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Renaissance
(French: “be born again”)
•Some historians believe Renaissance is
from 1300s-1500s (14th-16th century)
•Some believe Renaissance began when
Middle Ages end (1450)
•Some believe Renaissance marked the
beginning of the Modern Age
Beginnings:
Why did it start where it did?
• Began in the Italian city-state of Florence
(Cradle of Renaissance)
• Florence was the home of the Medici family
(Italian bankers) who became patrons of many
Renaissance artists (Medicis later move to
Rome)
• Florence was known for its goldsmiths (reason
for rise of world renowned artists) & silks
• Greek scholars, like Demetrius Chalcondyles
(1424-1511), flood into Florence & other Italian
city states to escape from Ottoman Turks
following Crusades & fall of Byzantine Empire
What sparked the Renaissance?
• Crusades and opening of new trade routes in Africa & Asia led many
to come into contact with new civilizations
• Increased trade, silver mining, & luxuries brought back from
Crusades caused middle class to grow & accumulate vast sums of
money, leading to competition over status & power
• Per person wealth was very high despite population decline &
economic dislocation (even modest families could afford smaller
religious paintings, storage chests, & decorated art); Market for art &
# of shops, studios increased
• Competition between wealthy people over who was most educated
or who had most sponsored artists led to developments in education
& art; Symbols & images communicated social, political, & spiritual
values; Art also purchased as penance for sins
• Scandals of Catholic Church led to a loss of papal power, causing
people to doubt Church’s authority
Trading Leads to Intellectual
Diffusion
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Rise of the Italian city-states happens as a result of signori (despots) or
oligarchies (rule of merchant aristocrats) beginning to control much of Italy
& increased number of commenda (Contracts between merchant and
“merchant-adventurer” who agreed to take goods to distant locations and
return with the proceeds for 1/3 of profits)
Following the Middle Ages, Italian cities were large enough in population
(urban), wealthy enough and had sufficient political and geographical
independence to recover quickly from disasters
Italy’s economy was based on wealthy merchants & commerce; due to
creation of Hansiatic League (economic alliance of trading cities & their
guilds that established & maintained trade monopoly along coast of
Northern Europe), Italy became a crossroads of trade, leading to academic
& artistic advancement across the Levant ("Mediterranean lands east of
Venice” or “Land of the rising sun”)
After beginning in Central Italy’s Florence (wool textiles), the Renaissance
then spread throughout Italy and then into the rest of Europe
Kingdom of Genoa in North (maritime), Milan in West (wool & fabric
textiles), Venice in East (glass, ship-building), Naples in South (agricultural)
Origins of Humanism
• Power of Church became increasingly limited; as a
result, people’s creativity and speculations were freed
from control of totalitarian Church (also led to Church
having less power within Government)
• People were finally allowed to have “independence of
mind” and did not have to depend on outside authority
for formation of knowledge, tastes, and beliefs, creating
“l’uomo universale” (the complete man) or polymaths,
Renaissance Men (one who mastered all branches of art
& thought)
• Experts at good speaking & writing (rhetoricians) turn to
Latin classics as model
Humanism
*move from theocratic view of Middle Ages to human view of Renaissance
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Belief that life was important & should be enjoyed instead of waiting for afterlife
Admiration of Classic Greeks & Romans
Glorification of humans & their ability to master the world in which they lived (through God-given ingenuity, as opposed to Medieval
philosophy of being helpless pawns of Providence)
Humans deserve to be center of attention
Search for realism & human emotion in art
Civic Humanism
*Participation in human affairs essential for human development
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Coluccio Salutati led efforts to collect ancient manuscripts & form libraries to make classical texts more accessible,
Stressed active life (vita activa) & argued for republican life
Believed that educated citizens should use their wisdom for benefit of all because can’t only rely on moral understanding
Individuals shouldn’t cut themselves off from society
Should make changes by becoming part of government
Rulers should exhibit classical & Christian virtues, be loved & obeyed
Government & laws should be unchanging & static, change comes through chance or fortune
Neo-Platonists
*Study grand ideas in work of Plato & other philosophers because they showed the dignity & morality of the human soul
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Universe is arranged in a hierarchy of excellence with God at top, everyone seeks perfection & hopes to achieve beauty, humans are
link between spiritual world & material world, we all have free will to go towards spiritual or material
Marsilio Ficini (1433-1499) translates Plato’s work into Latin & reinterpret Plato into Christianity
Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (163-1494) “900 Theses” & “Oration on the Dignity of Men” about importance of human quest for
knowledge; 1st Humanist to learn Hebrew & argues that divine wisdom can be found in Jewish mystical literature (studies Jewish
Cabbala-collection of mystical & occult writings from time of Moses-Johannes Reuchlin “Letters of Illustrious Men” attacked by
Dominicans), popularized Corpus Hermeticum (all magical texts) leading to investigations of astrology & alchemy (Direct, reciprocal
relationship between cosmos & natural world, Everything made of primary material could be changed from one substance into another,
hoping to make impure pure)
Rebirth of the Classics
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After fall of Byzantine Empire, sought out Latin & Greek texts from
Byzantium’s monasteries
Rejected medieval scholasticism (strengthen faith by rationalizing &
accepting facts)
Began to translate and read classic texts (ad fontes-go back to the
original sources)
Found new ways of examining ancient world through archaeology,
numismatics (coins), epigraphy (inscriptions on buildings & statues);
Found that the study of history meant looking to past for evidence of
God’s providence
Attempts to study & improve secular & worldly by reviving classical ideas
& finding new approaches to thought, Investigation of other ancient texts,
including Hebrew
Began to study Latin texts by Cicero, Livy, & Seneca and Greek texts on
science, math, philosophy by Homer, Demosthenes, & Thucydides
Invite Byzantine scholars like Manuel Chyrsoloras (1355-1415) into
Florence to teach Greek
Pioneering new thoughts: Who was
the first?
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Literary historians cite Petrarch (1304-1374) as 1st humanist who felt that only true
examples of morality & propriety came from Ancients; Lawyer & cleric who enjoyed
writing letters, poetry, & papers addressed to famous Greeks and Romans; felt that
humanist education helps to lead a wise, pious, & happy life; emulates Virgil by
writing epic poetry; wrote “My Secret” as dialogue with St. Augustine about his
struggle to achieve peace despite temptation; Found morality model in ancients &
believed that one should be cut off from evils of society (viva contemplativa)
Literary historians ALSO cite Dante Aligheri (1265-1321) (“Father of Italian
Language”) “Divine Comedy”
Art historians cite religious chapel & fresco work of Giotto di Bondone (“Father of the
Renaissance” 1267-1337) & Masaccio’s move away from Medieval Gothic artwork for
more realistic 3-dimensional religious chapel & panel work (1401-28)
Architecture historians cite the competition of rivals Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378-1455) &
Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) for a contract to build doors for Florence Cathedral
(Ghiberti wins due to his architectural stories of New Testament for North doors & Old
Testament for East doors) (Brunelleschi lost but built Florence’s 1st hospital based on
hemispheres & cubes, resembling Greek stoa or Roman basilica)
Political historians cite Niccolo Machiavelli who explains mechanics of politics as
power for sake of having power
Humanist Government Ideals: Revive
classical thinkers & apply to government
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Early Renaissance trend in Italian city states was to uphold ideal of liberty (republicanism), Later Renaissance
moves toward despotism
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Explains move from community of Christendom to idea of the sovereign state & beginnings of modern nationality
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Niccolo Machiaveli “The Prince” (1469-1527) encouraged Italians & their rulers to be more united & keep out
foreigners, describing how to maintain political control, hoped that Cesar Borgia (son of Pope Alexander VI) or
Medicis would unite Italy (also wrote “The Art of War”), people pay too little attention to history’s lessons & should
consider people’s true motivations, challenges notion that people choose virtue over vice (Christianity) & people
are more likely to respond to fear, people rather than rhetoric makes good government, good governing requires
different skills at different times (Warning to not simplify too much)
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Sir Thomas More “Utopia”(1478-1535) contrasted a perfect society with the contentious problems of European
nation-states, thus explaining the conflicts that exist between humanist idealism & political realities; about ideal
island society questioning moral value of public service & describing a place with not private property, strict
equality of possessions, harmony, tolerance, & little to no violence
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Matteo Palmieri (1406-1475) “On Civic Life” about the qualities of an ideal citizen, need for a good education, and
how to take an active part in politics
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Virtu (virtue) meant martial spirit of a population or leader, but also encompasses a broader collection of traits
necessary for maintenance of the state and "the achievement of great things"
Raison dEtat (reason of the state) meant a country’s goals and ambitions whether economic, military, or cultural
