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The Renaissance
The Renaissance begins in
Italy
• The Renaissance begins in Italy and
spreads north to the rest of Europe.
• Italy was the center of trade between
northern Europe and Africa.
• It was the center of Greco-Roman
culture.
• It was the center of the Catholic Church.
• The Renaissance runs between 1300
and 1650.
The Beginning
• The term Renaissance means “rebirth”
in Latin.
• It was the rebirth of art and learning.
• It was influenced by very powerful
families such as the Medici family.
• The Medici’s were bankers out of
Florence.
• The families gave support to various
artists.
Characteristics of the
Renaissance
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Humanism
Individualism
Questioning Attitude
Interest in Secular, or non-religious
worldly matters.
• Rise of the middle class (Disposable
income)
• Great achievements in the arts.
Humanism
• Humanism is the idea that is focused on
human achievements and potential
rather than religious themes.
• Focused on the man and his world.
• Concentrated on everyday human
problems and relationships.
• Humanists focus on pleasure rather
than morality.
Humanism
• The secular nature of humanism, as
well as it’s questioning attitude, often
brought it into conflict with the traditional
teachings of the Catholic Church and
Medieval thinking.
Medieval Art
• Artists depicted
subjects in an
unrealistic twodimensional style to
indicate the
importance of the
soul over the body.
Renaissance Art
• Use of oil paints
• 3-D and realism
were the new
techniques of the
Renaissance.
Characteristics of
Renaissance Art
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Three dimensional
Realistic
Lifelike
Influenced by Greco-Roman culture
Renaissance Artists
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Leonardo da Vinci
Michelangelo
Raphael
Donatello
Leonardo da Vinci
• Da Vinci was
considered the
“Renaissance Man”
• Was a painter,
sculptor, inventor,
and a scientist.
The Last Supper
Raphael
• The Coronation of
the Virgin
The Foligno Madonna
Michelangelo
• David
Michelangelo
• The Sistine Chapel
in Rome
Donatello
• John the Baptist
Renaissance Writers
• Began to use the vernacular (vernacular
= the native language) instead of
classical Latin.
• Machiavelli- wrote The Prince a
handbook for behavior.
Machiavelli
• Machiavelli was a political philosopher
• The Prince advised kings how to rule.
• In Machiavelli’s way of thinking, there
are no means which the end does not
justify (The end justifies the means).
The Renaissance Moves
North
• Because of the plague, it was not until 1450
did northern Europe enjoy the economic
growth that helped support the Renaissance
in Italy.
• Northern artists and writers imitated Italian
styles while adding new methods and ideas
of their own.
• As a result of the printing press, books
became more available and people became
more literate.
Humanism in Europe
• Northern Humanists stressed education
and classical learning, however, unlike
the Italian humanists, they emphasized
religious themes.
• They believed that the revival should be
used to bring about religious and moral
reform.
Shakespeare
• The best known Renaissance writer
was William Shakespeare.
• Between 1590 and 1613 he wrote 37
plays that are still performed around the
world.
The Printing Revolution
• In 1456, Johann Gutenberg printed the bible
using movable metal type on a machine
called a printing press.
• Printed books became cheap and easier to
produce that hand copies.
• Now readers gained access to broad range of
knowledge (Medicine to Religion)
• The printing press would greatly contribute to
the Protestant Reformation.