Download Fusion The Northern Renaissance

The Northern Renaissance
World History/Napp
“The work of such artists as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael showed the
Renaissance spirit. All three artists demonstrated an interest in classical culture, a curiosity
about the world, and a belief in human potential. Humanist writers expanded ideas about
individuality. These ideas impressed scholars, students, and merchants who visited Italy.
By the late 1400s, Renaissance ideas had spread to Northern Europe – especially England,
France, Germany, and Flanders (now part of France and the Netherlands). The northern
Renaissance developed its own character. For example, the artists were especially
interested in realism. The Renaissance ideal of human dignity inspired some northern
humanists to develop plans for social reform based on Judeo-Christian values.
In 1494, a French king claimed the throne of Naples in southern Italy and launched an
invasion through northern Italy. As the war dragged on, many Italian artists and writers
left for a safer life in Northern Europe. In addition, Northern European artists who
studied in Italy carried Renaissance ideas back to their homelands. Perhaps the most
famous person to do this was the German artist Albrecht Dürer. After returning to
Germany, Dürer produced woodcuts and engravings. Many of his prints portray religious
subjects. Others portray classical myths or realistic landscapes.
Dürer’s emphasis upon realism influenced the work of another German artist, Hans
Holbein the Younger. Holbein specialized in painting portraits that are almost
photographic in detail. He emigrated to England where he painted portraits of King Henry
VIII and other members of the English royal family. The support of wealthy merchant
families in Flanders helped to make Flanders the artistic center of northern Europe. The
first great Flemish Renaissance painter was Jan van Eyck. Van Eyck used recently
developed oil-based paints to develop techniques that painters still use. By applying layer
upon layer of paint, van Eyck was able to create a variety of subtle colors in clothing and
jewels. In addition to new techniques, van Eyck’s paintings display unusually realistic
details and reveal the personality of their subjects.” ~ World History
Questions:
- What did the works of da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael demonstrate?
- Define humanism. What did humanist writers expand ideas about?
- How did the spirit of the Renaissance spread to Northern Europe?
- Why was Albrecht Dürer important in spreading the Renaissance north?
- Identify two significant facts about Hans Holbein the Younger.
- How did Jan van Eyck create a variety of subtle colors in clothing and jewels?
Christian Humanists
- The northern humanists
were critical of the failure of
the Christian Church to
inspire people to live a
Christian life
- The focus of Christian
humanism was the reform of
society
- Of particular importance
to humanists was education
Elizabethan Age
- The Renaissance spread to
England in the mid-1500s
- The period was known as
the Elizabethan Age, after
Queen Elizabeth I
- Elizabeth reigned from
1558 to 1603
- As queen she did much to
support the development of
English art and literature
- The best known of the
Christian humanists were
Desiderius Erasmus of
Holland and Thomas More
of England
- The most famous writer of
the Elizabethan Age was
William Shakespeare
- In 1509, Erasmus wrote his
most famous work, The
Praise of Folly
- Like many Renaissance
writers, Shakespeare
revered the classics and
drew on them for inspiration
and plots
- This book poked fun at
greedy merchants, heartsick
lovers, quarrelsome
scholars, and pompous
priests
- His works display a
masterful command of the
English language and a deep
understanding of human
beings
Printing Press
- The Chinese invented block
printing, in which a printer
carved words or letters on a
wooden block, inked the
block, and then used it to
print on paper
- Around 1045, Bi Sheng
invented movable type, or a
separate piece of type for
each character
- The method would prove
practical for Europeans
- During the 13th century,
block-printed items reached
Europe from China
- Around 1440 Johann
Gutenberg, a craftsman
from Mainz, Germany,
developed a printing press
that incorporated a number
of technologies in a new way
- The process made it
possible to produce books
quickly and cheaply
- For the first time, books
were cheap enough that
many people could buy them
- What was important to Christian humanists?
- Who did Erasmus poke fun at in his most famous work, The Praise of Folly?
- Describe the Elizabethan Age in England.
- Who was Shakespeare and why was he important?
- Who was Johann Gutenberg and how did he revolutionize books and reading?
- About how many books could a printing
press produce in a month?
- Which areas of the world contributed
technologies to Gutenberg’s printing
press?
- How were books produced before the
printing press?
- How did the printing press change
society?
P R I M A RY S O U R C E
Gold and silver, of which money is made, are so treated . . . that no one values them more
highly than their true nature deserves. Who does not see that they are far inferior to iron in
usefulness since without iron mortals cannot live any more than without fire and water?
~ THOMAS MORE, Utopia
P R I M A RY S O U R C E
I am amazed by the opinion of some men who claim that they do not want their daughters,
wives, or kinswomen to be educated because their mores [morals] would be ruined as a
result. . . . Here you can clearly see that not all opinions of men are based on reason and
that these men are wrong.
~ CHRISTINE DE PIZAN, The Book of The City of Ladies
In Europe, a major characteristic of
humanism was
1. a belief in the supremacy of the state
in relation to individual rights
2. a rejection of ancient civilizations
and their cultures
3. an emphasis on social control and
obedience to national leaders
4. an appreciation for the basic work of
individual achievement
The humanists of the Renaissance differed
from the traditional medieval philosophers
in the humanists’
1. interest in the spiritual life of the
people
2. lack of interest in ancient Greece and
Roman culture
3. rejection of Christian principles
4. emphasis on the importance of the
individual
“Europe is waking out of a long, deep
sleep…Time was when learning was only
found in the religious orders...learning has
passed to secular princes and peers.”
This quotation best describes the
1. Renaissance
2. decline of the Roman Empire
3. Crusades
4. rise of Christianity
Which was a significant result of the
renewed study of Greek and Roman life
during the late medieval period in Europe?
1. strengthening of feudalism
2. development of the Renaissance
3. reemergence of Greek city-states
4. disruption of the trade monopoly
held by Italian merchants
Which societal condition was basic to the
development of Greek philosophy and
Renaissance art?
1. rigid social classes
2. emphasis on individualism
3. religious uniformity
4. mass education
Which is a valid conclusion based on a study
of European art during the Renaissance in
Europe?
1. Emphasis on artistic creativity can
discourage a society from pursuing
reforms.
2. The development of guilds prevented
artistic creativity.
3. The presence of a wealthy leisure
class contributes to artistic
achievement.
4. An economy based on subsistence
agriculture encourages artistic
development.
Which movement helped most to
reintroduce classical Greco-Roman ideas to
Western culture?
1. the Renaissance
2. the Enlightenment
3. the Protestant Reformation
4. the Commercial Revolution
A major characteristic of European art
during the Renaissance was the
1. use of abstract designs
2. reproduction of prehistoric buildings
3. lifelike portrayal of people and their
environment
4. introduction of Gothic architecture
Which statement best describes a
characteristic of the Renaissance in Europe?
1. The social structure became very
rigid.
2. Creativity in the arts was
encouraged.
3. The political structure was similar to
that of the Roman Empire.
4. Humanism decreased in importance.