Download The Renaissance

The Italian Renaissance
Review of Origins of the
Renaissance
• The Renaissance was full of artistic,
literary, and intellectual ideas and that its
scholars studied and were influenced by
ancient Greece and Rome. Trade led to an
increase of wealth in Europe. People
spent a significant amount of their money
on entertainment (plays, paintings, essays,
sonnets).
Merchants provide the money
that fuels the Renaissance
• Wealthy Businessmen
like Casimo Medici (Left)
came to run cities like
Florence as the Power of
Feudal Lords decrease
following the Crusades.
• The Merchants had not
gained power through
birth but rather by the
merit of individual work.
• They competed with
each other in everything
including the
sponsorship of the Arts
The Medici Rule Florence
• Cosimo Medici did not run for political
office himself but rather he ensured the
loyalty of members of the city council.
– For over 30 years Cosimo was the virtual
dictator of Florence
– Like wealthy rulers before him Cosimo took
pleasure in beautifying the city he ruled
spending 400,000 gold florins on artistic and
scholarly projects
The Renaissance began in
the City States of Northern
Italy, especially Venice and
Florence around 1300
N
Humanism
• The Great artist and
writers of the
Renaissance are called
Humanist.
– They believed that Europe
had lived in a sense of
darkness since the fall of
Rome in 476.
– Petrach the great Italian
writer coin the phrase “The
Dark Ages” to describe the
early Medieval Age.
• The Renaissance
Humanist studied the
writings of Greek and
Rome & used these
Classical Civilizations as
the model and guide for
their art, literature, and
approach to life.
– The new emphasis would be on
emotion and real humanity in
expressing the value of the
individual and enjoying life.
Hence, it became a new “way of
thinking.”
– Humanist scholars shaped the
intellectual landscape throughout
the early modern period
Art in the Renaissance
• One of the distinguishing features of
Renaissance art was its development of highly
realistic linear perspective. (see PowerPoint
called “Renaissance Art” for more detailed
information).
– The development of perspective was part of a wider
trend towards realism in the arts. To that end, painters
also developed other techniques, studying light,
shadow, and, famously in the case of Leonardo da
Vinci, human anatomy
• There was a renewed desire to depict the
beauty of nature
Science in the Renaissance
• The Renaissance saw significant changes in the
way the universe was viewed and the methods
with which philosophers sought to explain
natural phenomena
• Science and art were very much intermingled in
the early Renaissance, with artists such as
Leonardo da Vinci making observational
drawings of anatomy and nature. Yet the most
significant development of the era was not a
specific discovery, but rather a process for
discovery, the scientific method
Religion in the Renaissance
• The ideas of humanism were largely
influenced by Christianity. Much of the art,
in fact, was commissioned by the Catholic
Church.
Key Artists and Writers of the
Italian Renaissance
The Individual is Celebrated
• By 1300 artist and writers were eager to
become famous and remembered for their
superior talents.
– These artist found a outlet for their ambition
as the wealthy merchants sponsored portraits
and biographies which they felt would share
their lives with others.
• The wealthy believed their lives to be interesting
and important
Petrarch
• Petrarch (July 20, 1304 –
July 19, 1374) was an
Italian scholar, poet, and
early humanist. Petrarch
and Dante are
considered the fathers of
the Renaissance.
• He is best known for
developing the Sonnet
form of Poetry
• He imitated the classical
style of the Roman writer
Cicero
Dante
• Dante was born in
Florence and wrote a
book called the “Divine
Comedy”
– This book is filled with
commentary on politics
and events of Dante’s
time.
– The book is a bridge
between the religious
beliefs of the past and
the new ideas of the
Renaissance
– The first book printed in
the vernacular, everyday
language, of the common
man
Artist like Leonardo da Vinci and Raffaello painted the
Wealthy and the Powerful of the Renaissance
The Great Artist and their
Work
In Italy the artist also painted
many religious subjects because
the Catholic Popes began to
rebuild Rome following the
Babylonian Captivity at Avignon
France ended in mid- 1400’s
Leonardo da
Vinci
• Leonardo was the perfect
Renaissance Man.
