Download The Renaissance Begins

The RenaissanceBegins
2a.1 lntroduction
Toward the end of the Middle Ages, a greatflowering of culture called the
Renaissance beganin Italy and spreadthroughoutEurope.In this chapter,you
rlf
t,
1l
i
was and how it began.
will learn what the Renaissance
got its name
Renaissanceis a Frenchword that means"rebirth." The Renaissance
from a rebirth in interestin classical art and learning that took place from the
l300sthroughthe1500sc.e.(ClassicalreferstotheculturesofancientGreekand
Rome.) Although therewas no suddenbreak with the Middle Ages, the Renaissance
changedmany aspectsof people'slives over time.
You may recall from Unit I that medievalEuropeansocietywas basedon feudalism. Most peoplelived on feudal manorsin the countryside.The Roman Catholic
Church encouragedpeopleto think more aboutlife after deaththan about daily life
on Earth. Except for the clergy,few peoplewere educated.
By the Late Middle Ages, changeswere
occurring that helpedpave the way for the
Renaissance.
Tradeand commerceincreased,
and cities grew larger and wealthier.Newly
wealthy merchantsand bankerssupportedthe
growth of the arts and learning.A renewed
interestin classicalculture starteda flood
of new ideas.Greek and Roman examples
inspired new stylesof architecture,new approachesto the arts,and new ways of thinking.
Beginningin Italy,a philosophycalled
humanism developed.Humanistsbelieved
in the worth and potentialof all individuals.
They tried to balancereligiousfaith with belief
in the power of the human mind. Humanists
took a fresh interestin human societyand the
natural world. This way of thinking contributed
to the burst of creativityduring the Renaissance.
In this chapter,you'll explore how the Renaissancediffered from the Middle Ages and classicaltimes.Then you'll look at somechanges
in Europeanlife that led to the Renaissance.
The Renaissance
Besins 315
28.2 What Was the Renaissance?
perspective the appearance
of distance
or depthon a flat
surface,
as in a painting
ry
The Renaissance
beganin Italy in the mid 1300sand spreadto other
parts of Europein the 1400sand 1500s.Let's look more closely at this
"great rebirth" of interestin classicalart and learning.Then we'll use
{
art to explore the link between the Renaissanceand the classical world.
Renewed lnterest in the Glassical World The
Renaissance
beganwith the rediscoveryof the classicalworld of
I
i
ancient Greeceand Rome. After the fall of Rome in the fifth century
c.e., classicalculture was never entirely forgotten.The Roman Catholic
Church helpedkeep knowledgeof ancienttimes alive by copying documentsthat survivedfrom the classicalperiod. Still, this knowledge
reachedrelatively few peopleduring most of the Middle Ages.
S' J
In the Late Middle Ages, merchantsand crusadersbrought back
goodsand ideasfrom the East,including classicallearningthat had
beenpreservedin the ByzantineEmpire. Europeansalso read classical
Thisexample
of classical
artwas
createdin 450e.c.r.A Roman
statue works that cameto them by way of Muslim scholars.
it celebrates
of a discusthrower.
the
This flow of ideas led to a rediscovery of Greek and Roman culture.
classical
idealsof balance
andpower. Scholarsstartedcollecting and readingancientmanuscriptsfrom monasteries.Artists and architectsstudiedclassicalstatuesand buildings.
The renewed interest in classical culture led to the great flowering of
Plt
i
7r
art and learningthat we call the Renaissance.
Exploring the Rebirth of Glassical ldeasThrough Art
We can trace the link between the classical world and the
Renaissance
by looking at art. Let's explore someof
the characteristicsof art from classical,medieval,and
Renaissance
times.
t
?
Classical Art
The classicalperiod lastedfrom
about 500 B.c.E.to 500 c.B.The classicalartistsof Greeceand
Rome createdsculptures,pottery,murals,and mosaics.The
purposeof much of their art was to show the importance of
peopleand leaders,as well as gods and goddesses.
Here are
additionalcharacteristicsof classicalart:
. Artists valued balanceand harmony.
+ +
. Figures were lifelike but often idealized (more perfect than
in real life).
. Figureswere nude or drapedin togas(robes).
. Bodies looked active,and motion was believable.
. Faceswere calm and without emotion.
