
❖ 1500: 15-20 million books in existence
❖ Impact: Spread of ideas and learning increased
more efficiently
6. Northern Artists
❖ Renaissance in Northern Europe began in prosperous cities
❖ Northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands: Flanders
❖ Jan van Eck: portrayed townspeople as well as religious
themed scenes with great detail
❖ Other artists made use of vibrant colors and rich details to
enhance their art
❖ Subjects were not just religious themes, but scenes from
everyday life
7.
8. Albrecht Dürer
❖ Considered the “Leonardo of the North” -
German painter who spent a lot of time in
Italy to learn from Italian artists
❖ Returned to the north and began to spread
the ideals of humanism and other
Renaissance values in the north
❖ Began to blend Italian ideas with native
techniques
❖ Applied painting techniques to
engraving to portray religious upheaval
❖ Resonating strongly with northern
Europeans
9. Humanist Writers: Erasmus
❖ Desiderius Erasmus: Dutch priest
who wrote a number of texts on many
subjects; produced a new Greek
edition of the Bible
❖ Wanted to provide a translated
version of the Bible into the
vernacular of the day to be
accessible to all
❖ Disturbed by corruption of the clergy
who didn’t want to share the
knowledge of their faith with
everyone.
10. Social Reform
❖ Sir Thomas More - English humanist who wanted
to see more social reform. Wrote Utopia which
described an ideal society where everyone lives in
perfect harmony.
❖ François Rabelais - French Renaissance Man*
who wrote Gargantua and Pantagruel; comic tale
that reflects opinions on religion, education
and doubts about the organized church
❖ Rabelais used satire to make his points
11. Shakespeare
❖ William Shakespeare - wrote 37 plays and countless sonnets
❖ Shakespeare’s humanist approach made his stories
approachable and engaging for audiences
❖ Have lasted the test of time
❖ “... was not of an age, but for all time.”
