Italian Renaissance, Literature, and Scientific Revolution: Unit 2 Exam Study Guide

What does the term 'Renaissance' mean?

Rebirth; a revival of classical Greek and Roman art and learning that began in Italian city-states.

What is Humanism?

The study of classical culture and the humanities; emphasized human dignity, potential, education, and using one's gifts to benefit society.

Define 'Secular'.

Concerned with worldly life and the here-and-now; does not necessarily mean rejecting Christianity.

What is Individualism?

Greater attention to a person's distinctive talents, achievements, and personality.

Who is a Patron?

A financial supporter of artists or writers, often wealthy merchants, rulers, and Church leaders.

What is a City-state?

An independent city and its surrounding territory, with its own government.

Why was Italy significant during the Renaissance?

Mediterranean trade brought wealth and ideas; prosperous cities and a wealthy merchant class supported art.

What is Florence known for?

Birthplace and cultural center of the Renaissance; known for trade, banking, and Medici patronage.

Who were the Medici family?

Bankers and patrons who dominated Florentine politics through wealth and influence.

What role did Venice play during the Renaissance?

A center of maritime trade and naval power, known for its organized ship production.

Rome/Papal states

The pope ruled the papal states. Rome was an important center of church patronage.

Cause and Effect

Trade & Banking -> Wealth -> Patronage -> More opportunities for artists, writers, & scholars

Locate Rome, Florence, and Venice

What is Realism in art?

Lifelike bodies, natural settings, believable space, and human emotion.

What is Linear Perspective?

A technique that creates depth on a flat surface; receding parallel lines appear to meet at a vanishing point.

Define Chiaroscuro.

Contrasts of light and dark that create the appearance of volume and depth.

What does Sfumato refer to?

Soft, smoky transitions between tones, often associated with Leonardo da Vinci.

What is Contrapposto?

A standing pose with weight on one leg, where the hips and shoulders shift naturally.

Who is Giotto and what is he known for?

An artist known for 'Lamentation over the Dead Christ,' which shows emotion and a natural setting.

What is Masaccio's contribution to art?

Pioneered the use of mathematical linear perspective in 'Holy Trinity.'

What is Leonardo da Vinci known for?

Works like 'Mona Lisa' and 'The Last Supper,' and the 'Vitruvian Man' emphasizing anatomy, observation, and proportion.

What is Michelangelo's most famous sculpture?

David; also known for 'Pietà', the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and The creation of Adam.

What is the significance of Raphael's 'The School of Athens'?

Depicts classical thinkers and demonstrates balance and perspective.

What is the main idea of Niccolò Machiavelli's 'The Prince'?

Examines how rulers gain and keep political power, including the usefulness of ruthlessness.

What renaissance art all non religious?

NOOO! Art still had drawings, paintings and sculptures of famous Holy people.

Explain one change and on continuity using Madonna of the chair.

Change- During the renaissance artists increased realism, human emotion, and accuracy to their work. In Raphael's work this is shown through the warm relationship between Mary and Jesus depicting them in a natural way.

Continuity (Same)- Despite the new forms of art and painting geared towards the world, the Madonna of the chair is of Jesus and Mary showing how it still depicts christianity.

What is the Heliocentric theory?

The sun-centered model of the universe, where Earth and other planets orbit the Sun.

Who proposed the Heliocentric model?

Nicolaus Copernicus in 'On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres.'

What is the Scientific Method?

A systematic process for testing explanations with evidence, involving observation, hypothesis, testing, and analysis.

What did Francis Bacon contribute to science?

Stressed the importance of observation and experiments in developing the scientific method.

What did Johannes Kepler discover?

Laws of planetary motion, showing that planets follow elliptical orbits.

What was Galileo's contribution to the Scientific Revolution?

Supported heliocentrism through telescope observations; faced the Inquisition for his findings.

What is Empirical Evidence?

Information gathered through observation and experiments.