Download chapt28 Ren begins

'he
Renaissance Begins
.1 lntroduction
bward the end of the Middle Ages. a greatflowering of culture called the
taissance beganin Italy and spreadthroughoutEurope.In this chapter,you
learnwhat the Renaissance
was and how it began.
lenaissance
is a Frenchword that means"rebirth."The Renaissance
got its name
r a rebirthin interestin classical art and learning that took placefrom the
)s throughthe 1500sc.p..(Classicnlrefers to the culturesof ancientGreek and
re.)Althoughtherewas no suddenbreakwith the Middle Ages,the Renaissance
rgedmany aspectsof people'slives over time.
'ou may recall from Unit 1 that medievalEuropeansocietywas basedon feudalMost peoplelived on feudalmanorsin the countryside.
The RomanCatholic
rch encouragedpeopleto think more about life after deaththan about daily life
iarth.Except for the clergy, few peoplewere educated.
ly theLate Middle Ages,changeswere
ruringthat helpedpave the way for the
lissance.Tradeand commerceincreased.
citiesgrew larger and wealthier.Newly
Ithymerchantsand bankerssupportedthe
'rthof the arts and learning.A renewed
'estin classicalculture starleda flood
:w ideas.Greek and Roman examples
irednew stylesof architecture.
new apchesto the arts.and new ways of thinking.
ieginningin Italy, a philosophycalled
nanism developed.Humanistsbelieved
e worth and potentialof all individuals.
r tried to balancereligious faith with belief
e powerof the human mind. Humanists
a freshinterestin human society and the
ral world. This way of thinking contributed
e burstof creativityduring the Renaissance.
r this chapter,you'll explore how the Renncediffered from the Middle Ages and clastimes.Then you'll look at somechanges
rroDeanlife that led to the Renaissance.
The Renaissance
Begins 3l-5
28.2 What Was the Renaissance?
perspective theappearance
of distance
or depthon a flat
surface,
asin a painting
Mediet
from about
The Renaissance
beganin Italy in the mid 1300sand spreadto other
partsof Europein the 1400sand 1500s.Let's look more closelyatthis
"great rebirth" of interestin classicalart and learning.Then we'll use
stained glas
uscripts, pa
art to explorethe link betweenthe Renaissance
and the classicalworld.
much medi
who could r
Renewed Interest in the GlassicalWorld
The
Renaissance
beganwith the rediscoveryof the classicalworld of
characterist
. Most art
ancientGreeceand Rorne.Afier the fali of Rome in the fifth century
c.8.. classicalculture was never entirely fbrgotten.The RomanCatholic
Church helpedkeep knowledgeof ancienttimes alive by copyingdoc-
people fi
.
larger th:
unents that survivedfrom the classicalperiod. Still, this knowledge
reachedrelatively few peopleduring most of the Middle Ages.
In the l-ate Middle Ages, merchantsand crusadersbroughtback
goodsand ideasfrom the East,inciuding classicallearningthat had
Thisexample
of classical
artwas
created
in 450a,c.E.
A Roman
statue
beenpreservedin the ByzantineEmpire. Europeansalso readclassical
works that came to them by way of Muslim scholars.
of a discus
thrower,
it celebrates
the
This flow of ideasled to a rediscoveryof Greek and Romanculture.
c l a s s i c iadl e a l os f b a l a n caen do o w e r . Scholarsstartedcollecting and readingancientmanuscriptsfrom mon-
.
Figures l
.
Figures v
.
Faces we
.
Painted fi
.
Paint colr
.
Backgrou
asteries.Artists and architectsstudiedclassicalstatuesand buildings.
The renewedinterestin classicalculture led to the grcat flowering0f
Renaiss
early 1600s.
and paintingr
art and learningthat we call the Renaissance.
importance o
Exploring the Rebirth of Classical ldeasThrough Art
We can tracethe link betweenthe classicalworld andthe
Renaissance
by looking at art. Let's exploresomeof
the characteristicsof art from classical,medieval,and
Renaissance
timcs.
Classical Art
characteristic
. Artists sh
. Art reflect
.
peopleand leaders,as well as gods and goddesses.
Hereare
additionalcharacteristics
of classicalart:
. Artists valuedbalanceand harmony.
.
Bodies lor
.
Figures w
.
.
Scenessh,
Faces exp
.
Colors we
.
Paintings
the right a
elements).
. Figureswere lifelike but often idealized(more perfectthan
in real life).
. Figureswere nudeor drapedin togas(robes).
. Bodies looked active,and motion was believable.
. Faceswere calm and without emotion.
. Scenesshowedeither heroic figures or real peopledoing
tasksfrom daily lil'e.
