Renaissance

I. The Renaissance was the period that followed the Middle Ages. It was a time of renewed interest in things of this world.

➢ A. Human beings and their conditions➢ B. Education, art, literature, and science➢ C. Approximately 1400 - 1600

➢ Centrally located towns became bustling centers of trade, attracting merchants, craftspeople, and customers. Towns also began to provide services for traveling merchants.

➢ A money-based economy replaced a barter-based economy

➢ Merchants, craftspeople, and bankers became more important and powerful. They became patrons of the arts and used their wealth to commission art and new buildings and to found universities.

II. The Renaissance started in Italy where wealth from trade supported art learning.

➢ A. Here also modern capitalism was born. Private individuals or companies, not the government, owned businesses. The main goal is profit.

➢ B. Republican government arose in most cities. Citizens participated.

➢ City-states were powerful cities that ruled the surrounding towns and countryside. They were independent and were often republics governed by elected councils. Sometimes they were ruled by rich merchants, guilds, or powerful families.

III. Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527), in The Prince (1513) said, basically, one must do whatever one must do to get and stay in power. If it works, it is the "right" thing to do. Forget ideals; lie, cheat, even murder if you must. A stable state is needed.

IV. Humanism, a system of thought and action concerned with human interests and values, was the dominant movement of the Renaissance.

➢ A. Human beings have dignity and intelligence.➢ B. They (we) can change the world and make it a

better place for all.➢ C. Human beings have a great deal of creative

potentional

V. The ideal so-called Renaissance man was successful in business, well-mannered, educated, athletic, and brave.

➢ A. The goal of education became making people well-rounded.

➢ B. Religion remained important, but the authority and some practices of the church began to be questioned.

Gutenberg Bible

➢ C. The Gutenberg Bible, named for the craftsman and inventor of printing by use of moveable type, Johannes Gutenberg, was completed in 1455 at Mainz, Germany. The three-volume Latin text arguably represents the greatest single innovation in the history of communication technology, as well as a style of printing that existed almost unaltered until the twentieth century. Gutenberg’s invention and the dispersion of relatively cheap printed materials ultimately stimulated enormous change—social, political, economic, and religious. Some forty perfect vellum copies of Gutenberg’s masterpiece of technological advancement still exist in the world.

Renaissance Art

➢ Classical art shows importance of leaders and gods; lifelike but idealized.

➢ Medieval art taught nonreaders about Christianity; often looked unrealistic

➢ Renaissance art show importance of people, nature and religion; very realistic and shows perspective (invented by Filippo Brunelleschi)

The Medici Family

➢ The Medici family originated just north of Florence, in the mid 13th century.

➢ By around 1400, they had risen to prominence as bankers in Florence, and gained a great deal of power and influence.

➢ The Medici family was one of the first to patronize artists on a regular basis, and so are responsible for the majority of Renaissance Florentine art.

A. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) painted (Mona Lisa), studied geology, chemistry and anatomy, designed buildings, canals and weapons, and sketched engines and flying machines.

Da Vinci

➢ Da Vinci was born in Florence, Italy, which was then ruled by the Medici family.

➢ Having displayed some artistic talent, Da Vinci was apprenticed to Andrea di Cione.

➢ At 20, he qualified as a master in the Guild of St. Luke.

➢ Da Vinci began his work on The Last Supper around 1495.

B. Michelangelo Buonaroti (1475-1564) painted (the Sistine Chapel ceiling), sculptured (David), designed buildings, and wrote poetry.

Michelangelo

➢ Michelangelo was raised primarily in Florence.

➢ For a time, whilehis mother was ill, he lived with a family that owned arock quarry, where helearned stonecutting.

Sistine Chapel

➢ One of his most famous paintings was the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which took him four years to complete.

C. Desiderius Erasmus (1469?-1536), a priest who wrote books, The Praise of Folly 1509, condemned ignorance and superstition. He believed education could lead to more perfect societies.

• Nicolaus Copernicus– 1473-1543, German

– Figured out that mathematical representations of the planets fit better if one put the sun at the center, instead of the earth

• Started the Scientific Revolution

• Very controversial, because medieval people had believed God put humans at the center, AND the Bible had said that the earth did not move

• Galileo Galilei– 1564-1642, Florentine (Italian)

– Invented telescope, supported Copernicus’ heliocentric theory

– The pope and a Catholic court condemned Heliocentrism as contrary to Scripture

• Galileo put under house arrest for the rest of his life (9 years)

• Not allowed to publish anything anymore, but what he wrote then was published later

Raphael da Urbino (1483-1520) was an Italian artist and architect. He was known for celebrating human grandeur. His father had been a court painter for the duke of Urbino. Raphael moved around a great deal, eventually going to Florence, where he was influenced by Da Vinci, then on to Rome.

Raphael’s Architecture➢ Raphael became the

most important architect in Rome for a time, designing many buildings on behalf of the Pope and some other important church officials.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) wrote plays showing humans as in God's image, but part of this world as well. He was called the Bard of Avon, and is considered England’s national poet. He was a part owner of one of the theaters, and was a prolific playwright.

Shakespeare

➢ William Shakespeare had a dramatic influence on the English language.

➢ Most modern people use about 7,500 t0 10,000 unique words in their vocabulary.

➢ Shakespeare used 29,000.➢ Shakespeare also introduced about 3,000

words to the English language, as well as many phrases.

Shakespeare➢ “Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.”➢ “Et Tu, Brute.”➢ “Wherefore art thou, Romeo.”➢ “To be or not to be.”➢ “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”➢ “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”➢ “To thine own self be true.”➢ “Give the devil his due.”➢ “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”