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Chapter 1
Section 1
The Renaissance in Italy
Objectives:
1.Describe the characteristics of the Renaissance and
understand why it began in Italy
2.Identify Renaissance artists and explain how new ideas
affected the arts of the period
3.Understand how writers of the time addressed Renaissance
themes
I. What was the Renaissance?
• The Renaissance
– A time of creativity and change in
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Politics
Society
Economics
Culture
– It will begin in the 1300’s and peak around 1500
• A New World Evolves
– Renaissance = Rebirth
• Rebirth from a time that saw disorder and disunity from the medieval world
– Reawaken the interest in the classic learning of Greece and Rome
– Use of Latin as the language of the Church and Scholars
– New attitudes toward culture and learning
• Medieval times focused on spirituality and religious beliefs
• Renaissance explored the richness and variety of human experiences
– Society placed a new emphasis on individual achievement
– Renaissance Ideal was a person with a wide variety of talent in different areas
• Spirit of Adventure
– Renaissance supported new ideas
• Curiosity led people to explore
– Giovanni Pico del Mirandola
• “To [man] it is granted to have whatever he chooses, to be whatever he
wills”
• What does this mean?
• Expressing Humanism
– Humanism
• Intellectual movement that focused on education and the classics
• The classics were used to increase their understanding of their own
times
– Worldly Subjects
» Grammar
» History
» Rhetoric
» Poetry
» Philosophy
– Petrach
• Early Renaissance humanist
• Considered the Father of Italian Renaissance Humanism
II. Italy: Cradle of the
Renaissance
• The Renaissance begins in Italy and transforms the rest
of the Western World
• History and Geography
– Rome
• Interest in the Ancient ways
– Architecture and art
• Roman Catholic Church
– Based in Rome
– Supported many of the artist and architects of the Renaissance
– Mediterranean Sea
• Major Trade Route
• Center of trade with Muslim world
• Not just trade of items but ideas
• The City State
– Divided Italy
• Controlled by powerful families
– Florence
• Controlled by the de Medici Family
• Family of skilled bankers
• Cosimo de’ Medici
– Gained control of Florence in 1434
• Lorenzo the Magnificent
– Generous patron of the arts
III. Renaissance Art Flowers
• Reflection of Humanism
– Portrayed religious themes
• However, set against classic backgrounds
– Revival of Classical forms of art
– Donatello
• Greatest sculptor of all time
• Gattamelata, Soldier on Horseback
– First giant sculpture since ancient times
• New Techniques
– Realistic
• Medieval art was stylized
• Return to the classics
• Perspective
– Distant objects are smaller than closer objects to the viewer
– Painting seem three dimensional
• Shading
– Gives the appearance of reflections of light
• Human Anatomy
– Use of Live models
• Architecture
– Begin adopting the styles of Greece and Rome
• Columns
• Arches
• Domes
– Brunelleschi
• The Dome in Florence
– Modeled the dome of the Pantheon
• Leonardo da Vinci
– Artist
• Mona Lisa
• Last Supper
– Architect
– Inventor
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Flying machines
Undersea boats
Tanks
Weapons
– Scientist
• Dissected corpses to learn about the body
• Michelangelo
– Melancholy genius
• His work reflects life long spiritual and artistic struggles
– David
• Biblical Sheppard that slays the giant Goliath
– Pieta
• Captures the sorrow of the Biblical Mary as she cradles her dead
son Jesus
– Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
• Depicted the history of the Bible from Creation to the Flood(Noah’s
Ark)
• Took 4 years to complete
• Left partially cripple
• Raphael
– Considered one of the greatest artists of all time
– Best known for his Madonnas
• Statues of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus
– Viewed as tender portrayals
– School of Athens
• Fictitious gathering of all of the greatest thinkers of all time
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Plato
Aristotle
Socrates
Averroes
Also included, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Himself
IV. Writing for a New Society
• Castiglione’s The Book of the Courtier
– Describes the manners and skills of the members of the court should have
• Men are:
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Athletic, but not overactive
Not a gambler
Knows music and history
Not arrogant
• Women are:
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Graceful
Kind
Lively, but reserved
Beautiful
The perfect balance of man
• Machiavelli’s The Prince
– A guide to obtaining and maintaining power
– THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS
• Use whatever methods to achieve your goals