. Scenesshowedeither heroic figures or real peopledoing
tasksfrom daily life.
. In paintings,therewas little backgroundor senseof pen
spective (for example,showingpeopleand objectsbigger
or smaller to make them look closer or farther awav).
316 Chapter
28
t 'e
,
Medieval Art
The medievalperiod lasted
from about 500 to 1300c.e. Medieval artistscreated
stainedglasswindows, sculptures,illuminatedman-
rt'
uscripts,paintings,and tapestries.The purposeof
much medievalart was to teachreligion to people
who could not read or write. Here are additional
characteristicsof medievalart:
. Most arl was religious,showingJesus,saints,
+ \f
peoplefrom the Bible, and so on.
.
Important figures in paintingswere shown as
larger than othersaroundthem.
rT
I,
i
,6sr"r"l/i
-is,-$f
.tu,,'.i#
f,"
.
Y,'
.:'l,li'li{f
-.'i \.\'i -.:.r
:i ,
r i ': r ., II,,r \11
iiiiii,[It,*$r
)r
\r
,fu
.
Figureslooked stiff, with little senseof movement.
.
Figureswere fully dressedin stiff-looking clothing.
Thisexamole
of medieval
artwas
.
Faceswere seriousand showedlittle feeling.
created
for a churchin France
in
.
Paintedfigures were two-dimensional,or flat.
.
Paint colors were bright.
110c.E.
Thesculnture
showsJesus
hisapostles
sending
outto preach.
.
Backgroundswere mostly one color, often gold.
Renaissance Art
The Renaissance
lastedfrom the 1300sto the
early 1600s.Renaissance
artistscreatedsculptures,murals,drawings,
and paintings.The aim of much Renaissance
art was to show the
just
importanceof peopleand nature,not
religion. Here are additional
*r
characteristicsof Renaissanceart:
. Artists showedreligious and nonreligiousscenes.
{h
.
Art reflecteda greatinterestin nature.
.
Figureswere lifelike and three-dimensional,
reflecting an increasingknowledgeof anatomy.
${
.
Bodies looked active and were shown movins.
.
Figureswere either nude or clothed.
.
Scenesshowedreal peopledoing everydaytasks.
.
Facesexpressedwhat peoplewere thinking.
.
Colors were shown respondingto light.
Paintingswere often symmetrical(balanced,with
the right and left sideshaving similar or identical
elements).
Full backgroundsshowedperspective.
J
I
I
If you comparetheselists, you can seethat
Renaissanceartistswere inspiredmore by classicalart than medieval
art. Like classicalartists,Renaissance
paintersand sculptorsdepicted
subjectsthat were not alwaysreligious.They tried to show peopleas
lifelike and engagedin everydayactivities.They also tried to capture
Thisexamole
of Renaissance
artis
a muraltitledfhe Schoolof Athens.
It waspainted
around
by Raphael
1510.
Ancient
Greekphilosophers,
suchas PlatoandAristotle,
are
the way things look in the real world.
shownsurrounded
bysomeof the
Renaissanceafi reflectsa rebirth of interestin the classicalworld. What
changesbrought aboutthis revival of classicalculture?Let's find out.
Renaissance
artists
theyinspired
centuries
later.
The Renaissance
Besins 317
I
zB,3The Growth of Trade and Gommerce
One reasonfor the flowering of culture during the Renaissancewas
the growth of trade and commerce.Trade brought new ideas as well as
goods into Europe. A bustling economy createdprosperouscities and
new classesof people who had the wealth to support art and learning.
Starting in the l lth century, the Crusadesstrengthenedcontacts
between western Europe and Byzantine and Muslim cultures. Traders
brought goods and ideas from the East that helped to reawaken interest
in classicalculture.In the 13th century,the Mongol conquestsin Asia
made it safer for tradersto travel alons the Silk Road to China.
The tales of the Italian traveler Marco Polo sparked
even greaterinterest in the East. Food, art, and
such luxury goods as silk and spicesmoved
along the trade routes linking Europe to
Africa and Asia.
I
+', 9
I
I
3t
it
s
Italian cities like Venice and Genoa
were centrally located on the trade
routes that linked the rest of western
)
Europe with the East. They became
bustling trading centersthat attracted
traders.merchants.and customers.
