The Northern Renaissance

Differences between the Italian and Northern (Christian) Renaissance

• Location: Italy, Florence VS Germany, Spain, France, & England
• Time Period: 15th century VS 16th century (about 100 years later)
• Main Influences: Ancient Greece & Rome VS the Church & Bible
• Central Ideas & Characteristics: secular, pagan humanism (human potential), secular education, focused on the elite (esp. in artwork), gender roles (men in public, women were domestic) VS deepen understanding of Christianity + restore its moral vitality, education at universities, included commoners in artwork, reinforced Christian morals, christian humanism
• Impact on Society, Families, Women: inheritance became very important, rich men dominated (through patronage, funding artists & architects to cement their reputation and legacy), city-states dominated, banks (funded civic events, construction of cathedrals, classical works, & artists like Botticelli and Michelangelo) VS humanist universities (investigated human condition, organized society, establish & enforce law), Schools of Brothers + Sisters (taught reading & writing, but emphasis on Christian ideal of character & conduct), kingdoms dominated
• Technology & Advancement: free-standing statues, arches, domes, classical columns VS movable type, cartography (mapped world), medicine (Hohenhiem), earth moves around the sun, mathematical conception of universe
• Art & Literature: David, Sistine Chapel, Mars and Venus, The Courtier, The Prince VS oil paintings, Netherlandish Proverbs (showed rural villagers acting out common wisdom), Dürer
• Humanism: study of ancient past (Greece & Rome) to promote secularism & human potential, individualism, civic humanism, Petrarch VS mysticism, connection to God, human have more potential with religious enthusiasm, Erasmus, looked at ancient writings + found simpler & purer Christianity to return to, impulse to reform

Erasmus

• wrote 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘺 (praise of the foolish): mocked all worldly pretensions, ambitions, and most of the clergy
• laid the eggs Luther hatched
• most notable figure of the entire humanist movement, and like Taylor Swift, above criticism
• attacked the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church, not whole
• called for reform of clergy, the church, and society from Christian posture
• brought humanism to politics
• translated New Testament so it spread, and urged people to read it in vernacular languages so they had a better understanding of Christ's teachings
• attacked the abuses of the Church (clergy ignorance, financial/moral corruption)

Characteristics of Northern Renaissance Art

• use of oil paint
• detailed realism
• attention to texture and light
• everyday life (included commoners)
• domestic interiors
• blended Christian humanism with interest in the natural world and individual experience
• printmaking techniques made art more accessible
• biblical scenes and saints to convey religious and moral messages

Gutenberg

• invented the printing press that used movable type
• produced first European books printed with movable type
• IMPACT: cheaper books, increasing literacy, accelerated spread of ideas during Renaissance and Reformation (quickly distributed Martin Luther's writings, 95 Theses, fueling the Reformation)

Albrecht Dürer

• Northern Renaissance painter
• painted first portrait of an animal and a realistic landscape
• captured a human aspect in his artwork
• used the latest skills
• started publishing his artwork, prints

Example of Northern Renaissance Art: Netherlandish Proverbs (1559)

• painted by Breughal
• shows rural villagers acting out more than 100 Dutch proverbs
• painted for a laugh, and the same foolishness humans have been committing for more than 450 years
• banging your head against a brick wall → trying to do something that will never work
• leading each other by the nose → to fool each other
• depends upon the fall of the cards → it is up to chance
• carrying fire in one hand and water in the other → ti be two-faced
• kill two flies with one stroke → kill two birds with one stone

Mysticism

• the belief that individual souls could directly commune with God in solitude
• there was no need for reason, words, joining others in open worship, sacraments, and church
• did not rebel against the church (accepted its pattern of salvation) but offered a deeper religion where church as a social institution had no place
• all social institutions surpassed by soul

The Sisters and Brothers of the Common Life

• started by Gerard Groote
• example of lay religion
• what Groote's followers called themselves
• eventually received papal authority
• lived communally
• took no vows
• wore ordinary clothes
• were free to leave at will
• worked in relieving poor and in teaching
• Schools of the Brothers: had thousands of boys, organized in separate classrooms with their own room and teacher according to age or advancement
• less elaborate schools existed for girls
• schools taught writing and reading but placed emphasis on Christian ideal of character and conduct, to instill humility, tolerance, reverence, love of one's neighbor, performance of duty (modern devotion, spread widely in Netherlands and part of Germany)

Where was the Northern Renaissance located?

The Low Countries: Germany, Spain, France and England

When did the Northern Renaissance take place?

16th century

What were the main influences or inspiration for the Northern Renaissance?

The Church and Bible

What were the central ideas and characteristics of the Northern Renaissance?

• deepen understanding of Christianity
• education through universities
• include commoners in art
• reinforce Christian morals

What was the Northern Renaissance impact on society, families, and women?

• Men had Authority over family
• universities embraced humanism: investigated human condition, organized society, established and enforced law
• Schools of Brothers and Sisters
• kingdoms dominated

What was some technology and advancements made in the Northern Renaissance?

• Printing press with a movable type
• cartography, mapping the world
• revolutionized medicine
• earth moves around the Sun
• mathematical concept of the universe

What were some achievements in art and literature in the Northern Renaissance?

• oil paintings
• "Netherlandish Proverbs" by Breughel
• Albrecht Dürer

What was Christian Humanism like in the Northern Renaissance?

• mysticism
• connection to God
• humans have more potential with religious enthusiasm
• led to impulse to reform
• Erasmus
• looked in ancient writings and found a simpler and purer Christianity which they wanted to return to