ITALY: BIRTHPLACE OF THE RENAISSANCE
KEY TERMS
Renaisssance Humanism Secular Patron Perspective Vernacular
ITALY’S ADVANTAGES
• Renaissance means rebirth lasted from 1300-1600
• Bring back life of culture of classical Greece and Rome
• 3 advantages– Thriving cities– Wealthy merchant class– Classical heritage of
Greece and Rome
CITY-STATES
• Overseas trade from the Crusades helped cities to grow
• Northern Italy was urban most of Europe was rural
• Cities people exchange ideas, breeding ground for intellectual revolution
CITY-STATES
1300’s Bubonic plaque struck cities hard
Fewer laborers Demand higher
wages Merchants began to
pursue the arts
MERCHANTS AND THE MEDICI
• Wealthy merchant class developed
• Merchants dominated politics
• Merchants did not inherit social rank
• Wealthy merchants believed they deserved power
• Individual achievement was key
MERCHANTS AND THE MEDICI
• 1200’s Florence had a republican form of government
• Medici were a banking family
• Cosimo de Medici was the wealthiest European
• 1453 won control of Florence’s government
MERCHANTS AND THE MEDICI
Did not seek political office
He influenced others by giving them loans
Lorenzo de Medici was his grandson ruled as a dictator
LOOKING AT GREECE AND ROME
• Looked down at the art and literature of the Middle Ages
• Wanted a return to Greek and Roman learning
• Drew inspiration from the ruins of Rome
• Western scholars studied ancient Latin manuscripts
CLASSICS LEAD TO HUMANISM
• Humanism- intellectual movement that focused on human potential and achievement
• Humanists studied Christian teachings through Greek values
• Study of subjects of classical education
• History, literature, philosophy
WORLDLY PLEASURES
Humanists suggested that humans could enjoy life without offending God
Wealthy enjoyed material luxuries, good music, fine foods
Most people remained devout Catholics
WORLDLY PLEASURES
Secular-worldly rather than spiritual.
People lived in mansions, threw lavish parties, wore expensive clothes
PATRONS OF THE ARTS
• Church leaders beautified Rome
• Spent huge amounts of money on the arts
• Patrons-financially supporting artists
• Renaissance merchants and wealthy families were patrons of the arts
• Public display of wealth
THE RENAISSANCE MAN
Writer said that all educated people were expected to create art
Baldassare Castiglione wrote a book called the Courtier
Dance, sing Play music write poetry Skilled rider, wrestler and
swordsman
THE RENAISSANCE WOMAN
Upper class women should know The classics Be charming Not expected to seek
fame Inspire art not create Isabella d’ Este led her
husbands city state
THE RENAISSANCE REVOLUTIONIZES ART Portrayed religious
subjects but in a real way
Copied from Greeks and the Romans
Perspective-shows three dimensions on a flat surface
REALISTIC PAINTING AND SCULPTURE
Paint prominent citizens
Revealed what was distinctive about a person
Michelangelo Buonarrotti-sculpted using realistic style
DONATELLO
Made sculpture more realistic by sculpting natural postures, and expression
His David was the first free standing nude in Europe since ancient times
LEONARDO RENAISSANCE MAN
Leonardo da Vinci-painter, sculptor, artist, inventor, scientist
Studied how muscles moved
Veins in a leaf Painted the Mona Lisa
seems real people try and explain her thoughts
LAST SUPPER
RAPHAEL ADVANCES REALISM
Madonna and child was his favorite subject
Expressions of gentle and calm
Famous for use of perspective
School of Athens greatest achievement
SCHOOL OF ATHENS
ANGUISSOLA AND GENTILESCHI
Few Italian women were artists
Anguissola was the first woman to gain international acclaim
Gentileschi- trained to paint by her father Pictures of strong
heroic women
RENAISSANCE WRITERS CHANGE LITERATURE Wrote in the vernacular
or everyday language Wrote to portray the
individuality of subjects Petrarch most influential
humanist Father of Renaissance
humanism
Boccaccio-wrote letter to many important friends
Realistic off color stories
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI
Prince 1513 People are selfish,
fickle, and corrupt Prince must be
strong like a lion and shrewd as a fox
Did not worry about morally right he worried about politically right
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI
Praiseworthy for prince to keep his word and live with integrity
Prince must sometimes mislead people
VICTORIA COLONNA
Born of a noble family 1509
Exchanged sonnets with Michelangelo and helped Castiglione get published
Renaissance ideas began to spread north from Italy