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Switch from
Church-controlled State
to
Government-controlled State
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Jacob Burckhardt (1860) argued that Renaissance Italians were 1 st to recognize the State as a moral structure,
free from restraints of Church & philosophical traditions; State’s success or failure depends on personal qualities of
creative brilliance (romantic individualism & nationalism)
Boards became dominated by guild layman (most powerful political party was “Guelf”) were building &
administering great Italian churches; Cathedrals built to revive cities in name of saints as community projects to
revive civic pride
Religious hospitals & charities were under government control
Communities built city halls to house government functions with emphasis on beauty of work; City officials consult
with artists & architects about width of streets, height limits, styles of buildings
Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s “Good Government of Sienna” representations of wisdom & cardinal virtues with street
scenes in one wall & opposite representations of murder, rape, & injustice to tell what is & isn’t acceptable
Education was supervised by town governments to provide training in skills needed by guilds: accounting, math,
composition (broad based & practical)
Logic & scholastic philosophy dominated university education in North
Literature emphasized culture of towns & moralists emphasized the “common good”
Their desire to follow Ancients led them to imitate actions, values, culture, and later on, the government of the
ancient Romans led them to institute a republican State, rather than falling under control of a lord, even though
humanism attracted oligarchy
Niccolo Niccoli paid to find lost manuscripts (much of his collection became Vatican Library); Found “On the
Donation of Constantine” that told about a gift by the Emperor Constantine of the jurisdiction over Rome (legal
theorists attacked validity, saying that no emperor had a right to make that declaration, Lorenzo Valla proved its
illegitimacy (Valla also rewrote annotated New Testament)
Characteristics of Renaissance Art
• Linear perspective (creating illusion of space & distance on flat
surface; representation of 3 dimensions on 2 dimensional flat plane;
parallel lines go off into distance but seem to converge; geometric
relationships regulate size of objects at various distances from
viewer-up close, looks big; farther away, looks smaller) (Massachio’s
“Trinity”-flat surface that seems to be 3 panels) (In Venice, used
linear perspective & added subtle oil coloring)
• Study of light, shadow, and human anatomy
• Beauty of nature & aesthetics (as opposed to Medieval fear of
death, destruction, sadness, & horror)
Early Renaissance
Artists imitate nature
Artists part of guild
Had to pass apprenticeship & follow strict rules that controlled trade
Renaissance Art
Mid Renaissance
Rediscovered proportion
Later Renaissance (as result of humanism)
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Recognized that vivid & convincing recreations of achievements of ancients were being produced
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Showed a new interest in personal fame
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Believed that a truly moral person had to combine a contemplative life with an active life
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Needed vigorous leadership led to patronage of arts
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Artists became highly prized at court & within Church as patrons of papacy after Medicis set the example
(reason for Michelangelo being able to paint Sistine Chapel in Vatican
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Many began to consider Renaissance artists equal or superior to Ancients so should
be recognized and rewarded for his unique artistic technique (maneria), leading to Mannerism
*Mannerism-Each work of art done in the artist’s characteristic “touch” or recognizable “manner.”
A.
Replace Harmony With Dissonance & Discourse
B.
Replace Reason with Emotion
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Replace Reality with Imagination
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Create Instability instead of Equilibrium
E.
Bodies are Distorted
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Colors are Lurid
G.
Picture is Crowded
H.
Void in Center of Picture
I.
Hanging Figures
*Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) wanted to understand why artists were being showered with praise after he was awarded
a knighthood for his artistic services & began to write world’s 1st art history, posed theory that certain artists
were filled with spirit (called “genius”) that seperated them from rest of humans
Renowned Artists
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Giotto (1267-1337) was painter famous for solid bodies, expression of human emotion, & suggestion of
landscapes; painted churches & chapels (Arena Chapel), breaking with stiff, symbolic style & making lifelike
portraits of living & dramatic situations (episodes in life of Christ, from birth to crucifixion, like Kiss of Judas)
Donatello [(1386-1466) was sculptor known for bas relief (shallow relief sculptures) focused on beauty of human
