AP Euro - Renaissance and humanism

historical events that led to renaissance

crusades and the Black Death

crusades

The Crusades were a series of religious wars between Christian and Muslim nations focused

primarily on the control of the holy sites, motivated by religious, political, and territory

effects of the crusades

interaction between christian and muslim words, created international trade, rediscovery of greek and latin literature, and awareness of the rest of the world

fall of the byzantine empire

It used to be the dominant power, where Greek Orthodox Church was dominant. Ottomans began taking control of the balkans, ottomans took Constantinople, changing it to Istanbul

The Black Death

brought on ships from Asia, killed 1/3 - ½ of the population, created weariness and despair, led to higher wages, (general) end of serfdom, workers gained land and livestock, loss clergy, harshness of mortal life

renaissance

considered beginning of modern European history, started in Italy, spread to Northern Europe, later to England,

How is the renaissance characterized

Growing national consciousness, political centralization, urban economy, growing lay control of secular thought and culture

What does renaissance mean

Rebirth

Why is it called the renaissance

Middle Ages seen as age without learning or achievement, and believed to be the pinnacle human achievement

who did the renaissance apply to

Upper class, since peasants illiterate and working and middle classes were too busy

The Renaissance Man

A man characterized by wit, intellect, creativity, extremely capable, exells at everything, practice of learning from the ancients with a new celebration of humanism

5 Italian City States

The Republic of Florence, Venice, Papal States, Duchy of Milan, Kingdom of Naples

SIgnori

Despots

Oligarchies

Rule of merchant aristocracies

Republic of Florence

While a republic, Medici’s held most power, center of renaissance in 14th and 15th century

Social Classes in Florence

grandi (old money), popolo grosso (new money), middle (guild masters, shop owners, etc) , popolo minuto (lower class), signoria (governed city)

Ciompi Revolt

Uprising of poor due to feuds between popolo gross and Grandi, established 4 year reign of lower class

Cosimo de Medici

Wealthiest Florentine and natural statesman, controlled Florence by manipulating constitution and elections, most power of medicis

Lorenzo the Magnificent

Cosimo de. Medici’s grandson, greatest patron of arts, totalitarian, cautious

Duchy of Milan

Ruled. by Sforzas, enemy of Florence and Venice, created good balance of power

the Papal States

religious and political leader and controlled lots of central Italy

Venice

Longest lasting of Italian city states, greatest maritime power

kingdom of Naples

s. Italian region of Naples and Sicily, officially had a king, controlled by France and Spain

Despotism in Renaissance Italy

oligarchies had much power, podesta had military and judicial power, condottieri were military brokers, political turbulence and warfare of renaissance gave rise to diplomacy and despots established resident embassies and appointed ambassadors

Treaty of Lodi

Brought Milan and Naples into an alliance with Florence and these 3 city-states stood together in opposition to Venice and the Papal States

Decline of city-states

Ludovico the Moor of Milan rose to power and broke the treaty of Lodi, Naples, Florence, and Pope threatened Milan, Milan asked France to help and he invited France to claim Naples but France threatened Milan

Charles VIII March through Italy

French marched over Alps to Florence, leader of Florence tried to placate him and handed over Pisa, but France left without Pisa

League of Venice

Ferdinand of Aragon was vulnerable so established league of Venice with Papal States and the HRE Emperor, Ludovico joined, Charles VIII retreated

Pope Alex VI and Bogia Family

France returned to Italy when Pope Alex helped them, known as most corrupt pope who aligned politics with ambition, Papal States lost territory, supported France and Borgia became possession of their family

Sack of Rome

Spanish King Charles V led his army to sack Rome, end of Renaissance in Italy

Medieval Worldview

Church ultimate authority, learning centered around Christianity, thinkers focused on sin, humanity seen as wicked

New Worldview

Humanity subject worth of study, improvement, admiration, celebration, capable of living good life, people seen as worthy because of potential and created to create, virtu

Virtu

quality of being a man, idea of excelling all pursuits

Virtu

“quality of being a man”, excelling all pursuits

New questions

What is the value of education? What defines “good governance”? What determines a person’s worth? What justifies war, violence, and revolution? What forces shape personal and collective identity? What role should faith play in human experience? What is the relationship between a person’s material condition and quality of life?

