The Renaissance
Ohio Academic Content Standard #6 The Renaissance in Europe introduced
revolutionary ideas, leading to cultural, scientific and social changes.
The Renaissance
Renaissance means “Rebirth” Started in Northern Italy in the
1300’s and lasted into the 1600’s During this period there was a
reawaking of interest in art, literature, and science, as well as in the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome
Italy – The Launching Point Centrally located
between Eastern and Western Europe and the Middle East.
Surrounded and captivated by remnants of Greek and Roman culture.
Italians had wealth to build libraries and acquire and restore art.
Italian City-States
Cities that were both cities and independent states
Had their own governments and were not closely controlled by nobles or the Church
Wealthy families or wealthy merchants held power.
Center of Trade
Italian merchants controlled European trade with Asia
Italian merchants brought back precious goods such as silk and spices from trading centers around the Mediterranean Sea
They transported these goods throughout Europe, reselling them at high prices
New Ideas
Being at the center of this lively international trade exposed the Italian city-states of other cultures and ideas
Since trade brought them wealth, many northern Italians had more time to think, read and create and enjoy art
The wealthy became great patrons (financial supporters) of scholarship and the arts
The Medici (Me-duh-chee) Family
Lorenzo de Medici The Magnificent
Ruled the city of Florence
He was a generous and powerful patron of the artists, poets and philosophers.
Invited others to use his large collection of art and literature
Ancient Greece and Rome In the 1300’s,
scholars and artists in Italy began to look at life in a new way
First they looked back, not to the Middle Ages, but to the literature, science, and art of Ancient Greece and Rome.
Ruins of fine architecture and realistic statues were all around them, especially in the city of Rome.
These works inspired study and curiosity as well as a new focus on the achievements of individual people.
Humanism
Renaissance scholars and artists developed a new focus on the nature, ideals, and achievements of human beings, rather than on the divine
Middle Age vs. Renaissance Art
MIDDLE AGES ART
Artists of the Middle Ages had not painted people or nature realistically
Their goal had been to celebrate God, the saints, and the Church
RENAISSANCE ART
Artists of the Renaissance studied and copied the more realistic art of Ancient Greece and Rome
While they continued to do religious paintings, they often used the architecture and clothing of their own time for these biblical scenes
Art Meets Science
To better understand how to portray people, Italian painters and sculptors studied the bones and muscles of the body
Some artists even dissected corpses to learn about anatomy
Use of Perspective
Perspective made objects and landscapes look more realistic
By making distant objects smaller, artists could create scenes that appeared three-dimensional
They also used light to make objects look solid
Michelangelo (1475-1564) He worked in Florence and
Rome; he was talented as a painter, sculptor, poet, and architect.
Famed for the biblical scenes he painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. c. As a sculptor - he is best known for his Pieta, David, and Moses.
Michelangelo also designed the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) He worked in Florence, Milan,
and Rome. He was a skilled painter,
sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist.
In military engineering - he improved the method of loading cannons and devised equipment for scaling walls.
He devised the possibility of a parachute and a flying machine.
In painting he is best known for his Self Portrait, The Last Supper, and the Mona Lisa.
Raphael (1483-1520)
Worked in both Florence and Rome.
Known for the Frescos he painted in the Papal Library at Rome.
He also painted the Sistine Madonna and School of Athens
Donatello (1386-1466)
Florentine sculptor best known for his life size statue of St. George and Gattemelata on Horseback
Sculpted in bronze, wood and marble
The Printing Press
Invented by the German printer Johann Gutenberg
Printing press used moveable type
He printed the Bible in 1455
The Printing Press
Making books is cheaper More people reading Literacy increases
More books published Scholars had access to
one another's work (past and present)
Printing carried the Renaissance north into France, England, Germany and the Netherlands
Niccolo Machiavelli
Machiavelli was a Florentine diplomat
He drew on his experience of politics and his study of Roman history to write The Prince. Which he dedicated
to Lorenzo de Medici
Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince This book was a guide for
gaining and keeping power
Machiavelli said rulers should use whatever methods were necessary to accomplish their goals
He advised rulers that getting results was more important than keeping promises