body, 1st nude sculptor since Ancients, Bronze nude statue of David (after infamous battle with Goliath that
symbolized youth, vigor, weak defeating strong), idealized representations], Masaccio [1401-1428) was painter
who used inspiration of ancients to put new emphasis on nature, on 3-dimensional human bodies, & on
perspective, 1st to paint nudes since Ancients, expert at perspective], & Brunellesci [(architect, proposed largest
dome in Europe since Pantheon, built dome in rings without scaffolding-Florence Cathedral] travel to Rome to
break with Medieval styles & imitate, bring back glory of past; Many follow their lead & began to change subject
matter to portraits & depictions of mythological stories
Sandro Boticelli (1445-1510) was Neo-Platonist painter of landscapes & human forms: “Birth of Venus,”
“Primavera,” (symbolism of truth, beauty, virtues of humanity) & “Venus and Mars”
Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) was raised outside & below humanist social class & wanted to prove that
learning was not a social skill so based his learning on careful observation of nature & scientific analysis;
experimental painter, scientist, writer, & inventor; wanted to seek new ways of doing things, observed anatomy,
designing defense forts, bridges, airships, submarines, solving practical problems focused on technical perfection
of paintings in use of angles, perspectives, & detailed backgrounds; “Mona Lisa” & “Last Supper” show his new
methods of painting (reason why his paintings are falling apart); Developed chiaroscuro (use of light & dark, aerial
perspective-paint horizon as muted, shaded zones)
Michelangelo (1475-1564) shares Petrarch’s concern for social reform& Italian social renewal, religious
intellectual transformation; was committed republican but worked on papal commissions; painter focused on
individuals that conveyed strength & ambition that experimented in poetry, architecture & sculpture, Wanted to
seek new effects with sense of latent strength: “The Creation of Man” shows Adam before receiving life but still
feel his masculine strength in Sistine Chapel; Marble “David” symbolizes young Florence republic maintaining its
freedom; for Pope Clement VII “The Last Judgement” makes his own self portrait as St. Bartholemew with hanging
skin; was Platonist who believed that form & beauty were buried w/in artwork & artist had to peel away excess to
reveal beauty for rest of world to see
Rafael Santi (1483-1520) was painter focused on mastery of perspective & ancient styles to produce works of
harmony & beauty that conveyed sense of peace “Madonna,” wanted to convey impressions of sheer relaxation in
paintings: “School of Athens” showed great Ancient philosophers painted with faces of his contemporary peers
Titian (1479-1576) was painter focused on scenes of luxury in vivid, immediate ways that make paintings seem
real; his Venetian background shows a more sensuous & rich side to life & made viewer feel like part of scene
Northern Renaissance Art
vs.
Early Italian Renaissance Art
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Northern Europeans did not completely follow Early Italian Renaissance
tendency to break away from Medieval Gothic styles, not as dramatic of a
transformation
Not as many large cities or large populations (not like in Italy, where
language & monuments were reminders of classical age)
Had a court-dominated culture, especially the House of Burgundy
(wealthiest & most powerful in North)
Tension & frequent violence were marked by deep emotional instability;
Military & knights less important than foot soldiers (but nobles still hung onto
chivalry)
Knights of Garter in England & Burgundian Knights of Golden Fleece waged
dazzling wars with displays of glitter, silks, tapestries
Special orders of knights to defend women & took oaths to honor women
(like keeping one eye closed for week); Dreamed of possibilities of love &
war
Cult of Sublime/Cult of Decay; obsession with impossibly beautiful but
fascination with death (following Black Death); dance of death (danse
macabre-dancing with skeleton) was popular motif among rich & poor;
images of Virgin weeping over dead son; Glamorized fleetingingness of
beaty & life (attachment to material world & dissatisfaction with religion
Characteristics of Renaissance Literature
*Rise of vernacular language (written in
native language used in everyday speech
by common people)
*Standardization of spelling & grammar
Characteristics of Northern Renaissance Art
(Late Gothic)
*French King Francis I invites Italian artists to his court to build
Fontainebleu, marking beginning of Renaissance in North
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Highly Realistic - There is almost no abstraction or distortion of either human forms or objects in Northern
Renaissance art; Wanted to paint & sculpt in ways that represent reality
Extremely Detailed - Every detail, no matter how small, is painstakingly painted; More complex & emotional than
Medieval Gothic style
Symbolism - Objects are often used as symbols that carry hidden meanings.
Unidealized Figures - Human figures are totally unidealized. They often look thin and pale. There is almost no
Classical influence here at all.
Printmaking - The use of woodcut becomes a common way to produce images.