. In paintings,therewas little backgroundor senseof perspective (for exarnple,showingpeopleand objectsbigger
or smallerto make them look closeror farther awav).
Figures w
reflecting
The classicalperiod lastedfrom
about500 B.c.E.to 500 c.e.The classicalartistsof Greece
and
Rome createdsculptures,pottery,murals,and mosaics.The
purposeof much of their art was to show the impofiance0f
316 Chapter
28
Importan
.
Full backg
If you con
RenaissanceI
aft. Like clasr
subjectsthat'
lifelike and er
the way thing
Renaissanc
changesbrou;
Medieval Art
The medievaloeriod lasted
about500 to 1300c.e. Medievalartistscreated
inedglasswindows, sculptures,illuminated man, paintings,and tapestries.The purposeof
medievalart was to teachreligion to people
couldnot reador write. Hereare additional
i'il;
l1
teristicsof medieval art:
'n
:/r
ri
J]
nt'"ii,
,
IU
I 1''
Mostart was religious,showingJesus,saints,
n .',
N
people
from the Bible, and so on.
Important
figures in paintingswere shown as
largerthanothersaroundthem.
Figures
lookedstiff. with little senseof movement.
Figures
were fully dressedin stiff-looking clothing.
Faces
wereseriousand showedlittle feeling.
Painted
figureswere two-dimensional,or flat.
Paintcolorswere bright.
Thisexamnle
of medieval
artwas
c r e a t efdo ra c h u r c h
i n F r a n cien
Thesculoture
110c.E.
showsJesus
sending
hisapostles
outto preach.
Backgrounds
were mostly one color, oflen gold.
Benaissance Art
The Renaissance
lastedfrom the 1300sto the
1600s.
Renaissance
artistscreatedsculptures,murals,drawings,
paintings.
The aim of much Renaissance
art was to show the
e of peopleand nature,not just religion. Here are additional
isticsof Renaissance
art:
Artists
showedreligious and nonreligiousscenes.
Artreflected
a greatintercstin nature.
Figures
werelifelike and three-dimensional,
reflecting
an increasingknowledgeof anatomy.
Bodies
lookedactive and were shown moving.
Figures
wereeither nude or clothed.
Scenes
showedreal peopledoing everydaytasks.
Faces
expressed
what peoplewere thinking.
Colors
wereshownrespondingto light.
Paintings
were often symmetrical(balanced,with
therightandleft sideshaving sirnilar or identical
elements).
Fullbackgrounds
showedperspective.
If youcomparetheselists, you can seethat
artistswere inspiredmore by classicalart than medieval
Likeclassicalartists,Renaissance
paintersand sculptorsdepicted
thatwerenot always religious.They tried to show peopleas
andengaeedin everydayactivities.They also tried to capture
wavthinsslook in the real world.
Renaissance
art reflectsa rebirth of interestin the classicalworld.What
broughtaboutthis revival of classicalculture?Let's find out.
Thisexample
artis
of Renaissance
a muraltitledIhe Schoalof Athens.
I t w a sp a i n t ebdyR a p h a a
e rl o u n d
'1510.
philosophers.
Ancient
Greek
suchas PlatoandAristotle,
are
shownsurrounded
bysomeof the
Renaissance
artists
theyinspired
centuries
later.
The Renaissance
Begins 317
z8'3The Growth of Trade and Gommerce
2a.4Tl
was
One reasonfor the flowering of culture during the Renaissance
the growth of trade and commerce.Tradebrought new ideasas well as
Italian
goodsinto Europe.A bustling economycreatedprosperouscities and
new classesof peoplewho had the wealth to supportart and learning.
The Rer
central ltal,
was the pro
Startingin the l lth century,the Crusadesstrengthenedcontacts
betweenwesternEuropeand Byzantineand Muslim cultures.Traders
brought goodsand ideasfrom the East that helpedto reawakenintere$
In the Lr
western Eur
in classicalculture.In the 13th century,the Mongol conquestsin Asia
made it saferfor tradersto travel alone the Silk Road to China.
The talesof the ltalian travelerMarco Polo sparked
even greaterinterestin the East.Food, art,and
such luxury goodsas silk and spicesmoved
along the traderouteslinking Europeto
i
li
members inc
Italian cities like VeniceandGenoa
were centrally located on the trade
routesthat linked the rest of western
In theory
lay in the har
craftspeople a
groups of gui
So did cities in the north like Bruges
and Brussels.Trading shipscanied
goodsto England,Scandinavia,
and
present-dayRussiaby way of the
EnglishChanneland the Balticand
North Seas.Towns alongtheroutes
connectingsouthernand northern
This15th-century
French
illustration Europe,such as Cologneand Mainz in Germany,providedinnsand
other servicesfor traveling merchants.
showstheexchange
of goodsand
monev
in a Renaissance
town.