• He was an inventor,
sculptor, artist, architect,
scientist, and writer.
• Leonardo was one of the
artist sponsored by
Cosimo Medici in
Florence.
• His most famous painting
of the Mona Lisa (left) is
in the Louver Museum in
Paris
Leonardo the Scientist and Inventor studied
nature for inspiration
• Here in the picture is
a page from “The
Codex” a journal
which Da Vinci kept.
On this page he is
observing and making
comments on the
flight of birds.
Leonardo uses his mind for
military Purposes
• These drawings are
the plans for a rapid
fire gun which Da
Vinci developed in
the early 1500’s.
Leonardo studied the Human Body to gain
knowledge of anatomy
• These drawings of the
shoulder and its
associated muscle and
tendon were drawn by
Leonardo so he could
better understand the
physical form of man.
Many of Leonardo’s
drawings are still used
today to teach student
doctors anatomy.
Leonardo painted more than just
the Mona Lisa and Last Supper
• Here is a painting on
wood which Leonardo
based on the
Religious theme of
Mary and her son
Jesus. This subject
matter is often
referred to as a
Madonna and Child
Leonardo was interested in
faces
• Leonardo made many
pencil sketches of
peoples faces over
his life time. He was
interested in the
process called aging.
He often did
comparison drawings
showing an old face
and a young face
Donatello
• Donatello was a great
Italian sculptor, who
was born in Florence,
Italy, in 1386, and died
at the age of 80 in 1466.
• A lot of his sculptures
were Renaissance
breakthroughs
• He used a powerful
realism that gives his
statues a distinct look
• Donatello wanted to
show the strength and
grace of the human
form, like the ancient
Greeks had.
• He created large free
standing sculptures of
heroic men.
• Donatello rejected the
style of carving
statues and wanted
his figures to look life
like.
• His work was the
inspiration for the
later work of men like
Michelangelo.
Raffaello
• Most famous for his
works in the Pope’s
personal library at the
Vatican in Rome.
• He became the perfect
painter and was
sponsored by the Pope
and the Medici Family of
Florence.
• Raffaello died suddenly
at age 37 and the city of
Rome was plunged into
sorrow
Works of Raffaello
Zoroaster
Socrates
Plato
Raffaello Paints himself in the
picture
Raffaello
Michelangelo
He excelled at many arts
The Sistine Chapel
Michelangelo lay on his back for 15 years
Painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
Michelangelo called forth people
from the stone
• One of
Michelangelo’s
statues was a Pieta or
Mother and son
carving. Here Mary
holds the body of the
dead Jesus
Stunning and life-like
• In this close-up view
of the pieta. You can
see the calm sadness
in the face. The folds
of the cloth head
covering seem to
rustle and blow in the
wind.
The David
• This 16 ft tall statue
cut into white marble
is the master piece of
Michelangelo’s
sculpture.
Realism and Power
• Michelangelo’s statue
radiates strength and
determination.
• The statue is the best
example of
Renaissance
Humanist belief in the
dignity and greatness
Details, Details, Details
• The hand of
Michelangelo’s David
is so life like that you
might think blood
capable of rushing
through the veins of
the arm and hand.
• Michelangelo has
perfected the ideas of
Donatello.
Niccolo Machiavelli
• Born in Florence in
1469 he was a diplomat
and observed the
behavior of Kings.
• He wrote a book in
1513 called the Prince
which gave advice on
how to gain and hold
power.
It is better to be feared than loved
The end result justifies the Means
– He felt that a Successful
leader needed to be shrewd
– He felt that tricking your
enemies or friends was
acceptable as long as you
got what you needed done.
– Even immortal acts were
alright if they served the
interest of the nation
Review-The Renaissance was very
“ARTISTIC”
A. Arrival (birth) of the modern world
R. Rebirth of ancient Greek and Roman cultures
T.The Renaissance started in Italian city-states
I. Italian artists (Michelangelo, da Vinci)
S.Sonnets, essays, plays (Shakespeare)
T.The Renaissance spread to Northern Europe
I. Individualism is stressed (humanism)
C. Church corruption criticized (Erasmus—
humanist)