Renaissance Notes

The Renaissance

  • A golden age in European history that began in Italy around 1350 and lasted until 1650.
  • The term "Renaissance" is French for "rebirth," signifying a revival of interest in antiquity, particularly ancient Greece and Rome.

Essential Questions about the Renaissance

  • What is the Renaissance?
  • Why did the Renaissance begin in Italy?
  • What ideas were promoted during the Renaissance?
  • Who were the leading figures of the Renaissance?
  • What is the legacy of the Renaissance?

Italy in the 14th Century

  • Italy was not a unified country during the 14th century.
  • The Italian peninsula was a collection of independent city-states.

Florence

  • Florence, located north of Rome, is considered the epitome of the economic, political, artistic, and social ideals of the Renaissance.

The Medici Family

  • The Medici family was the leading family in Florence.
  • They amassed a great fortune through banking.
  • They spent their wealth on the arts, becoming patrons of the arts to enhance their power and prestige.

"Isms" of the Renaissance

  • Humanism
  • Individualism
  • Realism
  • Secularism

Humanism

  • A Greco-Roman belief that man was capable of achieving greatness in all things.
  • A secular movement that stressed the importance of happiness and fulfillment in this life.
Famous Humanists
  • Erasmus: A thinker and writer known for In Praise of Folly.
  • Dante: Author of Divine Comedy.
  • Boccaccio: Author of Decameron.
  • Sir Thomas More: An English humanist who wrote Utopia.

Individualism

  • The Renaissance expanded the Greco-Roman idea of "self."
  • Individuals of the time idealized the potential and worth of man.

Realism

  • The idea that nature is understandable.
  • The study of nature in all its forms was encouraged.
  • Art, literature, and politics embraced this desire to reveal the essence of nature.
Realism in Painting
  • Portraits
  • Landscapes
  • Still Lifes
  • More secular (worldly) themes
  • Fewer religious works
  • Painting became more "scientific" and "mathematical."

Machiavelli

  • Niccolo Machiavelli authored The Prince, a political tract describing the characteristics and methods needed to maintain and retain power.
Quotes from The Prince
  • "It is better to be feared than loved."
Machiavellian Golden Rule
  • "The offenses one does to a man should be such that one does not fear revenge for it."
Meaning of "Machiavellian"
  • Belief that "the end justifies the means" or "by any means necessary."

Early Renaissance Artists

  • Fillippo Brunelleschi
  • Giotto di Bondone
Brunelleschi
  • A master architect and sculptor who truly embodied the Renaissance ideals.
  • Notable for Brunelleschi's Dome in Florence.
Giotto
  • Often considered the first Renaissance master.
  • He changed the art world with his bold colors and use of perspective.

Leonardo da Vinci

  • Leonardo da Vinci is the quintessential "Renaissance Man," meaning he was an expert in a variety of fields.
  • Fields of expertise: painting, engineering, botany, anatomy, and architecture.
Leonardo's Skills
  • Artist
  • Scientist
  • Painter
  • Botanist
  • Anatomist
  • Inventor
  • Writer
Famous Works by Leonardo
  • The Last Supper
  • The Mona Lisa
  • Self-portrait
  • Madonna & Child
  • Sketches of War Machines
Leonardo's Inventions
  • Helicopter
  • Submarine
  • Tank
  • Parachute
  • Scuba equipment
Quote by Leonardo da Vinci
  • "As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death."

Michelangelo

  • Like Leonardo, Michelangelo Buonarroti was one of the most brilliant and famous artists of his time.
  • He was a gifted painter and superior sculptor.
Famous Works of Michelangelo
  • Sistine Chapel
  • The Last Judgment
  • David
  • La Pieta
  • Moses
  • Sketches
Dome of St. Peter's Basilica

Other Renaissance Masters

  • Raphael
  • Donatello
  • Botticelli
  • Titian
Raphael
  • Perhaps the greatest portrait artist of the Renaissance.
  • Best known for his Madonna & Child paintings.
Donatello
  • Sculptor
Botticelli
  • Known for The Birth of Venus.
Titian
  • Portrait Artist

Art Themes

  • Religious
  • Secular

Early vs. Late Renaissance Art

  • Comparison of Madonna & Child paintings.
  • Comparison of Leonardo's Last Supper with earlier versions.

Northern Renaissance Artist

  • Albrecht Durer
  • Known for his remarkable woodcuts.

Shakespeare

  • William Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest English playwright.
  • He was a prolific writer, who produced countless plays and sonnets (poems).
Famous Shakespearean Plays
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • Julius Caesar
  • Othello
  • MacBeth
  • King Lear
  • A Midsummer's Night Dream
Impact of Shakespeare
  • Wrote in the vernacular (everyday speech).
  • Conveyed a myriad of human emotions – love, hatred, jealousy, anger, elation, greed, fear, etc. – in a variety of literary genres.
  • Employed poetry comedies
Globe Theater
  • Located just outside of London, the Globe Theater was where Shakespeare premiered many of his plays.
  • Style is referred to as "theater in the round".

Gutenberg

  • Johann Gutenberg invented the moveable type (printing press) in 1455.
  • European society was changed forever as a result of this invention.
Printing Press
  • Considered one of the most significant human inventions because of the drastic proliferation of books and the widespread increase in European literacy.
Impact of the Renaissance
  • Institutions, such as the Church, are now challenged.
  • Superstitions and beliefs based on faith alone are questioned.
  • A spirit of inquiry and critique, as well as adventure, is "reborn."
  • All human endeavors are possible.