Download The Northern Renaissance

THE NORTHERN
RENAISSANCE
THE SPREAD OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE TO ENGLAND,
FRANCE, GERMANY, AND FLANDERS (NETHERLANDS)
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
• What contributions did writers and philosophers
make to the northern Renaissance?
• How did the works of northern artists differ from those
of the Italian Renaissance?
NORTHERN RENAISSANCE
BACKGROUND
• The Renaissance began in Italy in the 1300s
• It did not reach Northern Europe until after 1450
• Economic growth began later which delayed the
support of the arts
THE RENAISSANCE SPREADS NORTH
Trading Goods
• Trading Ideas
• As cities grew, vast trading
network spread across northern
Europe
• Northern Europeans traded
ideas, goods; spread Italian
Renaissance north
• Network dominated by
Hanseatic League, merchant
organization, 1200s to 1400s
• Fleeing violence, Italian artists
brought humanist ideas,
painting techniques north
– Protected members from
pirates, other hazards
• Northern scholars traveled to
Italy, brought ideas home
– Built lighthouses, trained
ship captains
• Universities started in France,
Netherlands, Germany
PHILOSOPHERS AND WRITERS
Northern humanists expressed their own ideas
Combined interests of theology, fiction and history
Created philosophical works, novels, dramas, and poems
Desiderius Erasmus
• Combined Christian
ideas, humanism
• Wrote of pure, simple
Christian life,
educating children
• Fanned flames of
discontent
• Roman Catholic
Church censored,
condemned works
Sir Thomas More
• More’s best-known
work, Utopia, contains
criticisms of English
government, society
• Presents vision of
perfect, non-existent
society based on
reason
Christine de Pisan
• Italian-born writer
focused on role of
women in society
• Grew up in French
court of Charles V;
turned to writing when
widowed
• Championed equality,
education for women
SHAKESPEARE AND HIS CHARACTERS
• William Shakespeare
• Many believe English
playwright William
Shakespeare greatest writer
• Plots not original, but
treatments of them masterful
• Drew inspiration from ancient,
contemporary literature
• Knowledge of natural science,
humanist topics expressed in
plays
Spread Renaissance Ideas
• Use of language, choice of
themes made plays appealing
even to uneducated
• Plays helped spread ideas of
Renaissance to mass audience
• Focused on lives of realistic
characters, unlike morality plays
• By Shakespeare’s death, 1616,
London scene of thriving
theatre district
ALBRECHT DURER (GERMAN)
• Known as the “German
Leonardo”
• He traveled to Italy in 1494
• After returning to
Germany, he produced
woodcuts and engravings
• Many of his prints portray
religious subjects and
classical myths
• The popularity of his works
helped to spread
Renaissance styles
DURER – WOODCUTS
• Samson Killing the
Lion
• Hercules
JAN VAN EYCK (FLEMISH)
• Van Eyck used oil-based paints to develop
new techniques.
• By applying layer upon layer of paint, van
Eyck was able to create a variety of subtle
colors in clothing and jewels
• His paintings display realistic details and
reveal the personality of their subjects
PIETER BRUEGHEL (FLEMISH)
• Interested in realistic details and
individual people
• He was very skillful in portraying large
numbers of people
• He captured scenes from everyday
peasant life such as weddings,
dances, and harvest
BRUEGEL
CHANGES FROM THE ITALIAN
RENAISSANCE
1. Humanism in the north led to calls for
social and religious reform (More &
Erasmus)
2. N. Renaissance artists reflected a
more down-to-earth view of
humanity
•
•
Tried to depict people as they really were
Use of oil paints produced bright colors and a
hard surface, which lasted longer
ELIZABETHAN AGE
• The Renaissance spread to England in the mid1500s
• Named for Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
• She was well educated and spoke French, Italian,
Latin, and Greek
• She supported the development of English art and
literature
• The theatre flourished under her patronage
• William Shakespeare and many others
composed plays that broke free of past styles.