The increasein tradeled to a new kind of economy.Duringthe
Middle Ages, peoplebartered,or tradedgoodsfor other goods.Dunng
a
peoplebeganusing coins to buy goods,creating
the Renaissance,
money economy.Coins camefrom many places,so moneychangers
were neededto convert one type of currencyinto another.
As a result of all this activity, craftspeople,merchants,andbanken
becamemore importantin society.Craftspeopleproducedgoodsthat
loand
merchantstradedall over Europe.Bankersexchangedcurrency,
money to merchantsand rulers,and financedtheir own businesses.
318 Chapter28
The Itati:
taxes, and m
were repub
Africa and Asia.
Europewith the East.They became
bustling trading centersthat attracted
traders,merchants.and customers.
patron a personwno supports
the artsor otheractivities
by
money
forthem
supplying
ruled by no
monarchs. I
developed ir
powerful cit
Boards were r
ilies often gai
ruled by a sin
Tiade mad,
location place
distant places
Europe came
and do their b
Some Italii
cializations. F
cloth making r
metal goods a
Genoa was a t
gold from norr
powerful city_
that controlled
iterranean Sea
from Asia flov
The city-sta
in art and learr
creation of stat
ings, and elegar
Some merchantsand bankersgrew very rich. With theirabundant
wealth,they could afford to make their cities more beautiful.Wealthy
patrons commissioned(orderedand paid for) new buildingsandan.
tersof learning
(start)
Renaissance
They also helpedto found
universities.Prosperous
pitals. From th
cities grew into flourishing educationaland cultural centers.
sanceideas spr
l8.4Thelnfluence of
talianGity-States
TheRenaissance
beganin northernand
)n[alItaly.One reasonit began there
astheprosperityof Italian city-states.
In theLateMiddle Ages. most of
estern
Europewas made up of fiefs
tledby nobles.Above the nobleswere
onarchs.
In Italy, however,growing towns demandedself-ruleand
weloped
into independentcity-states.Each city-stateconsistedof a
Thisis a late-lsth-century
mapof
Florence,
oneof ltalysmostpowerful
merfulcity and the surroundingtowns and countryside.
city-states.
Noticethe manon a hillin
the lowerrightcorner;the artistdrew
TheItaliancity-statesconductedtheir own trade,collectedtheir own
res,andmadetheir own laws. Somecity-states,such as Florence,
prerepublics that were governedby electedcouncils.Council
pmbers
includedcommonersas well as nobles.
himself
looking
overFlorence.
Intheory,thepower in republicsbelongedto the people.In fact, it often
yin thehandsof rich merchants.During the Middle Ages, guilds of
ftpeopleandmerchantsbecamevery powerful. During the Renaissance.
pups
of guild members(called boards)often ruled Italian city-states.
fadsweresupposedto changemembersoften. However, wealthy fampoftengainedlong-termcontrol.As a result, somecity-stateswere
Uyu singlefamily. like the fabulouslyrich Medicis in Florence.
F
madethe Italian city-stateswealthy.Italy's centralMediterranean
lTrade
ptionplacedits cities in the middle of the traderoutesthat connected
placeswith the rest of westernEurope.Peoplefrom all over
lant
[opecameto norrhernltaly to buy. sell.
city-state an independent
state
consisting
of a cityandits surrounding
territory
republic a formof government
in whichpeople
electrepresentativesto ruleintheirname
foomerroanKrng.
@
['**:**'*.ili*:.
l;ffi
pawasa tradingcenterfor ivory and
jfromnorthernAfrica. Venice,the most
trfulcity-state,had hundredsof ships
lontrolled
the traderoutesin the Med-
i'\* *+.
neanSea.Silk, spices,and perfume
Asiaflowedinto Venice.
iecity-states'
wealth encourageda boom
andleaming.Rich families paid for the
rnof statues,
paintings,beautifulbuildndelegantavenues.They built new cenlearning,suchas universitiesand hosFromthe city-statesof Italy, Renaisdeasspreadto the rest of Europe.
,ll c t I i t <'t r'<t r t cr t rt,\t' tt
The Renaissance
Besins 319
Human
example, s
ings with p
The hur
improve on
scholars be
Renaissanc
AfiiStS ANd
Poets wrote
Humanist
scholars
in thel5thcentury
s p e ntti m er e a d i n g
s t, u d y r nagn, d
writing
a b o uct l a s s i c ca ul l t u r e .