Secularism

interest in non religious aspects of life, more focus on material not just afterlife, Italian humanism focused on non-christian subject matter in literature

Civic humanism

education should prepare leaders to engage in civics, and some of the most important politicians at the time were humanists

Petrarch

Father of humanism, first modern writer, first to use critical text analysis, written in the vernacular, classical and christian influences in his works

Leonardo Bruni

first to use the word humanism, important politician, wrote the first modern history

Niccolò Macchiaveli

Wrote The Prince, very secular views that emphasized the individual, “the end justifies the means”, “better to be feared then to be loved”, rulers had to be cunning and aggressive

Baldassare Castiglione

Book of the courtier, qualities to be a true gentleman, described the “renaissance man”, contrasted with the medieval view, idea of virtu

Printing Press

Invented by Johannes Gutenburg, meant books no longer had to be printed individually, first printed book of the Bible, facilitated spread of knowledge

Patronage

when wealthy families commission certain artists to demonstrate their wealth

Patronage in the church

Patronage came from the local churches because they saw renaissance art as a way to glorify God

New themes in art

embraced the natural and realistic art, gave work a more rational and even mathematical perspective,

Geometric perspective

3-D effects on 2-D surface

linear perspectivism

the changing of objects size to give it a more 3D perspective

chiaroscuro

Use of dark and light colors to create the illusion of depth

Renaissance sculpture

free standing, meant to be seen from all sides, glorified human body

Renaissance architecture

used grecoroman forms of architecture, emphasized simplicity and balance

Donatello

First artist to utilize the naked body

Sandro Botticelli

Subject is Venus, goddess of love

High renaissance

caused by renaissance popes and characterized by harmony, balance, and restraint

Leonardo da Vinci

Renaissance man good in art, science, engineering, etc

Mona Lisa

Painted by Leonardo da Vinci, one of the greatest masterpieces, developed technique of sfumato

The Vitruvian Man

Showed ideal human figure and proportions could be projected beyond

architecture, painting, and sculpture

School of Athens

Commissioned by Pope Julius II, quintessential example of humanism, represents 4 branches of human knowledge

Michelangelo’s David

glories the human form in contrapposto while facial features are individualistic, glorifies human form

Titian

Greatest painter of Venetian school, use of vivid color and movement, Allegory of Sacred Love, Bacchus and Ariadne

Primavera

Venus is central, embodiment of the ideal of humanism, hung in medici house

Mannerism

End of high renaissance, replaced by Baroque style, reaction against renaissance ideals of balance, unnatural shapes

How were popes and rulers concerned with renaissance

concerned with enhancing their prestige commissioned paintings and architectural works based on classical styles, the developing “naturalism” in the artistic world, and often the newly invented technique of geometric perspective.

How were art and renaissance connected

used to promote personal, political, and religious goals

Christian Humanism

Emphasized early church writings and less Greek and Roman works, drew on Bible and writings of church fathers, led to criticism of the church

Erasmus

First humanist to earn a living by writing, master of Greek, made new translations of the Greek and Latin to make purer translations of the Bible, In Praise of Folly

In Praise of Folly

Written in Latin and wanted to reform the church, criticized mortality and hypocrisy, satirized worldly ambitions, inspired calls for reform

Thomas Moore

Civic humanist, chancellor to Henry VIII, Wrote Utopia where he mixed civic humanism and religion to create a utopia, accumulation of property is root cause for society’s ills, people have to be willing to sacrifice their individual rights for the common good.

Michel de Montigne

Developed essay, came up with skepticism

Skepticism

intellectuals questioned traditional medieval authority, church dogma, and established knowledge

William Shakespeare

Reflected ideas of classical greek and roman culture, individualism, and humanism

Flemish style

Heavily influenced by the Italian Renaissance, more minute detail throughout paintings, use of oil paints, more emotional than the Italian style, works often preoccupied with death

Jan Van Eyck

Perfected oil painting, used lots of religious symbolism, incredible detail, masterpiece was the Ghent Altarpiece

Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Focused on the lives of ordinary people

Characteristics of monarchies 1460-1550

Consolidated power, reduced power of the nobility through taxation, confiscation of lands, mercenary armies, military revolution, reduced power of clergy, more efficient bureaucracy, increased influence of bourgeoisie, increased national debt

Opposition to monarchies

nobles resented decline of power, clergy saw pope as leader not monarch, independent towns

Rise of Valois Families

Louis XI, Francis I,

Louis XI

Spider King, large royal army and used it to decrease power of nobility, increased taxes, exerted powers of clergy, promoted new industries,

Francis I

Concordat of Bologna, taille

Concordat of Bologna

king of France now had power to appoint bishops to the French Church.

Taille

direct head tax on all land and property