So did cities in the north like Bruges
t
*
t
?
and Brussels.Trading ships carried
goodsto England,Scandinavia,and
present-dayRussiaby way of the
English Channeland the Baltic and
North Seas.Towns along the routes
connectins southernand northern
This15th-century
Frenchillustration
showstheexchange
of goodsand
Europe, such as Cologne and Mainz in Germany,provided inns and
other servicesfor traveling merchants.
moneyin a Renaissance
town.
The increasein trade led to a new kind of economy. During the
Middle Ages, people bartered,or traded goods for other goods. During
peoplebeganusing coins to buy goods,creatinga
the Renaissance,
money economy. Coins came from many places, so moneychangers
+ +
were neededto convert one type of currency into another.
As a result of all this activity, craftspeople,merchants,and bankers
becamemore important in society.Craftspeopleproduced goods that
merchantstraded all over Europe. Bankers exchangedcurrency, loaned
t^J
money to merchantsand rulers, and financed their own businesses.
patron a personwho supports
the artsor otheractivities
by
supplying
moneyfor them
Some merchantsand bankersgrew very rich. With their abundant
wealth, they could afford to make their cities more beautiful. Wealthy
patrons commissioned(ordered and paid for) new buildings and art.
They also helpedto found (start)universities.ProsperousRenaissance
cities srew into flourishins educationaland cultural centers.
318 Chapter
28
",sYdqE
T
f
2A.4The lnfluence of
Italian Gity-States
The Renaissance
beganin northem and
central Italy. One reasonit began there
was the prosperity of Italian city-states.
In the Late Middle Ages, most of
western Europe was made up of fiefs
ruled by nobles.Above the nobleswere
monarchs.In ltaly, however, growing towns demandedself-rule and
developedinto independentcity-states.Each city-stateconsistedof a
powerful city and the surroundingtowns and countryside.
The Italian city-statesconductedtheir own trade, collected their own
taxes,and madetheir own laws. Somecity-states,suchas Florence,
were republics that were governedby electedcouncils.Council
mapof
Thisis a late-lSth-century
Florence,
oneof ltaly'smostpowerful
city-states.
Noticethe manon a hillin
the lowerrightcorner;the artistdrew
looking
himself
overFlorence.
members included commonersas well as nobles.
In theory the power in republicsbelongedto the people.In fact, it often
lay in the handsof rich merchants.During the Middle Ages, guilds of
craftspeopleand merchantsbecamevery powerfrrl. During the Renaissance,
groups of guild members (called boards) often ruled Italian city-states.
Boards were supposedto changemembersoften. However, wealthy families often gained long-term control. As a result, some city-stateswere
ruled by a single family, like the fabulously rich Medicis in Florence.
I
.T IA
Trade madethe Italian city-stateswealthy.Italy's centralMediterranean
location placed its cities in the middle of the trade routes that connected
distant places with the rest of western Europe. People from all over
city-state an independent
state
of a cityandits surconsisting
rounding
territory
republic a formof government
in whichpeopleelectrepresentativesto rulein theirname
Europe came to northern Italy to buy, sell,
and do their banking.
Some Italian city-statesdevelopedspecializations.Florencebecamea centerfor
cloth making and banking. Milan produced
$1
metal goods and armor. The port city of
Genoa was a trading center for ivory and
gold from northern Africa. Venice, the most
powerful clty-state, had hundredsof ships
that controlled the trade routesin the MediterraneanSea. Silk, spices,and perfume
$
from Asia flowed into Venice.
The city-states'wealth encourageda boom
in art and learning. Rich families paid for the
creation of statues,paintings,beautiful buildings, and elegantavenues.They built new centers of learning, such as universitiesand hospitals. From the city-statesof Italy, Renais-
!F
sanceideas spreadto the rest of Europe.
#
W
MediterraneanSea
Begins 319
The Renaissance
*r
inthe lSthcentury
Humanist
scholars
reading,
spenttime
studying,
and
writingaboutclassical
culture.
The interestin learningduring the Renaissance
was spurredby humanism. This way of thinking soughtto balancereligious faith with an emphaHumanism first arosein Italy as a result of the renewed interest
in classical culture. Many early humanistseagerly hunted for ancient
Greek and Roman books, coins, and other artifacts that could help them
learn about the classical world.
