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THE RENAISSANCE “THE REBIRTH” of Europe The Beginnings • Life at the beginning of the Renaissance was very different from European feudal society from the Middle Ages. – The medieval world was built around the manor and castles – At the time of the Renaissance, towns in southern Europe had grown in both size and influence – Wealth had transferred from landowners to merchants in the cities – These wealthy people had more time for leisure and used their wealth to patronize the arts. WHY ITALY? • The Heartland of the old Roman Empire – Most of Italy still used Roman laws which made trade between regions easier • The Roman artwork still present in Italy inspired many Italian artists and architects, it was their ancestors that had created them • The Geography of Italy Geography of Italy • A group of city-states • The largest cities were successful trading cities that had good harbours and access to the sea – Genoa and Venice • Mild Italian climate meant that weather did not disrupt trade and also that food was plentiful all year long – This meant people had more time to devote to leisure activities • Italy also had close ties with the Muslim world Geography continued • The mountains down the “spine” of Italy (The Apennines) greatly affected Italy’s development – Mountains make travel difficult – As a result there are few well travelled trade routes – Cities on these trade routes were scarce but tended to be very busy – The city of Florence was a major “hub” on a trade route between the east and west coasts • This made Florence one of Italy’s most powerful cities The Italian City-States • A city-state consists of a city and the rural area immediately surrounding it. – This area is known as the hinterland, provides food and other necessities for the city • City-states have their own government and armies • War was common among the city-states – The city-states hired mercenaries to fight for them led by a condotierri – Fought only for the pay and most battles were more ceremonial than real Florence • • • • Made its fortune in the cloth trade Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci lived here In 1330 had a population of 100,000 Was a democracy controlled by the wealthiest and most powerful families • A revolt by cloth workers in 1378 led to the citizens being treated quite well • The rulers financed many beautiful public buildings and works of art Venice • Built on piles sunk into marshy islands • Had a population of 150,000 • Was successful because of the powerful navy which controlled the trade routes of the Mediterranean Sea • Was known as a democracy but was actually controlled by a Doge, a supreme ruler elected for life • The secret Council of ten – Most powerful arm of the government – Had power to imprison, torture and execute any citizen of Venice The Family • Families were very large • Mothers, fathers and their kids shared a house with their aunts, uncles and grandparents • Children usually went into the family business Marriage • Middle-class and poor had considerable freedom to marry • The wealthy had arranged marriages wishes of the woman were hardly every considered • The woman was always much younger than the man and owed her husbands family a large dowry (pg 219) • Weddings were very extravagant and expensive The Medici Family • The most famous, influential, and powerful family in Italy during the Renaissance • They were the rulers of Florence for more than three centuries • Made their fortune in wool, silk and banking • Cosimo de Medici gained enough wealth and power to take control of Florence in 1434 – He started the Medici tradition of patronizing promising artists The Medici Family continued • The Medici made many enemies while in power • The most famous of the Medici was Lorenzo the Magnificent • Politics took a heavy toll on the Medici family (see pg 221 in the textbook) RENAISSANCE THOUGHT The Humanists • Humanists were artists that were more concerned with the goals of human beings than with spiritual matters • Believed in the power of reason to find truth instead of relying on the Bible • Believed is each person's ability to choose and create his or her own destiny Francesco Petrarch • One of the first humanists • Admired the culture of ancient Rome more than his own time • Collected ancient manuscripts to preserve them for future generations • Recommended that artists and writers study the ancient masterpieces, the emphasis on beauty • Modelled his own writing style on the ancient Roman Cicero • Became the first idea of a `Renaissance Man` • Ideas inspired the great artists and brought about a transformation in the way people viewed their world and the potential of their lives Machiavelli and The Prince • Nicolo Machiavelli, born 1469 • Wrote The Prince – Stated that people were wretched creatures that had to be forced by a strong ruler to do what was right – The leader would have to be ruthless to maintain the power he needed to force the citizens to behave properly Savonarola the Reformer • A preacher in the Dominican Order • Dedicated his life to reforming the corruption in the Church and society • Persuaded Michelangelo and others to join his cause • Attacked the luxuries which many in Florence bought as sinful • Built bonfires of the vanities to destroy the luxuries • Preached against Pope Alexander VI which resulted in his torture and execution, first hanging then burning THE GREAT ARTISTS • Two remarkable innovations came to light at the beginning of the Renaissance 1. Proportion – everything in a painting is in scale ex. People and buildings. Developed by Giotto di Bondone. 2. Perspective – Showing distance in a painting. Ex. Makes things look threedimensional. Developed by Filippo Brunelleschi. Leonardo da Vinci • Did not receive a classical education, instead he became an apprentice painter • Tried to learn about the natural world through direct observation and experiment • Not only a great painter but also an inventor, engineer, and scientist of genius • First to design a helicopter, tank, parachute, and a flying machine • Regarded as the ideal renaissance man • Learned a lot about human anatomy by dissecting human bodies, which was blasphemous at the time SELF PORTRAIT THE VITRUVIAN MAN VIRGIN OF THE ROCKS + MADONNA OF THE ROCKS THE LAST SUPPER M O N A L I S A Michelangelo • Perhaps the greatest artist of the high Renaissance but was first and foremost a sculptor • Apprenticed at an early age was known as the best sculptor in Italy by age 20 • Lived to the age of 89 P I E T A DAVID S I S T I N E C H A P E L Artemisia Gentileschi • Daughter of a famous painter • At a time when a woman’s options were very limited she achieved fame and independence through art • A very accomplished portrait painter J U D I T H and H O L O F E R N E S The Northern Renaissance Printing Technology • Reproduction of books used to take months to copy out a single book – Authors were lucky if fifty copies were made • The printing press with moveable type was invented by Johann Gutenburg • Now thousands of books could be reproduced in the time it used to take to copy one • Writers could now reach thousands of people instead of a few wealthy individuals Northern Art • Ideals of Humanism and Gothic art was the subject of northern artists • It is much darker than its Italian cousins • With the focus on religion it also seems more medieval • Developed the secrets of light and shadow to give art more realism The Scientific Revolution • In the 14th and 15th centuries science began to separate from religion • Scientists thought they could learn more from studying real things rather than reading about them in the Bible or works of philosophers like Aristotle • Still very dangerous for scientists to challenge the teachings of the Church Nicholas Copernicus • • • • A Polish scientist trained as a lawyer, doctor, mathematician, and church administrator Was the first scientist to state, in 1543, that the earth is not the centre of the universe Did not have a telescope to help form his hypothesis he used mathematics instead Theorized that the Earth moves in two ways 1. By rotating on it’s axis 2. By revolving around the sun • Also theorized the sun was one of just many stars Galileo Galilei • Born in Pisa, Italy in 1564 • Studied to be a medical doctor but turned to astronomy • Made a telescope that made things about thirty times larger and thirty times nearer than they actually were • This allowed him to observe things no one had ever seen before – Proved the moon and planets were solid • His writings went against the teachings of the Church • He was threatened with torture and he said he would accept the Church’s view • He was sentenced to indefinite house arrest