The Italian Renaissance / Rinascimento

The Italian City-States (urban centers, wealthy merchants)

• biggest and most bustling of all of Europe in the Middle Ages
• merchants made money by lending money to popes/princes, as bankers, bought wares of craftsmen, and rejoiced in all the beautiful things money could buy (forgetting what it couldn't)
• no kings, so the pope was absent in Avignon or in disputes at the Great Schism (no Rome influence) and merchant oligarchies prevailed in these, enjoying interests other than business
• Milan: succumbed to or worked with princes or despot
• Florence, Venice, Genoa: continued as republics, ran for office, suppressed population revolts, won population favor, made alliances, hired armies, outwitted rivals, conducted affairs of the state

Florence (Medici)

• chief city of Tuscany
• grew wealthy in later Middle Ages from woolen products
• textile/banking city
• 60,000 people in the 15th century (moderately large)
• produced many gifted individuals (Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio who all died before 1375, and Machiavelli who died in 1527)
• many leaders of the Italian Renaissance were from here (70%)
• "birthplace" of Quattrocentro golden age in "high culture"
• most sponsored art was for the elites, though average peasants would've seen masterpieces in public spaces and cathedrals and understood life was changing
• the republic: famous for "liberties" despite only guild members (3%) could vote, survived repeated attacks from superior states
• after the Ciompi Revolt (1378) by the urban poor, the Medici family used textile and banking wealth to influence this place's council and win over masses as signori
• Giovanni (1360-1429): founder of the family's fortune, a merchant and banker here
• Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464): allied himself against some leading families of the republic, soon became the unofficial ruler of here, sponsored a pirate who became pope and gave them Papal authority, sponsored Platonic Academy which created Neoplatonism (philosophy that merged Plato's view of human potential with Christ)
• exploded with opportunity for talented "individuals" of virtu and pioneered "civic humanism" (use of Greco-Roman values in politics) and fusion of Greco-Roman values and techniques into modern world

Italian Renaissance Ideals and Spirit (in contrast with the "medieval mind-set"; Characteristics of the Italian Renaissance)

• secular
• individualism
• humanism: human potential over religious beliefs
• revival of Greco-Roman values + techniques
• realism in sculpture and painting
• gender roles: men in the public area, women in the domestic area, men lead the family
• human potential

Italian Renaissance Art (Humanism; Characteristics of Italian Renaissance Art)

• free-standing statues: David by Donatello, David by Michelangelo
• Greco-Roman designs: symmetrical arrangements of doors/windows, classical column, arch, dome
• portrait busts of contempararies
• figures of great leaders
• statues of Greco-Roman characters from history and mythology
• use of nude showed a conception of humanism similar to Greeks, rather than Christianity
• conception + presentation of paintings: viewer entered the painting's world, 3D effect because of variation of size and shading techniques
• present a familiar theme in a understandable setting, often with narrative content to tell a story
• painters (Michelangelo and DaVinci) studied human anatomy with cadavers (illegal)
• faces got more expressive as artists wanted to show individual personalities
• great religious paintings with human beings: DaVinci's 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳 where Christ and his disciples are seen as men with their own characteristics
• paintings were less symbolic and more realistic
• sculpture became an independent art and sculptors favorite subjects were humans
• drew on Greco-Roman past and was glorified for its innovations celebrating the Humanist "spirit of humanity"

Example of Italian Renaissance Art: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘝𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘴 (1468)

• painted by Botticelli
• shows Roman goddess, Venus, emerging from a shell, nude
• meant to be sensual not sexual
• Botticelli later saw it as sexual and burned some of his other paintings

Example of Italian Renaissance Art: 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘝𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘴 (1483)

• painted by Botticelli
• shows the Roman goddess of Love, Venus, looking calm and almost bored while the Roman god of War, Mars, is tired and exhausted, slumped on his back
• symbolic of Love triumphing over War

Example of Italian Renaissance Art: 𝘐𝘭 𝘋𝘶𝘰𝘮𝘰 (1436)

• built by Brunelleschi, a bitter man
• Brunelleschi slammed an egg down to show how the dome could stand cause the top part of the egg did

Example of Italian Renaissance Art: 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥 (1501-1504)

