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Lecture Notes: Renaissance
-Four Key Features of Renaissance
-I. Humanism
-this was a new movement that formed due to the study of classic texts
-it was focused around a revival of antiquity (Classical Greece and Rome) in philosophy,
literature, and art
-this was the central motivating philosophy of the Renaissance
-Humanism had certain characteristics:
-1. Revival of antiquity (Greece and Rome) in philosophy, literature and art
-sought to reconcile pagan writings with Christian thought
-heavily inspired by rediscovered works of the ancients
-believed Italy shared a common culture
-a general rebirth of ancient values occurred as well
-turned against medieval scholasticism
-in general, viewed writers of antiquity as heroes
-2. Strong belief in individualism and the great potential of human beings
-this is in great contrast to the Middle Ages
-humans at this time were seen as small, wicked and inconsequential
-focus should solely be on earning salvation
-mankind was seen as heroic and divine, rational and prudent according to humanists
-a regular person could interpret morality through ancient texts, not the church
-3. idea of Virtu (ability to shape the world around according to one’s will) very important with
this
-“quality of being a man”
-idea of excelling in all of one’s pursuits
-“To man it is granted to have whatever he chooses, to be whatever he wills.” –Pico della
Mirandola
-heavily focused around the general dignity of man
-man could make his own moral choices
-believed man should be focused on the present and not the after-life
-idea was that the philosopher was a wise man who could govern
-idea of a Renaissance Man
-man can do anything he wanted
-man that was talented in all areas (Da Vinci)
-believed the key to a good life was Reason and Nature
-4. focused first on studying ancient languages
-initially, Latin of ancient Rome was the main focus
-After the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, Greek came to be studied rigorously as well
-scholars fled Constantinople to the rest of Europe, taking ancient texts with them
-by 1500, virtually all of the significant ancient Roman and Greek texts that had been
rediscovered, were translated and printed
-5. largely rejected the views of Aristotle and medieval scholasticism in favor of:
-Roman authors such as Cicero, Livy, Virgil, and Quintilian
-Greek writings, especially those of Plato
-early Christian writers, especially the New Testament
-this occurred mostly in northern Europe
-became a cornerstone of the Northern Renaissance
-overall, believed traditional education was useless
-most works were done in vernacular rather than Latin
-6. believed in a liberal arts educational program that included grammar, rhetoric, poetry, history,
politics and moral philosophy
-very much a classical curriculum
-believed this was crucial to prepare people for real life
-7. often, humanism was more secular
-again, a basic focus on the material world
-however, most humanists remained deeply Christian, both in Italy and in Northern Europe
-idea of virtue important
-needed to excel at all pursuits
-believed in the dignity and individuality of man
-proper study of man is man
-heavily focused on a scholarly study of Greek and Latin texts as well as the ancient Church
fathers
-religion was not ignored, God still had a role in society, but it was a less intimidating role on
human life and action
-whole movement centered around a secular focus
-focus on the present and not the afterlife
-believed in a liberal arts education program
-various writers began to compose texts in the vernacular, common language
-these writers also reflected ideas of humanism
-two important figures for all of this:
1) Pico Della Mirandola (1463-1494)
-wrote Oration of the Dignity of Man
-manifesto of the Renaissance
-900 statements about the most important things in man’s life
-believed in unlimited human potential
-idea was that God had given humankind the power to shape its own destiny
-man could be great if he put his mind to it and molded himself into a perfect form
2) Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)
-wrote a very key work: the Prince
-went over a political view of humanism
-proper way to rule over a region
-“ends justifies the means”
-“better to be feared than to be loved”
-rulers had to be practical and cunning, in addition to be ruthless and aggressive
-like a lion and a fox
-whole purpose of a ruler was to preserve order and security
-do whatever was needed without turning the population against you
-leader had a different moral code than a regular person
-II. Artwork
-Medieval Art:
-before the Renaissance and during the Middle Ages art had the following features:
-Lacked depth or perspective
-Figures stiff and elongated
-Facial expressions lacked emotions
-Background frequently a solid color
-Usually done in manuscripts, books, tapestries, and religious icons in Orthodox churches
-world of painting was considered a “mechanical” art
-with the Renaissance, art changed (know these features well)
-Painting
-perspective: 3-D effects on a 2-dimensional surface
-Chiaroscuro
-use of dark and light colors to create the illusion of depth
-faces of subjects expressed unique individual characteristics (embodying the Renaissance ideal of
“individualism”)
-also, more emotion was shown on human faces (trying to depict the soul and deep emotion)
-sfumato
-developed by Leonardo
-technique of blurring or softening sharp outlines
-balance and proper proportion present
-certain colors used for symbolic purposes (violet a color of reverence)
-beauty of nature portrayed for its own sake, not merely as simple background
-new materials used: oil paints
-art viewed as “high art”
-ideal human form emphasized
-religious themes still present (9 out of every 10 paintings)
-classical symbolism present as well though
-Michelangelo modeled his version of Christ on the portrayal of Apollo
-Sculpture
-Medieval sculpture often appeared on buildings and tombs and did not glorify human body
-really just relief sculptures protruding from a surface
-Renaissance sculpture was often free-standing, designed to be seen in the round
-heavily influenced by ancient Greek and Roman sculpture
-many sculptures glorified the human body and many portrayed nude figures
-Like Renaissance painting, many Renaissance sculptures also glorified the individual
-Architecture
-Gothic style of architecture during the Middle Ages was highly-ornamented
-Renaissance architecture utilized ancient Greek and Roman forms such as Greek temple
architecture, Greek columns, Roman arches and domes, etc.
