Download A - mikaeldavis.com

A.P. European History Notes
Session 2: “The Northern & Italian
Renaissance”
I.
Vocabulary
1. Patron: Person who provides financial support.
2. Perspective: Artistic technique that creates a three-dimensional appearance.
II.
The Renaissance
i. In 1500, Europe was in the middle of a cultural revival called the Renaissance
(“Rebirth.”)
a. “Rebirth” of what? - Rebirth of classical Greek and Roman ideas.
ii. How did the Renaissance differ from the Middle Ages?
a. In the Renaissance, people explored the richness of human
experience (the here and now, emotions) rather than focusing on
religious issues (life after death.)
b. It was a period of great creativity.
iii. At the heart of the Renaissance was an intellectual movement known as
humanism. Humanism is a view of the world with human needs and hopes at
the center. Most humanist scholars were Christians who hoped to use the
wisdom of the ancients to understand their own times.
iv. Humanists believed that education should stimulate the individual’s creative
power and studied the humanities: the subjects taught in ancient Greek and
Roman schools. The main areas of study were grammar, rhetoric (public
speaking), poetry and history.
III.
Reviving Ancient Thought
1. Circa 500 A.D. is the fall of the Roman Empire. The Renaissance peaks in Europe
around 1500 A.D., leaving a “1000 year gap.”
i. During the Middle Ages, monks & Church scholars preserved ancient classics
through painstaking copying (Latin.)
ii. The Muslim empires and the Byzantine Empire respected, studied and
preserved Greek classics (Arabic & Greek)
IV.
The Italian Renaissance
1. The Renaissance began in Italy, which had been the center of the Roman Empire.
Davis & Bakkal, Adapted from World History: Patterns of Interaction. McDougal Little, 1999
2. In the north, city-states like Florence, Milan, Venice and Genoa grew into prosperous
centers of trade, where a wealthy and powerful merchant class contributed to the
birth of the Renaissance in Italy.
i. These wealthy merchants, such as the Medici family, were patrons of the arts.
ii. Rome (in central Italy), Naples (in southern Italy) and other city-states
contributed to the cultural revival.
V.
The Advent of Humanism
1. Classical art inspired Renaissance painters and sculptors to depict the human figure
very realistically.
In their effort to achieve realism, Renaissance painters and
sculptors gave great attention to anatomy. They also discovered how to create a
more convincing illusion of space (Perspective.)
2. Renaissance art reflected the humanist interest in individual achievement.
i. In the Renaissance, portraiture flourished as artists worked to capture the
unique character of individual people.
ii. Scenes of everyday life, known as genre, also became popular.
VI.
Introducing the Ninja Turtles
1. In painting, three artists dominated the peak period of the Renaissance (1500-1527) :
Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo.
i. Leonardo da Vinci, was the embodiment of the Renaissance genius.
a. In addition to being one of the greatest painters in history, he also
thought up inventions that were hundreds of years ahead of their time
(helicopter, airplane and submarine).
b. Leonardo painted two of the most famous paintings of all time, “The
Last Supper” and the “Mona Lisa.”
ii. Raphael was recognized as one of the most brilliant painters of his age.
a. Among his best work is “The School of Athens,” which was part of a
series of frescoes (wall paintings) he painted for Pope Julius II in the
Vatican Palace in Rome.
iii. Michelangelo was both a sculptor and a painter.
a. He carved the “Pieta,” a monumental depiction of the Virgin Mary
holding the body of her son Jesus. The “Pieta” made Michelangelo
famous.
Davis & Bakkal, Adapted from World History: Patterns of Interaction. McDougal Little, 1999
b. Pope Julius II asked him to paint the great ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel in the Vatican. He depicted the Bible story of the Creation,
painting hundreds of grand human figures.
VII.
Renaissance Architecture
1. Renaissance architects favored the Greek and Roman style (columns, domes,
arches.)
VIII.
Renaissance Authors and Philosophers
1. Machiavelli: Author of The Prince. The focus of The Prince was how rulers could
gain and maintain power. His advice: Be ruthless; the end justifies the means.
2. Petrarch: His most famous works were love sonnets to a married woman whom he
admired from a distance (Sonnets to Laura.)
IX.
The Renaissance in Northern Europe
1. The Renaissance began in Italy and moved to Northern Europe (France, Belgium,
Netherlands, Germany and England.)
i. The Renaissance occurred in northern Europe later because the Black Death
delayed economic growth in that region.
2. Albert Durer is often compared to Leonardo a Vinci since both men had a wide
range of interests. (“German Leonardo”)
i. He helped bring the genius of the Italian Renaissance to Northern Europe.
ii. Many of his finest works were engravings.
3. Hans Hoblein specialized in paintings of almost photographic detail.
i. Hoblein enjoyed great success in England where he painted portraits of King
Henry VIII.
X.
Christian Humanism
1. Much of Northern Renaissance writing was devoted to combining humanism with
Christian teachings (Christian humanists.)
2. Inspired by the Renaissance ideal of human dignity, many Christian humanists
developed plans for social reform based on Christian values.
3. Two Christian humanists were especially famous: the Dutch priest Erasmus and the
Englishman Thomas More.
i. Erasmus’ most famous work was The Praise of Folly, which poked fun at
merchants, scholars as well as priests.
Davis & Bakkal, Adapted from World History: Patterns of Interaction. McDougal Little, 1999
ii. Thomas More: In Utopia, More describes an ideal society in which no one is
idle, all are educated and justice is used to end crime (rather than to eliminate
the criminal.)
XI.
Renaissance Literature
1. Shakespeare: English poet & playwright.
i. Twelfth Night (comedy)
ii. Richard III (history play)
iii. Romeo and Juliet (tragedy)
2. Shakespeare enriched the English language with the addition of more than 1,700 new
words including -- bedroom, lonely, generous, gloomy, hurry and sneak.
Davis & Bakkal, Adapted from World History: Patterns of Interaction. McDougal Little, 1999