Renaissance

Renaissance

Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, Michelangelo shenanigans

The Renaissance, Reformation and Scientific Revolution

Renaissance Beginnings:

• Began in Italy, because of:

  • Nostalgia for Ancient Rome

  • The new availability of Ancient Greek and Roman writings (aided by fall of Constantinople)

  • Italian Merchants had money because of the increased of trade from the Crusades

  • Florence, Italy!!!

• Medici Family:

  • Rich banking family in Florence.

  • Cosimo de’ Medici gained control of the city-state government and the Medici family controlled it for years.

  • Patrons- Financial supporters of the arts

• Humanism:

  • An intellectual movement during th Renaissance

  • Focused on worldly subjects rather than on religious issues.

    • Life can be better in the here and now.

    • A recognition of the abilities that man possess and cultivation of those abilities. (Individualism)

    • A love of classic literature.

Renaissance Art:

• Considered the height of renaissance were the paintings, sculptures and architecture of the time.

• Architecture:

  • Rejection of the Gothic style as cluttered and disorganized.

  • Adopted the columns, arches, and domes of the Greeks and Romans.

• Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446)

  • Commissioned by the Medici’s to create a church in Florence (Il Duomo Cathedral)

  • Studied the Parthenon in Rome and used a ribbed design to internally support the dome of the cathedral

• Donatello (1386-1466):

  • Known for his use of 3 dimensions and realism in his sculptures

  • Bronze Sculpture of David

• Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519)

  • Only 17 paintings

    • Mona Lisa

    • Last Supper

    • Madonna of the Rocks

  • Notebooks:

    • Drawings of unfinished works

    • Used science to support art

    • Code and Read R-L with a mirror

• Raphael (1843-1520)

  • Studied the works of Michelangelo and Da Vinci.

  • Chosen as an Architect for St. Peter’s Basilica.

  • Works include paintings of the Madonna and The School of Athens which included himself, Michelangelo with Socrates and Plato

Renaissance Literature:

• Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527)

  • Florence

  • The Prince

    • Less concerned about high ideals.

    • Written from a secular standpoint.

    • How to get power and hold on to that power.

    • Appearances are sometimes more important than actuality.

    • “Machiavellian Politics”

• Erasmus (1466-1536)

  • Dutch Humanist

  • Attacked corruption in the church using satire. (The Praise of Folly)

  • Pushed for translations of the Bible into everyday vernacular.

• Sir Thomas More (1478-1535)

  • English Humanist

  • Utopia

    • An ideal society where everyone’s needs are met.

    • Elimination of private property.

    • Everyone works, is equal, and educated.

    • Justice is used to end crime.

• William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

  • The most famous writer of this time period.

  • 37 Plays

    • Tragedies

      • Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, McBeth

    • Comedies

      • Midsummer Nights Dream, Twelfth Night

    • History

      • Julius Caesar, Richard III

  • Added 1000’s of words to the English language.

  • Poems

• Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616)

  • Don Quixote

    • A foolish but idealistic knight.

    • Mocked the romantic notions of chivalry.

Scientific Revolution:

• Johann Gutenberg

  • Printing Press originated in China

  • Perfected by Gutenberg

  • Replaced wood with metal for letters

  • Moveable type