Download Renaissance - jstachowiak

Italian Renaissance
1400-1600
Origins
 The Renaissance first began
in Italy.
 People developed new
attitudes about themselves
and the world around them.
 Signaled the beginning of
modern times.
 Italian preservation of ancient
Rome encouraged
advancements in artistic and
architectural realms.
Humanism and its effects
 An interest in classical learning that expressed
classical style. Humanism focused on secular (worldly)
themes rather than on religious ideas that dominated
the middle ages.
 Humanists believed education could improve
individuals lives. The focus was on humanities (Greek,
Latin, history and philosophy)…subjects taught in
ancient times.
 New forms of literature focused on personal feelings
ex. Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) wrote sonnets that
expressed love.
 Other notable writers include: Giovanni Boccaccio
(Decameron), Benvenuto Cellini (The Book of the
Courtier) and Niccolo Machiavelli (The Prince).
City Life and Government of Florence
 Independent and walled
in.
 Social hierarchy:
(wealthy merchants and
bankers, shop keepers
and artisans, town
dwellers and peasants).
 Italy did not have one single
government rather individual
city-states were ruled by
wealthy families (ex. Medici
family of Florence) and were
patrons of the arts.
 Sometimes Signori (dictators)
were used when social unrest
was rampant.
 Condottieri were hired
soldiers used when the citizen
army was not enough to quell
unrest.
…other major cities
 Rome
 Venice
 Ruled by the pope and the
cardinals
 Large churches and palaces
constructed to display church
prestige.
 Church placed political goals
ahead of religious duties
 Promoted artistic projects and
commissioned major artists.
 Experienced political stability.
 Governed by an elected doge
(leader)
 Wealthy merchants formed a
Council of Ten (passed laws
and elected the doge)
 Trading city linking Europe
and Asia.
Renaissance Architecture
 During the Renaissance
architects returned to the
classical style. Domes and
columns replaced medieval
arches.
 Adorned buildings with
tapestries, paintings, statues
and glass windows.
 Famous architect Fillipo
Brunelleschi designed and
completed the Cathedral of
Florence in 1436. The
cathedral was a marvel
because of its massive dome.
Renaissance Sculpture
Reflected a return to classical ideals
Free standing figures in bronze or marble
Famous sculptors included Michelangelo, Donatello, and Ghiberti
Examples of Michelangelo (La Pieta and sculpture of David)
Sculpture Continued…
Donatello sculpture of Saint Mark and David
Ghiberti sculpture of The Gates of Paradise
Renaissance Painting
focused on a realistic style, captured emotions, painted on frescos,
employed light and perspective
some famous painters included Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo
Buonarroti and Rafael Sanzio da Urbino
Mona Lisa
The Virgin (or Madonna) of the Rocks
Da Vinci continued..
The Last Supper
Michelangelo
 Last Judgment of Christ
 Ancestors of Christ
Raphael

Vatican
The School of Athens
Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello
The Northern Renaissance
 In 1494 France invaded Italy and became fascinated
by Italian Renaissance art and style
 Leonardo Da Vinci traveled to France and promoted
Renaissance ideas
 Many northern Europeans traveled to Italy to study with
Italian masters.
 Ideas were spread with the development of the printing
press in 1456 by Johannes Gutenberg.
 Various northern cultures adapted ideas to suit their
own needs and traditions.
The French Renaissance
 French architects blended Medieval Gothic towers and
windows with the classical arches used by Italian
architects and created the chateaux.
Northern European Renaissance
 Was accepted by the wealthy towns of Germany and
the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembourg, and the
Netherlands).
 Promoted humanist learning but had more religious
overtones.
 Christian humanists wanted reforms in Catholicism that
would eliminate abuses and restore the simple piety of
the early Church.
 Famous people of the northern Renaissance include
 William Shakespeare (author of several plays)
 Desiderius Erasmus (Christian humanist)
Northern European painters

Jan Van Eyck-Flemish Painter- The Arnolfini Marriage and Angels
Interesting facts about the Renaissance






Michelangelo’s famous painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
took four years to complete and consists of over 300 figures. Contrary
to popular belief, Michelangelo completed most of the painting in a
standing position painfully looking up at the ceiling, not lying down on a
scaffold.
Considered the quintessential “Renaissance Man,” Leonardo Da Vinci
was a painter, sculptor, architect, scientist, mathematician, engineer,
and anatomist.
One of the foremost families of the Renaissance, the Medicis produced
three popes and several rulers of Florence. The family was also a
strong patron of the arts and sciences: Michelangelo, Donatello,
Raphael, and Galileo all benefited from Medici patronage.
During the Renaissance, Italy consisted of 250 separate states, most of
which were ruled by a appointed individuals or families. The smallest of
these city-states had a population of less than 5,000 people; the
largest, such as Venice and Milan, had 100,000 people. Italy did not
become a unified nation until the nineteenth century.
In many ways, the innovations of the Renaissance were Europeans’
way of recovering from the calamities of the fourteenth century, which
included famines, The Hundred Years War, and the Black Plague.