• sculpted by Michelangelo
• a free-standing statue of David from the Bible where David beat a giant soldier, Goliath, with a stone from his slingshot
• Michelangelo drew on Greco-Roman techniques of realism, balance, and symmetry
• David represents Florence, little dog VS. big dogs (Venice, Milan), with lots of potential to mimic what happened 1000 years before
• a symbol of human potential, confident stature

Humanism

• "the Birth of Literature"
• a literary movement starting in the Italian Renaissance, named because of the rise of interest in humane letters
• love of classical Greco-Roman learning and ideals
• started a new class of writers who wrote for each other and larger public, dealt with general questions, examined their states of mind, resolved their own difficulties, used words to get artistic effects, please and amuse readers
• wrote in Latin but complained about it, greatly preferred classic style of Cicero or Livy
• strong classical influence, learned Greek, and searched for classical texts
• wrote in vernacular (local) languages: Italian and Florentine, French, English and other European languages followed
• took part in public life, gathered students, founded schools, served as secretaries to governments or princes, occupied office themselves
• optimists about range and utility of human knowledge (potential)
• contributed to literature, scholarship, classical learning, formation of modern languages, and education

Humanist Education

• focus on classics: study of ancient Greek and Roman texts, assumed they taught practical lessons and have moral impact (balanced personality and formed character)
• shifted from purely religious studies to subjects like literature, history, rhetoric (to influence others)
• study of Latin had new purposes: skill in use of language (including native tongue), rhetoric, and heightened communication
• learned how to find relevant and historical models or failures in the rise and decline of Roman republic and troubles of Greece city-states
• critical thinking

Love of Classical (Greco-Roman) learning and ideals

• illegal and very bad because it predates Jesus Christ
• humanism
• secularism
• civic humanism
• individualism
• realism in art
• architectural revivals

Petrarch

• the "Father of Humanism", first man of letters
• Florentine exile who found Cicero's letters
• son of a merchant
• traveled through France and Italy
• trained for law and an ordained clergyman, and a critic of both
• lived in the generation after Dante and died in 1374
• anticipated that fully developed humanism was going to come
• writings show the complex attitudes of early Renaissance
• loved Cicero and St. Augustine, but found deep religious concern in Cicero's writing and St. Augustine was a bishop in many controversies
• wrote sonnets, an epic, introspective study of himself, and many letters

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦

• written by Machiavelli in 1513
• unstable politics in Florence inspired this, the first secular handbook on statecraft
• most lasting work of the Italian Renaissance
• freed politics from theology and moral philosophy, described what rulers actually did
• said effective rulers and governments act in only political interest: keep faith or break it, observe treaties or refuse them, be merciful or ruthless, be direct or sly, be peaceful or aggressive
• Machiavelli saw politics breaking off religion
• Machiavelli had a very cynical view on human nature and gave ruthless pragmatic advice in this

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘳

• written by Castiglione in 1528
• described a man of good birth, product of training, focused on getting along with peers, neat clothes, graceful movements, perfectly poised, talked tacitly, good at sports and weapons, knows dance, appreciates music, knows Latin and Greek, be familiar with literacy and tread lightly on other subjects
• taught consideration for other's feelings
• incorporated some humanist moral ideas
• aimed at a creditable life
• translated into many languages, 100 editions printed pre-1600
• women supposed to encourage good manners, polite conversations, and cultural graces
• men supposed to be very manly balanced by women's delicate tenderness (suggested gender distinctions in Renaissance families and households)
• reinforced humanist education, enforcing morals, and values defined gender roles

"Renaissance" means what?

"Rebirth"

When was Europe's Medieval period?

476-1300 AD

To 15th and 16th century scholars, Europe's Medieval period (476-1300 AD) was what?

A truly backwards "Dark Age"

Why did 15th and 16th century scholars hold such disdain towards Europe's Medieval period (476-1300 AD)?

• mass death because of the bubonic plague
• people were very religious, not secular
• people were not scientifically advanced
• people had a lack of philosophy
• no complex artwork
• lots of pillaging
• lots of uneducated
• mass famine
• Vikings terrorized
• many different languages
• constant crusades (wars)
• lots of poverty (people ate acorns!)
• no central government

Italy's "rebirth" in and _ ___ was born in a cosmopolitan environment of showmanship.

creative arts and intellectual thinking

While Italy was politically divided, what did they face?