Oil Paintings - On wood or canvas; Netherland’s Flemish School (Flanders) known for use of oil paints instead of
tempera; Move from ornate, vivid colors to experimentation with depth in painting
*Claus Sluter-sculptor
*Jan Van Eyck less interested in realization & more fascinated with details of physical world “Portrait of Arnolfinis,”
religious symbolism with sense of humor
*Albrecht Durer blends N & S styles, refused invitation from Italy to stay in Nuremburg, Germany to sketch landscapes
& portraits, experimenting with charcoal, watercolors, & paint; creating copper engravings for rich and cheaper
woodcuts for poor, Book of illustrations about Apocalypse, “Whore of Babylon” “Portrait of Black Man”
Literature
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Boccaccio (1313-1375) was famous writer of short stories “The Dacameron” intended for
entertainment, frank treatment of relationships & creation of ordinary, realistic characters; 1st prose
masterpiece of Italy about young Florentines going to secluded villa to escape plague & begin
story-telling to pass time
Baldassare Castiglione (1478-1529) “The Book of the Courtier” was a fictional conversation
between sophisticated men & women of a court in Urbino, became manual for proper behavior,
tried to describe perfect gentlemen with a debate on the nature of nobility, humor, women, & love;
Interested in joining humanistic ideas & traditional chivalric values
Francois Rebelais (1494-1553) writer of fantasy, satire, the grotesque, and bawdy jokes and
songs; most well known story was about a giant known as “Gargantua” sings the praises of the
wines from his hometown of Chinon through vivid descriptions of his eat, drink and be merry
lifestyle
Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) focused on skepticism by examining mysticism (Father of
Modern Skepticism), believing that anti-naturalistic doctrines stem from our desire to imagine that
it is possible to know the unknowable; “Essays” was an attempt to examine the world through his
own judgment through frank descriptions of his fellow Man
Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) “In Praise of Folly” (“Prince of the Humanists”) a satire in which
the personification of Folly praises the foolish activities of the day, including superstitious religious
practices, vanity of Church leaders, and sale of Indulgences by Church (Christians had to be
“fools” for Christ); wanted to promote a return to basic Christian values (Christian Humanism); also
wrote “Adages” as collection of Greek & Roman proverbs, “Colloquies” as collection of popular
stories to teach moral lessons
Invention of movable type printing
by German Johann Gutenberg
• Many desire to own & read complete texts of classical
works but # copies were limited because time spent
hand copying, also frequently inaccurate or illegible
• Printing led to creation of standard law, theology,
philosophy, science texts (scholars could analyze same
text as their peers, compare thoughts), could produce
accurate medical, herbal diagrams, maps, &
reproductions of art & architecture
• Humanist printers Aldus Manutius & Johannes Froben
invited other humanists to edit & proofread texts before
printing; Print shops became gathering place for religious
& non-religious becoming a source of ideas: Rise of print
shop as center of culture & communication
Achievements in Architecture
• Filippo Brunelleschi studies remains of classical buildings, focus on
simplicity, symmetry, balance, & harmony; studies texts by Roman
engineer Vitruvius to learn new mathematical knowledge, emulates
& improves classical forms to create Dome of Florence Cathedral &
St. Peter’s Basilica
• Use of columns, pilasters, entablatures, arches in Mannerist style
• Mannerism in Architecture 1. Stylishness in design could be applied
to a building as well as to a painting 2. Showed extensive
knowledge of Roman architectural style 3. Complex, out of step style
(taking “liberties” with classical architecture) 4. Architecture,
sculpture, and walled gardens were seen as a complex, but not
necessary unified whole
Achievements in Science :
Focus on empirical evidence, importance of math, use of
scientific theory
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Leonardo daVinci considered to be the Father of Modern Science; known
for drawings of anatomy & nature, use of scientific theory, experiments in
water flow, medical dissection, study of movement & aerodynamics,
notebooks contain designs for helicopter, submarine, machine guns, etc.
Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) was astronomer & 1st to disprove that
Earth was NOT center of universe, creating heliocentric model with Sun at
the center of our universe
Galileo Galilei (Father of Modern Observational Astronomy & Father of
Modern Physics 1564-1642) studied uniformly accelerating objects with
mathematical theory (kinematics), 1st observations of phases of Venus,
moons of Jupiter, & sunspots, created standards of length & time for use in
scientific experimentation, created Galilean telescope
Rene Descartes (Father of Modern Philosophy & Father of Analytical
Geometry 1596-1650) rejects the analysis of corporeal substance into
matter and form, rejects any appeal to ends—divine or natural—in
explaining natural phenomena, & insists on the absolute freedom of God’s
act of creation; discovered law of reflection, rule of signs in polynomials (+ -)
Religion
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Rise of Christianity meant literal destruction of classical statues & paintings, Many humanists felt they had to
rediscover what was lost if they were to recover from “BARBARISM” of past
At beginning of Renaissance, Catholic Church dominated all parts of life with the Pope being the most influential &
feared leader of politics
Demands of society began to shift & society became money based (instead of based on allegiances, such as
during Medieval feudalism)
Church leaders violated the biblical laws they were entrusted to uphold and lived no differently that the secular
merchants and political figures: Profound effect on way people perceive the relationship between man & God
(Popes had to defend their position within Church because critics said all Christians had to obey commands of
local government)
Merchants resented that they had to pay church taxes to Rome & abusing the funds brought in by the tithes they
had to pay
People were beginning to believe in human dignity and potential, and were forming their own opinions of the
church, weakening the church's influence as a result of Humanism, the invention of the Printing Press, the
awareness of corruption in the church, and the work of individual Reformers.
Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting, respectively, the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, affecting
the internal policies of the Italian city-states
Despite the questioning of their religious beliefs & criticisms of New Testament, much of Renaissance art was
commissioned by or in dedication to the Church
Since the Pope was based in Rome, he was having difficulty imposing control over all the countries he ruled over
& rulers of various European countries were beginning to resent the Pope who was exercising control over their
countries
Papal court was humiliated when French king forced them to Avignon, making them appear to be pawns of
France: instead of providing spiritual leadership and direction for the rapidly changing society and class, became
preoccupied with its administration staff and processes and with the collection of revenue
Index Librorum Prohibitorum ("List of Prohibited Books") was a list of publications prohibited by the Catholic
Church (1555) aim of the list was to protect the faith and morals of the faithful by preventing the reading of immoral
books or works containing theological errors.
Sect of Savanarola-Dominican priest who took over Florence after Medicis were overthrown; known for overall
hostility to Renaissance; Bonfire of the Vanities-went door to door collecting immoral items & burned them in a
huge bonfire
Roman Renaissance Popes
1. Nicholas V: 1447-1455 began the rebuilding of Rome; wanted to restore Rome & Church to former
glory so began to patronize arts & established papal court, collected Ancient manuscripts, invited
artists & architectures including Leon Battista Alberti “On Architecture”
2. Pius II: 1458-1464 Stern and serious pope, did not fit in well w/ Renaissance
3. Paul II: 1464-1471 Easy going and threw splendid pageants
4. Sixtus IV: 1471-1484 Redesigned and rebuilt Rome, widened the streets, commissioned Sistine
Chapel as place for Pope to meet with representatives of other states
5. Innocent VIII: 1484-1492 Two illegitimate children, he chiefly had to deal with the threat from Naples
6. Alexander VI Rodrigo Borgia: 1492-1503 Encouraged leaders of Florence to kill Savonarola, 12 new
cardinals for the brides, Total disregard for any spiritual importance of the papacy, Had at least
three illegitimate children with two mistresses , Used the office to make money and help his son
Cesar Borgia to gain power and influence , Was very corrupt and pimped out his daughter to
spread Papal power, Made Papal System seem very bad, Treaty of Tordesillas, fought the
Influence of France in Italy,
7. Julius II: 1503-1510 “The Warrior Pope” 1508:he was able to conclude with French King Louis XII, the
emperor Maximillian and Ferdinand of Aragon, the League of CambraI against the Venetian
Republic, Started the rebuilding of St. Peter’s Basilica, Patron of Rapheal and Michaelangelo
8. Leo X: 1510-1521 Fought the Turks at Turkey (Ottomans) Increased the sale of indulgences (payment
in exchange for forgiveness of sins), Excommunicated Martin Luther, Skilled Diplomat,
Administrator, Patron
Education (Revival of Learning)
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Humanists knew that if they were going to create a “new man,” they had to start from schoolboys & students
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Discovery of “Institutes of Oratory” manuscript about education for young Romans
Erasmus “Education of a Christian Prince” teachers should be of gentle disposition and have unimpeachable
morals
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Humanist education helped master the classics so they could learn wisdom needed to choose the right way in life
& eloquence needed to persuade others to follow the same way
Begin with basic Christian education and add on mental & physical: taught reading, writing and arithmetic, but also
the liberal arts such as literature, philosophy and athletics, practicing the idea of a sound mind & sound body
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Guarino de Verano & Vittorino da Feltre (Vittorino’s Academy, Casa Giocosa) turns humanist education ideals into
practical curriculum for boys & girls, rich & poor; organized students' courses into three stages: the elementary
level, at which reading and pronunciation were primarily taught, followed by the grammatical level, and finally the
highest level, concentrating on rhetoric; one of best examples of the humanistic ideals, showing importance of
literary studies together with a harmonious development of body and spirit, excluding basic skills
John Colet founds St. Paul’s School as thorough program of teaching Latin & Greek to create scholars who could
access early Church writings (Jacques Lefevre d’Etaples was humanist editor of Christian texts; true spirit of
Christianity is most clear in works of lives of early Church leaders)
University Education
• University of Paris & Oxford maintained their educational status but
had to keep up with new religious institutions that were dominated
by scholasticism & nationalism, especially in Cracow & Uppsala
• Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg requested 1st German university
(Charles Univ.)