-Renaissance emphasized simplicity, symmetry, and balance
-Key Examples of Artists and art you MUST know
-Raphael Santi (1483-1520)
-well known for his numerous “Madonna and Child” paintings (Madonna and Child with the
Book, enthroned with saints, with the Fish, with the Beardless St. Joseph)
-best known for School of Athens
-already seen this
-Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564)
-painter, sculptor, and architect
-best known painting was the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
-commissioned by Pope Julius II
-created a complex scene of creation, downfall, and salvation
-two famous sculptures
-David (1501-1504)
-ideal human body
-Pieta (1499)
-considered by some to be the most perfect marble sculpture ever made
-Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
-the “Renaissance Man”
-genius ahead of his time
-various famous pieces
-of course the Mona Lisa
-also had the Last Supper (1498)
-eye drawn to Jesus, Judas shown as the betrayer by being the only one in shadow
-northern Renaissance artist Jan van Eyck (1395-1441)
-Flemish
-well known for oil painting techniques
-most famous work was the Marriage of Arnolfini or Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride
-depicts the marriage of an international businessman, a wealthy Italian merchant,
marrying Giovanna Cenami, a wealthy woman from France
-signaled the economic success of his subject through the elegance of the painting
-extreme detail is present throughout the painting (Van Eyck even put himself in the
mirror)
-signed his name above the mirror, Jan Van Eyck was here, 1434
-a lot of debate over this (marriage contract due to shoes (shoes not worn for sacred
ground), wife not pregnant due to fashion (more cloth worn means the wealthier the
person was)
-dog symbolizes loyalty
III. Literature
-Literature had heavy advances in the Renaissance
-paper learned from Arabs who learned it from the Chinese
-more works in the vernacular and more works focusing on humanist ideals
-key figures:
-Machiavelli
-already discussed
-William Shakespeare
-one of the greatest writers in English history
-heavily sponsored by Queen Elizabeth of England
-works often referenced classical themes (Julius Caesar)
-goes back to the idea of humanist focus on Greek and Latin
-produced various plays and works as you know
-literature also advances elsewhere
-don’t think it is just Europe that was experiencing these things
-a variety of novels began to be constructed in the Ming Dynasty
-key novel: Journey to the West
-fictionalized account of a pilgrimage to India by the Buddhist monk Xuanzang
-monk traveled to obtain sacred texts
IV. New Technology
-Development in Technology
-overview
-creativity flourished in the practical arts as well as the fine arts during this period in European
history
-contributed substantially to the rise of exploration
-local techniques enhanced by innovations encountered in trade
-especially true of contact with the Arab world
-all of the inventions that occurred would heavily help exploration
-all of these built on previous knowledge as well
-knowledge from the Islam and Asian worlds
-classical knowledge
-key developments/advancements
-caravel
-new ship
-blended the lateen sails of Arab sailors with a stern rudder of northern Europe
-could sail with and against the wind as needed
-astrolabe
-helped sailors determine their location at sea
-better maps began to be created
-due in part to the rediscovery in the 15th century of Ptolemy’s Geography
-preserved in the Arab world
-sparked interest in proper mapping
-an error in Ptolemy’s map led Columbus to underestimate the circumference of the globe
by around a 1/3
-led to him setting out across the Atlantic in search of East Asia
-cannons
-gave European merchants firepower not available to others
-Europeans put gunpowder to use in warfare
-became masters of gun-making
-European warring powers were energetically competing in an “arms race” to develop the most
powerful and effective cannons and guns
-Leonardo and others worked on mathematics of projectiles
-cannons helped sink opposition
-printing press
-developed by Johannes Gutenberg
-printed the first major book set in movable type, the Gutenberg Bible
-made possible by the ready availability of paper (brought in from Muslim Spain)
-by 1500, 10 million individual books had been produced and distributed
-had a big impact on a variety of areas
-people could now discus ideas with one another more
-clocks
-invented by China first, but Europeans also invented them in the 14th century
-began to be heavily used by merchants
-Importance of Renaissance
-new learning
-transition to a modern world for Europe
-restored knowledge of Ancient Culture
-Aided development of vernacular literature
-paved the way for Reformation
-inspired exploration with new technology
-Renaissance Impact
-who benefited?
-upper classes and elites
-ordinary people were not much effected
-this is purely an elite movement