They faced internal and foreign threats, and constant riots of the poor masses.

Eventually, invaders from where would cause enough damages to end an era with the Sack of Rome (1527)?

Spain and France

In terms of origins, where were Italy's city-states?

They were ideally located because of sea trade routes and proximity to Roman (pagan) ruins.

What inspired scholars to challenge education curriculum and social values?

Rediscovering ancient (Greco-Roman) manuscripts.

What did Petrarch find?

Cicero's letters

Why was the rediscovery of ancient Greco-Roman manuscripts seen as bad?

They pre-dated Jesus Christ which was illegal, very bad.

Alongside the rediscovery of ancient Greco-Roman manuscripts, who dominated the city governments as the signoria and condotterio?

non-royal cloth/spice merchants

The non-royal cloth/spice merchants that dominated the city governments as the signoria and condotterio infused what into society?

a secular, materialistic spirit

Why was the timing of the non-royal cloth/spice merchants, who dominated city governments infusing a secular, materialistic spirit into society, perfect?

The pope was absent, he was in France because of Babylonian captivity, which lessened the Roman Catholic Church's influence in Italy.

While the timing was perfect for the non-royal cloth/spice merchants to infuse a secular, materialistic spirit into society, the Roman Catholic Church still had influence where?

They played a major role in daily life and more.

What was Florence (Firenze)?

A medium size (80k) textile/banking city, the "birthplace" of Quattrocentro golden age in "high culture"

What was considered "high culture" in Florence (Firenze)

• most patronized (sponsored) art for the elites, involvement varied but gained glory
• average urban dwellers would have seen the masterpieces in public spaces and cathedrals and understood the way people's life was changing

What percentage of Renaissance figures came from Florence?

70%

What was the Florentine Republic famous for?

"Liberties" despite only guild members (3%) being able to vote, and surviving repeated attacks from superior states.

What inspired Machiavelli to pen 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦, the first secular handbook on statecraft?

unstable politics, specifically in Florence

After the Ciompi Revolt of the urban poor in 1378, what did the Medici family do?

They used their textile and banking wealth to influence Florence's council and win over masses as signori.

How did the Medici family get papal authority?

Cosimo de Medici sponsored a pirate who became pope and gave the Medici family papal authority.

What did Florence (Firenze) explode with?

Opportunity for talented "individuals" of virtu and pioneered civic humanism (using Greco-Roman values in politics) and the fusion of Greco-Roman value and techniques into the modern world.

In addition to sponsoring various artists and architects, what did Cosimo de Medici sponsor?

The Platonic Academy in Florence which created Neoplatoism, a philosophy that merged Plato's positive view of human potential with Christ.

Who was one of the most famous members of the Platonic Academy in Florence?

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola

What did Renaissance art draw on and was glorified for?

It drew on the Greco-Roman past and was glorified for its innovations and celebrating Humanist "spirit of humanity."

Not everyone appreciated the worldly pursuits of the Renaissance, such as Monk Savonarola, who was he?

Savonarola was a fiery monk who, for a very short time, led a radical republic in Florence which forbade lewd art and living.

By the time the papacy returned to Rome, what did ambitious popes like Julius II do?

They ushered in the "High Renaissance," showing their approval and rivaling Florence's glory.

Example of Italian Renaissance Art: 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘦 (1509-1510)

• painted by Rafael, who had a rivalry with Michelangelo but still admired his paintings in the Sistine Chapel
• shows Socrates in blue, Hermes in a helmet, Plato and Aristotle also present
• a collection of mathematicians and philosophers from Rome
• a debate between ancient thinkers and "modern" ones in the papal library (showing a level of acceptance by the papacy)

Example of Italian Renaissance Art: 𝘗𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘢 (1498-1499)

• meaning pity
• sculpted by Michelangelo
• shows Mary holding the body of her dead son (Jesus)
• a free-standing statue, symmetrical (Greco-Roman)
• before Michelangelo's David
• Mary looks very young for someone supposed to be around 50 (implies she had been touched by God)
• hearing people attribute his masterpiece to another sculptor, Michelangelo carved his name onto the back of this in a rage, but regretted it afterwards