• Hungarian court founded University of Poszony by Johannes Vitez &
tried to recruit humanist teachers from Italy
• Gallican style of jurisprudence introduced by Italian trained French
lawyers; based on notion that legal ideas change over time so
Roman law should be studied as historical system
• Foundation of trilingual colleges (Hebrew, Greek, & Latin), allowing
for a better understanding of the truths of Christianity
• Francisco Jiminez de Cisneros founds University of Alcala, began to
publish “Polyglot (many tongues) Bible” to help reform Muslims &
Jews
Life during the Renaissance
England’s Paston Family & Italy’s Alessandra Macinghi-Strozzi describes day to
day life in letters
St. Catherine of Siena & Angela of Foligno wrote letters to offer day to day advice
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Social classes-1. old nobility and the merchant class that had traditionally ruled the cities, 2. emergent capitalist
and banker class that identified with the lower classes and wished to become as powerful as the top class, 3. less
wealthy merchants and tradespeople and below them, 4. poor and destitute made up one fourth to one third of the
urban population, 5. domestic slaves, few in number, representative as an attempt to make slavery an economic
(but not yet racial) institution (most were Muslims from Spain, North Africa, Crete, the Balkans, and the Ottoman
Empire)
Marriage-Decrees were issued that only marriages performed with a church official present would be declared
valid; main of goal of marriage was to produce children; very rich (nobles and royalty) generally married to better
their families social standing & economic status; Everyone else (merchants to peasants) usually married for love,
or at least compatibility
Life expectancy-Most married in their mid twenties since average life expectancy was 40, few people made it to
grandparent status
Fashion-While clothing varied by region, hoods, ruffs, wigs and cosmetics all became popular; short upper
garments for men & overall trend towards tight fitting clothing; “luxury legislation” influenced by Church dictated
clothing cuts, colors, & materials
Etiquette-Diners shared communal dishes, digging in with their hands, no serving utensils or silverware; Eastern &
Asian spices like pepper, nutmeg, mace, & cinnamon
Family-women stayed home to care for children & home, men worked out of the house, older children, both boys
and girls, often worked alongside their fathers
Housing-Houses were small, some with no more than two rooms with low ceilings, not unusual for a family of four
to share a single bed, Fireplaces used for cooking, causing the tiny house to quickly fill with smoke. In the hot
summer months, houses in southern Europe would be unbearably hot, causing women to set up their looms
outdoors, and serve family meals outdoors as well
Possessions-typical family owned two outfits and one pair of shoes per person, some kitchen utensils, bed, a
chamber pot, a table and bench, a chest, and a few tools
Life during Renaissance for
Women
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Noblewomen’s chief role had been to be idealized objects of chivalrous devotion & had to
continue their struggle for education rights
Isabella d’Este from Court of Mantua (wife of Francesco Gonzaga) gained fame as center of
painting, architecture, art, & music; Recruited musicians to court & attracted Claudio Monteverdi to
establish genre of opera (painted by daVinci & Titian, showing her importance)
Later Renaissance allowed noblewomen to be educated, but didn’t allow them to learn rhetoric
(didn’t need it because women were weaker-misogyny)
Isotta Nogarola-considered 1st female humanist in modern times but initially rejected by peers;
wrote about whether Adam or Eve committed the greater sin
Sofonista Anguissola-female prodigy called to Spanish court to paint portraits of King, Queen, &
daughter
Marguerite of Porete’s “Mirror for Simple Souls” contained descriptions of love, from erotic love to
God’s love, circulated anonymously
Margery Kempe left husband & family for various pilgramages around Europe
Christine de Pizan was left widowed & became writer to support family at French court “Book of
the City of the Ladies” to disprove opinion that women are inferior to men & incapable of moral
judgments blaming problems on education; Described ideal city of ladies where prudence, reason,
& justice would protect women from ignorant males
Finances, public official appointments, & political decisions made by men of court but court was
place where women were expected to be seen & exert influence (wives of princes made court
better); Women could organize life at court but still had to show domestic virtues (women can
organize debate but only men can discuss & women should interject & joke not dominating
conversation)
Life at Court
• Use culture to define celebrate authority of
secular & religious, culture represented
reputation of leader
• Attendance at court was source of
revenue & influence, way to control nobility
(instituted orders of knights to reward
allies & followers)
• Papal court was model for state courts
(especially Popes at Avignon)
Court of Mantua
