Download About 1450, European scholars became more interested in studying

About 1450, European scholars became more
interested in studying the world around them.
Their art became more true to life. They began
to eventually called “The Renaissance’’.
Renaissance is a French word that means
“rebirth.” Historians consider the Renaissance
to be the beginning of modern history. People
began to change the way that they dressed.
They questioned the old ideas of the middle
ages and they took a new interest in the
achievements of the Ancient Greeks and
Romans. The Renaissance lasted over 200
years. Many historians believe it marks the
beginning of the modern world.
Humanism
The Renaissance way of looking at the world
is called humanism. That means that human
beings are at the centre of everything.
Renaissance people believed human beings
could do almost anything. Medieval people
thought that life here on earth mattered less
then life after death. People in the Renaissance
admired the beauty of nature and felt it as
important to study.
William Shakespeare (1564 -1616)
Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon
in England. When 18 years of age he married
Anna Hathaway and soon after that he moved
to London.
He became an actor and began writing plays.
Queen Elizabeth I loved drama, so plays were
very popular.
The Globe
Shakespeare set up a theatre company, which
became known as the King’s Men. They built
their own theatre on the banks of the river
Thames. It was called The Globe.
It can hold 2,000 people. At that time, was no
lighting, so plays were put on during the day
and in the open air. Most people stood and
watched.
We know that Shakespeare acted in his own
plays and was called ‘Will’ by his friends.
What William’s plays were about.
Shakespeare wrote thirty-eight plays
altogether. They included comedies, dramas,
love story’s and much much more. Like many
Renaissance writers, he based his plots on
stories from Ancient Greece or Rome.
He wrote about everyday problems and the
common mistakes people make in their
relationship with others. His plays are still
popular today because he wrote about human
emotion such as love and jealousy.
How Did Painting Change In The
Renaissance?
Artists began to make more lifelike pictures
during the Renaissance.
New Developments in Painting.
 Anatomy: Some Artists cut up the dead
bodies to find out where the bones were
and how the muscles worked. This made
their paintings of bodies more accurate.
 Perspective: Artists began to paint people
and objects at the back of the picture
smaller then those at the front, this is
called perspective. It gives the illusion of
dept and space in the painting.
 Portraits: Portraits of people became
popular for the first time, The Mona Lisa
is an example of a portrait.
 Sfumato: Artist started to use a new
technique called sfumato. They added
shading to a picture. For example, when
we look closely at real skin, we can see
that it has many shades of colour.
Renaissance artists added shading to skin
to make it look more realistic.
 Oil Paint: medieval painters mixed their
colours with egg white. It dried quickly
and it was difficult to get the effect they
wanted. Renaissance artists began using
oil paints. These dried more slowly for
more accurately.
 Using Canvas: Medieval artists painted
on wooden boards, while Renaissance
artists used canvas to paint on, which is
less likely to crack.
 Frescos: Many Renaissance paintings
were frescos. A frescos is a painting done
directly onto wet plaster. Frescos were
used to decorate the walls and ceilings of
churches and houses.
Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) Early
Life.
The greatest sculptor of the Renaissance was
Michelangelo Buonarroti. He was born near
Florence. When he was 13 years old his Father
apprenticed him to be a sculptor. Soon after
Michelangelo made a copy of an old roman
statue. Lorenzo de Vinci saw it and was
amazed at its beauty. He invited Michelangelo
to join the school for sculpting,
That he had in his palace.
Michelangelo’s Pieta.
After Lorenzo’s death, Michelangelo went to
Rome. There a cardinal paid him to make
statue. It was called the Pieta, which means
‘sorrow’. It shows Mary holding her son Jesus
after his death. This Pieta is made of white
marble. It is the only statue Michelangelo ever
signed.
Michelangelo’s David.
At this time, there was a war between Florence
and France. Although France was more
powerful, the Florentines won. To celebrate,
the town council held a competition. Both
Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo entered
work, but Michelangelo won the contract.
Florence’s victory reminded Michelangelo of
the Bible story of the boy David defeating the
giant Goliath. He found a block of white
marble and carved this huge statue of David. It
is 5 meters high. It took forty men to carry it to
the central square in Florence!.
Michelangelo In Rome.
In 1505, Pope Julius II asked Michelangelo to
go to Rome and carve statues for his tomb.
Michelangelo began to work enthusiastically,
but the Pope ran out of money. He then
ordered Michelangelo to paint frescos on the
ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
Michelangelo preferred sculpting than
painting, but he didn’t dare refuse the Pope.
For four years he was worked on the fresco. In
them, he told the story of the creation of the
world from the Bible. He began with God
creating Adam, and ended with Noah and the
food.
He worked lying on his back. He became so
involved in his painting that he often forgot to
eat or sleep. He dismissed assistants after
assistant. Only an old servant and Pope Julius
were allowed to watch him work. When he
finished, the whole ceiling was covered with
over 300 figures. The figures are life-size and
done in beautiful colours. It is one of the
greatest masterpiece of all time. Later when
Michelangelo was an old man he painted a
huge fresco called The Last Judgement on one
of the walls of the Sistine Chapel.
Michelangelo’s (David/The Pieta.)
David
Pieta
the
Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519).
Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest
artists of the Renaissance. He was a
marvellous painter and inventor. Leonardo
was born in 1452 in Vinci, near Florence,
where he got his name. Leonardo da Vinci’s
Father wanted him to become a lawyer, but
Leonardo da Vinci was interested in painting.
At 15 years of age he was apprenticed to a
leading Florentine artist and learned to paint. It
soon became clear that
Leonardo was better than his master.
Why Did The Renaissance Start In Italy?
Italy had been the centre of the old Roman
Empire. In every town in Italy there were ruins
of the old roman buildings. These reminded
the Italians of the achievements of their
ancestors.
The Italian language was based on Latin, the
language of the Romans.
It was easy for Italians to read books
by Roman writers.
Does The Sun Move? (Galileo)
In the middle ages people believed that the
earth was the centre of the universe and the
sun and the moon and stars moved around the
earth. The Bible and the Church supported this
theory.
These ideas were questioned by two
renaissance astronomers – Copernicus and
Galileo.
Galileo Galilei.
Galileo (1564-1642) was born in Pisa in Italy.
He had a great interest in mathematics and he
believed that all the laws of nature could be
proved by calculations and experiment.
Galileo’s telescope.
A Dutchman, Hans Lippershey, invented the
telescope in 1608, but Galileo designed and
built a much more powerful version of it.
Galileo’s telescope could magnify something
thirty-two times. He was the first person to use
the telescope to study the skies.
The Last Supper.
After Florence had become involved in war
Leonardo moved to Milan. There he painted
The Last Supper on the wall of a convent
church. It was a Fresco, but Leonardo tried out
a new recipe for making the paint. It did not
work out. Soon after the picture was done, the
paint began to peel off.
Leonardo Da Vinci’s paintings (Mona
Lisa/The Last Supper).
The last supper
THE MONA LISA