Download European Renaissance and Reformation, 1300-1600

European Renaissance and
Reformation, 1300-1600
TWO MOVEMENTS, THE
RENAISSANCE AND THE
REFORMATION, USHER IN
DRAMATIC SOCIAL AND
CULTURAL CHANGES IN EUROPE
Italy: Birthplace of the
Renaissance
During the late Middle Ages
 Europe suffered from war
and the plague
 People began to question
the Church
 People wanted to
celebrate life and the
human spirit
 What was society based on in the Middle Ages?
 Piety
 Church
 Fear
 Simplicity
 Etc.
The world shifts back to Classical Knowledge
 Classics Lead to
Humanism
 Humanism--intellectual
movement focused on
human achievements
 Humanists studied
classical texts, history,
literature, philosophy

More portraits were being
painted
The Renaissance
 Renaissance (rebirth)-an
explosion of creativity in
art, writing, and thought.
 1300-1600
 Why Italy?
 1. Thriving cities
 2. A wealthy
Merchant Class
 3. Classical heritage
of Greece and Rome
1. City-States
 Crusades spur trade
 Growth of large city-states
in northern Italy
 Cities=places where
people exchange ideas
 In 1300s bubonic plague
killed 60% of population,
disrupts economy
 With few opportunities to
expand business,
merchants began to
pursue other interests,
such as art
 How did the cities of Italy help create the
Renaissance?


City life included wealth, leisure time, and exchange of ideas
No nobles to control the wealth



Merchants believed success was personal, not a birthright
Trade brought new ideas
Educated Greeks fled to Italy when Muslims conquered
Byzantine Empire
2. A Wealthy Merchant Class
 Merchants
More emphasis on
individual achievement
 Desired leisure activities
and pursued the arts
 Dominated politics

3. Inspiration from Greece and Rome
 Middle Ages art and
architecture
 Artists, scholars study
Greeks and Romans
(monasteries kept
documents intact)
 Christian scholars move to
Rome after fall of
Constantinople in 1453
and brought Greek
manuscripts with them
 How did study of the classics influence branches of
learning such as history, literature, and philosophy?
 Study of classical texts led to a different outlook on
life, one emphasizing human potential and
achievements.
The Good Stuff
 Renaissance society was
secular—worldly
 Wealthy enjoyed fine
food, homes, clothes
 Can enjoy life without
offending God
Patrons
 Patron-a financial supporter of artists
 Church leaders spend money on artworks to beautify cities
 Wealthy merchants also patrons of the arts
Revolution in Art
 Artists use realistic
style copied from
classical art

Portraits of
Individuals
 Painters use
perspective-a way to
show three
dimensions on a
canvas
Realistic Painting and Sculpture
 Realistic portraits of prominent citizens
 Sculpture shows natural postures and expressions
 The Biblical David is a favorite subject among
sculptors
The Renaissance Man
 Excels in many fields: the
classics, art, politics,
combat
 Baldassre Castiglione’s
The Courtier (1528)
(Should be charming,
witty, well educated in the
classics; should dance,
sing, play music, and
write poetry; should be a
skilled rider, wrestler, and
swordsman)
 The book teaches how to
become a “universal”
person
The Renaissance Woman
 Upper-class, educated in
classics, charming
 Expected to inspire art but
not create it
 Example:
 Isabella d’Este
Donatello’s (1386-1466) David
East Door of the Baptistery in Florence
 Created by Lorenzo
Ghiberti’s
 Michelangelo called it the
“Gate of Paradise”
 Ghiberti worked on it for
27 years from 1425-1452
 10 panels in bronze
showing stories from
the Old Testament
East Door of the Baptistery in Florence
Leonardo Da Vinci
 1452-1519
 Painter, sculptor,
inventor, scientist
 Read his writings by
looking at them in a
mirror
Mona Lisa in the Louvre in Paris
 It is thought to be a portrait of
Lisa Gherardini, who at 16
married Francesco del
Giocondo, a wealthy merchant
of Florence who commissioned
the portrait.
 Notice the smile, the shadows,
and the hands
 Why is it famous??
Leonardo
Leonardo--sketches
The Last Supper (Milan)
Michelangelo Buonarroti
 1475-1564
 Renaissance man also
 Painter, sculptor,
architect, and poet
Statue of David in Florence, Italy
 Sculpted from 1501-1504
 18 feet tall
Michelangelo’s Pieta
Michelangelo’s Moses
Michelangelo’s Dome of St. Peter’s in Rome
The Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel in Rome
Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in Sistine Chapel
Raphael
 1483 - 1520
 Younger than
Leonardo and
Michelangelo
 Learned by studying
their works
 Self portrait at right
Raphael
 One of Raphael’s
favorite subjects was
the Madonna and
child.
Sandro Botticelli
 Self portrait and The Birth of Venus
Anguuissola and Gentileschi
 Sofonisba Anguissola:
first woman artist to gain
world renown (self
portrait at right)
 Artemisia Gentileschi
paints strong, heroic
women (self portrait
below)
Changes in Literature
 New Trends in Writing
 Writers use vernacular
 Self-expression or to
portray individuality of
their subjects
Niccolo Machiavelli
 The Prince – political
guidebook
 Examines how rulers can
gain and keep power
 To succeed a prince must
be strong as a lion and
shrewd as a fox.
 The word Machiavellian
describes any crafty or
deceitful action used for
one’s own advantage.