1.2 Italian Renaissance

significance/meaning of rebirth

the ancient texts from greece and rome were being brought back up after dying

what was the renaissance?

a European movement that grew out of the rediscovery of the ancient texts of Greece and Rome

continuity of what theme occurred during this time?

religion (still popular, but just a little bit less because new ideas were being formed so they weren’t just completely consumed with just religion)

what changes occurred?

more human reasoning, more interest in the world as a model, and (in some places) a more secular work tone in art and learning

what are the two 2 main themes of the renaissance in general?

• the revival of classical (greek and roman) literatures/texts

• defining philosophy of humanism

5 long term conditions that led to the renaissance in Italy?

• economic growth and urban wealth

• political fragmentation in Italy

• the legacy of Rome

• contact with the Eastern Mediterranean

• crisis and recovery after the black death

economic growth and urban wealth

a long term cause of the Italian Renaissance where lots of money was coming into the Italian city states because they were deeply tied to Mediterranean trading and banking so wealthy merchants could pay for everything like libraries, schools, public buildings, art etc.

political fragmentation in Italy

a long term cause of the Italian Renaissance where there were tensions between different city states because Italy hasn’t been unified yet. because of this competition, the leaders of the different states would build huge cathedrals, art, and buildings which all added to the culture (the competition became a cultural engine)

the legacy of Rome

a long term causes of the Italian Renaissance because the ruins of the Roman empire like ancient monuments and inscriptions led to the revival of their classic literature feel almost immediate.

contact with the Eastern Mediterranean

a long term cause of the Italian Renaissance where more texts and writings were found because they were preserved, studied, and commented on by the Islamic world

the crisis and recovery after the black death

a long term cause of the Italian renaissance where during the rebuilding process after all the deaths and destruction of the economic and social structures, there was more room for all the cultural aspects allowing for a smooth transition into the Italian Renaissance

Petrarch

“Father of the Renaissance” because he developed humanism through works of Cicero (ancient roman) and other ancient writings which all influenced other renaissance thinkers

humanism

focuses on the unlimited potential of human beings as a limit to themselves

significance of humanism

humanism became popular which contradicts themes/ideas from the middle ages

Philology

the study of the history and development of other languages. key figure Lorenzo Valla

Lorenzo Valla

studied Philology and could tell the difference of the stages of Latin so he could help the church figure out what documents were forged and what were real from different time periods

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola

a humanist who wrote a book, Oration on the Dignity of Man, one of the most read humanistic book which talks about the potential bound up in a human being

secularism

the decoupling of religious beliefs from society (so basically separating religion and government/schools)

Individualism

emphasizes the triumph of the individual as opposed to the community

printing press

a machine invented in the 1440s which printed much faster than before allowing the spread of ideas

impact of the printing press

challenges institutional powers like universities and greatly reformed education to become more important —> emphasized liberal studies like rhetoric, grammar, logic, history, moral philosophy

civic humanism

applying humanism to the public sphere like to political and economical parts of society

Baldassare Castiglione

wrote a book, The Courtier, where he argued a man should be skilled in all the humanistic disciplines and especially be awake mentally

Leonardo Bruni

wrote the new Cicero where he argued that the intellectual man was duty-bound to deploy his education

Niccolo Machiavelli

wrote a book, The Prince, where he argued a ruler must preserve power, ensure order and stability in the state/country, the ruler can do whatever they need (be brutal or kind) to ensure the first two points (preserve power and ensure order/stability), and that humans are very selfish

art during the middle ages

very religious themes with symbolism

art during the renaissance

religious but with personal, political, and classical themes AND naturalism

naturalism

the styles that portrayed the world as it was, not in the mysteries of symbolic figures like the middle ages

art techniques

• geometric perspective: portrays realistic depth like used by Leonardo Da Vinci

• Chiaroscuro: the contrast between light and dark in art to add drama and intensity to the work

Michealangelo

an artist (creates sculptures) like the sculpture of the Biblical David (so someone from the bible) but with a muscular body which gives a humanist influence shows the image of perfected humanity

Raphael

painted the famous, School of Athens, classical themes (because Aristotle and Plato) with geometric perspective —> suggest balance and power

Filippo Brunelleschi

an architect that designed the rebuilding of the church of San Lorenzo in Florence (transformed the gothness from medieval Cathedrals waith more roman columns and arches)