28.5The Growth of Humanism
The interestin leaming during the Renaissancewas spurredby human
ism. This way of thinking soughtto balancereligious faith with anempha
sis on individual dignity and an interestin natureand humansociety.
Humanismfirst arosein Italy as a result of the renewedinterest
in classicalculture.Many early humanistseagerlyhuntedfor ancient
Greek and Roman books. coins. and other artifactsthat couldhelothem
learnaboutthe classicalworld.
One of the first humanistswas an Italian poet namedFrancesco
Petrarch.Petrarchespeciallyloved old books. He searchedfor themall
over Europeand encouragedhis friends to bring him any theyfound.
Eventually,he createda large collection of ancientLatin andGreek
writings,which he madeavailableto otherscholars.
Scholarsfrom all over Europetraveledto Italy to learnaboutthe
new ideasinspiredby classicalculture.They studiedsuchsubjects
as
art, architecture,government,and language.They readclassical
hi
and poetry.They be_ean
to ask probing questions.What did classical
artistsfind most beautiful aboutthe humanbodv? How did the
constructtheir buildinss?
humanities areasof studythat
focuson humanlifeandculture,
suchas history,
literature,
and
ethics
320 Chapter28
In their studiesof classicalculture,humanistsdiscovered
a new
way of looking at life. They beganto createa philosophybased
onthe
importanceand dignity of eachindividual. Humanistsbelieved
that
peoplehad the ability to control their own lives and achieve
In education.they stressed
studvof the humanities-a groupof
jects that fbcusedon human life and culture.Thesesubjects
included
grammar,rhetoric (the study of persuasivelanguage),history,poetry,
and ethics(the studvof moral valuesand behavior).
as love. Wri
The influ
Humanists s
doing so, the
politics and
1
Humanist
standing. In 1
society. If so
have less stat
achievement
on individual
The humar
with the Cathr
by God and rh
people to follc
souls.For the r
Earth. In contr,
minds to quest
and its emphas
Some directly r
Italian humanis
at the stake.
Chat
this chapr
by a rer
througho
facto
cotrlm{
wealth t
spreadR{
interest i:
you will
naniststried to put ancientideasinto practice.Architects,for
le,studiedGreek and Roman ruins. Then they designedbuildth pillars.arches,and courtyardslike thoseofclassicalbuildings.
humanistsdid not simply imitate the past.They also tried to
e on the work of the Greeksand Romans.In universities,
's beganto teachmethodsof observationand experimentation.
sancescientistsproposednew ideasabout starsand planets.
and stuffits of medicineclosely studiedhuman anatomy.
vroteabout religious subjectsand everydayexperiencessuch
. Writers producedworks of history and studiesof politics.
, influenceof classicalidealschangedideasabout government.
ristsseparatedthe stateand its right to rule from the church.In
io, they helpedlay the foundationfor modern thinking about
; and government.
nanistidealsalso affectedpeople'sthinking about social
rg.In feudal times, peoplewere born into a certainstatusin
'. If someonewas born a peasant,he or she would always
)ssstatusthan a noble. Renaissancethinkers prized individual
ementmore than a person'sclassor family. This emphasis
ividualismwas an enormousshift from medievalthinking.
: humanists'new ideassometimesbrought them into conf'lict
reCatholicChurch.The church taught that laws were made
J and that thosewho broke them were sinful. It encouraged
to follow its teachingswithout questionin order to savetheir
Forthe church,life after deathwas more importantthan life on
In contrast,humanistsbelievedthat peopleshould use their
to questioneverything.Most tried to balancereligiousfaith
emphasison the afterlife with an active interestin daily life.
lirectly challengedteachingsthat were dearto the church.An
humanist,Giordano Bruno, paid for his ideasby being burned
take.
is considered
Francesco
Petrarch
t h ef o u n d eorf l t a l i a R
n enaissance
poet,
humanism.
A well-known
hewearsa laurelwreathin this
portrait
hiscrowning
to symbolize
asDoetlaureate
in Romein 1341.
i Chapter Surnmary
fs chapter,you exploredthe beginningsof the Renaissance.
naissance
wasa floweringof art andlearningthat was
I by a rediscoveryof classicalculture.It beganin ltaly and
throughoutEurope.
ral factorscontributedto the Renaissance.
The growthof
rdcommercecreatedprosperous
citiesandclassesof people
: wealthto supporteducationandthe arts.Italian city'states
rpreadRenaissance
ideas.The new philosophyof humanism
interestin learningandfreshwaysof thinking.In the next
youwill exploresomeof the advancesthatcameout of
aissance.
The Renaissance
Begins 3Zl