The Intellectual and Artistic Renaissance

Italian Renaissance Humanism

• Humanism was a key intellectual movement of the Renaissance– Based on the study of literary works of the

ancients Greeks and Romans

• Humanists studied the “humanities”– grammar, rhetoric, poetry, philosophy, and

history

Italian Renaissance Humanism

• Petrarch is considered the father of Italian Renaissance humanism

– He emphasized the use of pure classical Latin

• Latin as it was used by the ancient Romans

Italian Renaissance Humanism

• In the early 1400s, humanists shifted from being a secluded group, to being very proactive

– believed intellectuals should be active in the community

– Also believed the humanities should be used to serve the state

Vernacular Literature

• Because of the emphasis on classical Latin, scholars, lawyers, and theologians used it

• But some writers used the vernacular– language spoken in their own regions

• In the 14th century, the works of Dante and Chaucer made vernacular popular

Dante

• Dante (Italian) wrote the Divine Comedy

Chaucer

• Chaucer (English) wrote The Canterbury Tales

Education in the Renaissance

• Humanists believed that education could change people

• Believed that the liberal studies (history, moral philosophy, grammar, logic, poetry, math, astronomy, etc) helped people reach their full potential

Education in the Renaissance

• Humanists also stressed physical education– Sound mind and sound body

• The purpose of liberal education was not to create a great scholar, but complete human beings

New Techniques in Painting

• Masaccio’s frescoes were the first masterpieces of Renaissance art– A painting done on fresh, wet plaster with

water-based paints

• He created a 3D perspectives which allowed his works to be very realistic

Masaccio’s Frescoes

Sculpture and Architecture

• The sculptor Donatello spent time studying and imitating statues of the Greeks and Romans– He created realistic

free-standing figures

Sculpture and Architecture

• The buildings of classical Rome inspired the architect Filippo Brunelleschi.

The Masters of the High Renaissance

• The final stage of Italian Renaissance painting is called the High Renaissance (1490-1520)

• Three artistic giants are associated with this period– Leonardo da Vinci– Raphael– Michelangelo

da Vinci’s Work

• He focused on realistic painting

Raphael’s Work

• Known for his paintings at the Vatican palace

Michelangelo’s Work

• Known for hiswork on the ceilings of theSistine chapel

The Northern Artistic Renaissance

• Artists of northern Europe typically painted illustrations for books and wooden panels for altarpieces– Masters of detail

• The most important northern school of art in the 15th century was in Flanders.

The Use of Oil Paint

• Jan van Eyck was one of the first to use oil paint.

• Allowed artists to use a wide variety of colors and to create fine details.