One of the first humanistswas an Italian poet named Francesco
Petrarch.Petrarchespecially loved old books. He searchedfor them all
over Europe and encouragedhis friends to bring him any they found.
Eventually, he createda large collection of ancient Latin and Greek
writings, which he made available to other scholars.
Scholarsfrom all over Europe traveled to Italy to learn about the
new ideasinspiredby classicalculture.They studiedsuch subjectsas
art, architecture,government, and language.They read classical history
and poetry.They beganto ask probing questions.What did classical
artists find most beautiful about the human bodv? How did the Romans
constructtheir buildings?
suchas history,
literature,
and
ethics
320 Chapter28
b
$
f
tr-
28.5 The Growth of Humanism
sis on individual dignity and an interestin natureand human society.
humanities areasof studythat
focuson humanlifeandculture,
c
In their studiesof classicalculture,humanistsdiscovereda new
way of looking at life. They began to createa philosophy basedon the
importanceand dignity of eachindividual. Humanistsbelievedthat all
peoplehad the ability to control their own lives and achievegreatness.
In education,they stressedstudy of the humanities-a group of subjects that focusedon humanlife and culture.Thesesubjectsincluded
grammar, rhetoric (the study of persuasivelanguage),history, poetr!,
and ethics(the study of moral valuesand behavior).
+
.-'
Humaniststried to put ancientideasinto practice.Architects,for
example,studiedGreekand Romanruins.Then they designedbuildings with pillars,arches,and couftyardslike thoseof classicalbuildings.
The humanistsdid not simply imitatethe past.They alsotried to
improveon the work of the Greeksand Romans.In universities,
scholarsbeganto teachmethodsof observationand experimentation.
Renaissance
scientistsproposednew ideasaboutstarsand planets.
u
4
Artists and studentsof medicinecloselystudiedhumananatomy.
Poetswrote aboutreligioussubjectsand everydayexperiences
such
as love.Writersproducedworks of historyand studiesof politics.
tt
The influenceof classicalidealschangedideasaboutgovernment.
Humanistsseparatedthe stateand its right to rule from the church.In
doing so, they helpedlay the foundationfor modernthinking about
politicsand government.
;
Humanistidealsalsoaffectedpeople'sthinkingaboutsocial
standing.In f'eudaltimes,peoplewereborn into a certainstatusin
society.If someonewas born a peasant,he or shewould always
have lessstatusthan a noble.Renaissance
thinkersprizedindividual
achievement
more thana person'sclassor family.This emphasis
t
on individualismwas an enormousshift from medievalthinking.
*
The humanists'new ideassometimesbroughtthem into conflict
with the Catholic Church.The churchtaughtthat laws were made
by God and that thosewho broke them were sinful. It encouraged
people to follow its teachingswithout questionin orderto savetheir
-a
souls.For the church,life after deathwas more importantthan life on
Earth.In contrast,humanistsbelievedthat preopleshoulduse their
minds to questioneverything.Most tried to balancereligiousfaith
;
and its emphasison the afterlife with an activeinterestin daily life.
Sornedirectly challengedteachingsthat were dearto the church.An
Italianhumanist.GiordanoBruno,paid for his ideasbv beins burned
at the stake.
d,'
I
Francesco
Petrarch
is considered
thefounder
of ltalianRenaissance
poet,
humanism.
A well-known
hewearsa laurelwreat-h
in this
portrait
to symbolize
hiscrowning
poet
as
laureate
in Romein 1341.
28.6 Ghapter Summary
In this chapter,you explored the beginnings of the Renaissance.
The Renaissancewas a flowering of art and learning that was
inspired by a rediscoveryof classicalculture. It beganin Italy and
spreadthroughoutEurope,
f*
Severalfactorscontributedto the Renaissance.The growth of
trade and commercecreatedprosperouscities and classesof people
with the wealth to supporteducationand the arts. Italian city-states
helped spreadRenaissance
ideas.The new philosophy of humanism
spuned interestin learningand fresh ways of thinking. In the next
chapter,you will exploresomeof the advancesthat came out of
'{
7
the Renaissance.
The Renaissance
Besins 321