Renaissance ID Term

Renaissance

revivalism of classical art and literature in the 14th and 16th century; means rebirth

Medici

Italian family of bankers and merchants whose members ruled Florence for a long time and were patrons of the arts during the Renaissance

Dowry

property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage

Papal states

territories in Italy under the jurisdiction and authority of the Pope, representing the Catholic Church's power during the Renaissance

Ambassador

a diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country

Niccolo Machiavelli

statesman and politcal philospher who lived during the Renaissance and was known as teh father of political philosophy and political science

The Prince

political treatise that advised rulers on how to acquire and maintain power by saying that the acquistion and use of power may need unethical methods

Individualism

the emphasis on personal identity, self-expression, and the potential of individual

Secularism

principle of separation of the states from religious institutions

Humanism

importance or human rather than the divine; stresses the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek rational ways of solving human problems

Petrarch

important figure in rediscovering ancient texts; coins term “Dark Ages”; writes a lot of vernacular things; father of humanism and the Renaissance

Civic humanism

stresses the importances of active participation in public life for the common good; advocating for government that reflects interest of its citizens

Neoplatonism

philosophical system that emerged by building on the ideas of Plato; emphasized a single, ulitmate source of reality (“the One” or “the Good”); single source of existence from which all reality flows

Hermeticism

ancient philosophical tradition combining Greek and Eygptian thought which emphasized the unity of the cosmos and the relationship between the divine and humanity; explored nature of reality and existence

Liberal studies/liberal arts

education of grammer, rheotric, poetry, history, politcs, and history and the humanities

Francesco Guicciardini

historian during the Renaissance known for his critical writing on politics and history; critic of Niccolo Machiavelli; laid groundwork for historiography; Storia d’Italia

Johannes Gutenberg

German inventor and printer who introduced the mechincal movable type printing press to Europe; revolutionized production of books by making them more accessible and affordable; first major book printed was the Gutenberg Bible

Masaccio

artist who was regarded as the first great Italian painter of the period; imitated nature and recreated lifelike figures and movements

Donatello

Italian sculptor who studied classical sculpture and used his knowledge to develop an Early Renaissance style of it; his famous sculpture was commissioned by the Medici family

Donatello’s David

commissioned by the Medcei family; first freestanding nud3 male sculpture since antiquity

Filippo Brunelleschi

prominent Italian architect and engineer of the Renaissance who desgined the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence; architectural solutions significantly influenced the development of Renaissance arcitecture

High Renaissance

short period of the most exceptional artistic production in the Italian states (mainly Rome and Florence)

Leonardo da Vinci

Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect; Mona Lisa, The Last Supper

Last Supper

painting by Leonardo da Vinci that depicts the moment when Jesus announces that one of his apostles witll betray him, capturing the emotional reactions of the 12 apostles

Raphael

Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance whose work is admired for clarity, ease of composition, and visual achievement of Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur; The School of Athens

School of Athens

artwork of assembly of ancient philosophers (Plato and Aristotle); unity of classical philosophy and Renaissance ideals, showing the historical continuty of thought from antiquity to the Renaissance

Michelangelo

Italian sculptor of the High Renaissance; inspired by models from classical antiquity and has a lasting influecne on Western art; archetypal Renaissance man

Michelangelo’s David

recognized work of Renaissance sculpture that symbolizes strength and youthful beauty; represents biblical hero; celebrated for its anatony and expressoin of human emotion

Northern Renaissance

Renaissance that occured in Europe above the Alps after the Italian Renaissance; took different forms in various countries involved

Jan van Eyck

Netherlandish painter who was a supreme figure of the Northern Renaissance; called the inventor of oil-painting

Albercht Durer

German paitner, printmaker, and theorist in the Northern Renaissance who established himself due to his high quality woodcut prints

The Spanish Inquisition

judicial institution established to maintain the Catholic orthodoxy of Spanish, causing a lot of suffering and loss of life

Council of Constance

council of the Roman Catholic Church that was aimed at resolving the Great Schism and addressing the different church reforms

Great Schism

event where the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church split because the EOC used idols and the other one did not

Jan Hus

known to be the first Church reformer who challenged the Roman Catholic Church and laid the groundwork for the Protestant Reformation; executed for heresy

Nepotism

practice amoung those with power or influence that favor their relatives and friends by giving them jobs in business, politics, or religion

Contrapposto

asymmetrical arrangement of the human figure where the arms and shoulders contrast with the hips and legs

Virtu

set of qualities that are essential for effective leadership and person execellence; courage, wisdom, strength