• Mantua was farming region along Po River, overthrown by Bonacolsi
family & then overthrown by Gonzaga family
• Mantua wasa relatively small city, their right to rule not widely
recognized, had to construct forts & had to gain recognition of right
to rule so bought title of duke & maintained diplomatic relations with
other European courts
• Established schools (Giocosa) & Lodovico brought Renaissance to
Mantua by inviting Pisanello to create Arthurian frescoes for palace
• Summoned Andrea Mantegna (leading Northern Italian painter) to
create “Camera degli Sposi” portraits of Gonzagas in imitation of
Roman imperial portrait medallions
Achievements in Music
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Musicians became as highly prized as artists at court; organized organists, choir singers hired by churches,
trumpeters hired by cities, composers & performers hired by wealthy; Standardized music notations; Music open to
women as performers
Burgundian School favored secular choral music, most prominent forms were the four formes fixes (rondeau,
ballade, virelai, and bergerette), rondeau was most popular & played in three voices, and in French with
uppermost voice (the "superius") was texted with the other voices most likely played by instruments in only one
stanza
Most composers also wrote religious music in Latin but instrumental dance music flowered and thrived
Flemish composers of the time often based the cantus firmus on a popular melody of the day, composing new
music for the other voices in counterpoint to the tune. The simultaneous interweaving of several melodic lines
(usually four: soprano, alto, tenor, bass) in a musical composition is known as polyphony (Four different vocal
harmonies playing against one another with no instrumental accompaniment)
Franco-Flemish composers: Josquin des Pres (1445-1521) & Clement Jannequin (1485-1558)
Guillaume Du Fay (1397–1474) various musical offerings included motets and masses for church and chapel
services, many of whose large musical structures were based on existing Gregorian chant
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594) Italian composer of motets & masses for church & chapel with
following characteristics: flow of music is dynamic, not rigid or static, melody should contain few leaps between
notes & iff a leap occurs, it must be small and immediately countered by stepwise motion in the opposite direction,
dissonances are to be confined to passing notes and weak beats & if one falls on a strong beat, it is to be
immediately resolved
Polychoral style of Venetian School involved spatially separate choirs singing in alternation with groups of brass &
string instruments
Instruments: violin, lyre, harpsichord; Creation of oboe, chlavicord, viol
Humanism outside Italy
• Princes, courts outside Italy sent messages with art they
commissioned
• Dukes construct castles, villas, hunting lodges & adorn with pictures,
scenes to emphasize specific virtues & their right to rule
• Palaces, gardens, villas were where most wealthy entertain peers,
do business, debate politics; Artists work for glory of court & create
commissioned portraits
• Most interested in moral & religious reform than in politics (renewal
of Christian life & reinvigoration of Church) but still concentrated on
a renewal based on a deep understanding & imitation of past
• Felt that clergy was too wealthy & ignorant but laymen were
uneducated & superstitious so needed educational institutions to
unearth & publish Christian texts, record local customs & history
Spread of Renaissance around Europe
***While Renaissance humanism affected a portion of Europe, it DID NOT affect ALL
sectors of population but remained immensely significant to European history
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Portugal began to flourish after Italian merchants invest in Indian commerce
Mediterranean possessions of Aragon & Castile (Spain), Miguel Cervante’s “Don
Quixote”
Elizabethan Era in England, Shakespeare, Marlowe, Spencer, Milton
Medici married French King Henry
Development of printing press in Germany in 1456 by Johannes Gutenberg helps
spread knowledge, encourages individual learning, & people begin to question;
House of Habsburg (Austria/Prussia) “Doktor Faustus” (1657)
Italian traders move to Hungary, King of Hungary marries Beatrice of Naples making
Buda a Renaissance center in the North
Russia’s Prince Ivan III invited Renaissance architects, Cathedral of Dormition in
Kremlin, Palace of Facets, Cathedral of Archangel, invention of stone tented roof,
secular portrait paintings, adoption of printing by Fydorov, spread of woodcuts &
lubok printing, cannon casting, development of vodka through distillation
When did it end?
• On May 6, 1527 an army of Spanish Catholics
and Lutherans led by Charles III (as directed by
Charles V) marched into Rome rebelliously to
plunder, loot and pillage for eight days
• Inflicted harsh treatment upon those who were
directly associated with the Roman Catholic
Church, most notably priests, monks, and nuns
• Marked the end of Rome as the capital of the
Renaissance world, challenged the authority of
the Roman Catholic Church, marked a
considerable advance for Protestantism