The Renaissance9th Grade Social StudiesUnit 2
The Big PictureMajor changes in Europe caused the medieval
period to give way to a new period. As trade with the East increased, Europeans
rediscovered the classical knowledge of ancient Greece and Rome.
In Italy the growth of wealthy trading cities and new ways of thinking helped lead to a rebirth of the arts and learning known as the Renaissance.
These ideas soon spread to northern Europe by means of trade, travel, and printed material, influencing the art and ideas of the north.
Why we study this unit:Renaissance art and literature still
influence modern thought and modern art.
Renaissance ideas such as the importance of the individual are a strong part of our popular culture and modern thought.
It marks a turning point in history as we enter into a more modern era, where people live more like we do today.
Essential Questions:1. What ideas formed the foundation
of the Italian Renaissance?2. What new techniques did artists
add to the Italian Renaissance?3. How did the Renaissance spread to
northern Europe?4. How did the Northern Renaissance
differ from the Italian Renaissance?
Units:
• Last Unit: The Middle Ages• Current Unit: The Renaissance• Next Unit: The Reformation
Italian Renaissance Terms• Renaissance• Humanism• Secularism• Individualism• Machiavelli• Lorenzo de Medici• Leonardo da Vinci• Michelangelo
• Raphael• Bramante• Vernacular• Patron• Perspective
Northern Renaissance Terms• Hanseatic League• Gutenberg• Printing press• Christian Humanism• Erasmus• Sir Thomas More• William Shakespeare• Elizabeth I
The Black Plague
• Oriental Rat Flea• Yersinia pestis• World Health Organization reports 1,000 to 3,000 cases of plague every
year, globally. (2008)
How does this children’s rhyme show similarities to the black plague?
Ring around the rosie,
Pocket full of posies,
Ashes, Ashes,We all fall down…
Renaissance Themes
Renaissance Background•Renaissance = Rebirth•1350 to 1600•Renewed interest in the culture of Ancient Rome and Greece
•Began in the Italian city-states• Increase in trade•Wealthy cities•Rich Italian merchants
Theme 1: Humanism•Definition: Intellectual movement based on the literature and ideas of ancient Greece and Rome
•People should live a full life and welcome new experiences
•Focus on the here and now•Wanted a better life in this world, rather then waiting for the afterlife (Middle Ages)
Theme 2: Secularism• During the Renaissance the church no
longer served as a source of stability and peace.
• People turned to a form of humanism developed by Petrarch known as secular humanism• Secular: a worldly rather than spiritual
focus, non-religious.• The Church and the afterlife become
less important to everyday people
Theme 3: Individualism• The church teachings had stressed that individuality
and achievement were relatively unimportant• Humanists emphasized individual accomplishment
• It went against the medieval idea that a person is identified by their role in the feudal system
• Individual achievement and education could be fully expressed only if people used their talents and abilities in the service of their cities.
• People began to express their own ideas about life and art
• People began to speak out against long-held customs and beliefs
Essential Question 1:What ideas formed the foundation of the
Italian Renaissance?HINTS:• Black Plague• What is the Renaissance?• What did each theme (humanism,
secularism, and individualism) do overall?• How did each theme change people’s lives
1. What ideas formed the foundation of the Italian Renaissance?
• Renaissance is the term for “rebirth” which focused on the ideas of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The Renaissance represented a shift away from the Middle Ages and towards the themes of secularism, humanism, and individualism. Humanism is a focus on the here and now instead of the afterlife. Secularism led to a decline of church power. Individualism represented a focus on individual accomplishment rather than feudal roles.
Italian Renaissance
Writers
Background on The Prince
- Written by Machiavelli in 1513•A statesmen and political advisor for the Medici family in Florence
THE PRINCE by Machiavelli
•It was written as a “how to guide” for rulers on how to gain and maintain power
• 2 views on Machiavelli’s intention• The Prince is a true representation of
Machiavelli’s political thought• he favored absolute rule ( 1 person rule, tyrant)• urged rulers to be ruthless and use whatever means
were necessary
• The Prince is really a satire aimed at criticizing the absolute rule of the Medici family• really supported a republican form of government
(democracy)• Satire was used to mask his true intention and
protect him from those in power
What do you
notice about
the image?
The Renaissance
Medieval Art• Highly influenced by
religion• Most artists came from
monasteries• Almost all major art was
commissioned by the church
• Artists painted in a way that emphasized religious images and symbolism rather than realism.
Medieval Art• Painters paid little
attention to making humans and animals look lifelike or creating natural looking landscapes
• Images often looked flat
• Human figures appeared stiff and disproportionate
- Roman art had been very realistic, and Renaissance painters developed new techniques for representing both humans and landscapes in realistic ways.1. Perspective: artistic technique used to give
drawings and paintings a three-dimensional effect
2. Shading: used to make objects look round and real
3. Painters and sculptors studied human anatomy and drew from live models - This allowed them portray the human body
more accurately than medieval artists had done
Renaissance Techniques
How is this Renaissance painting different?
The figures are more realistic and the human body is accurately depicted and it has perspective.
• The ideas of humanism, realism, and classicism are all reflected
• Humanists focused on human potential and achievements
• Artworks glorify the human body and reflect classical influence.
• Use of perspective (3-D)• New emphasis on individuals that
reveal their subject’s personality
Why was Renaissance Art revolutionary?
The Northern Renaissance
Europe 1500
Why the late start in the north?• The Italian Renaissance started in the 1300s• By the late 1400s, Renaissance ideas had spread to
Northern Europe• England, France, Holy Roman Empire (Germany) and
Flanders (now part of France and the Netherlands)• Economic growth began later, which delayed the
region’s ability to support the arts.• By 1450, the population of Northern Europe, which
had declined due to the bubonic plague, was beginning to grow again• Cities grew rapidly in France and England• Urban merchants became wealthy enough to
support artists
Spread of the Italian Renaissance• England and France were unified under
strong monarchs that sponsored the arts by purchasing and supporting the artists and writers
• Movement of artists and scholars between Italy and Northern Europe
• Printing Press• Made information available and
inexpensive• A greater availability of books prompted an
increased desire for learning
Northern Humanists• Impact on humanism
• People in the north used the humanist ideas to examine the traditional teachings of the Church
• They were critical of the failure of the Christian Church to inspire people to live a Christian life.
• This criticism led to Christian Humanism• Focus was on reforming of society• Education was stressed
• Erasmus• Focus on religious reform and education
• Thomas More• Focus on social reform and the creation of a model
society
Elizabethan Age
• The Renaissance spread to England in the mid-1500s
• Named for Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603)• She was well educated and spoke French,
Italian, Latin, and Greek• She supported the development of English art
and literature• The theatre flourished under her
patronage• The most famous writer of this age was
William Shakespeare.
N. Renaissance Artwork
Key Components of N. Renaissance Artwork
•Vibrant•Used oil paints•Depicted everyday or ordinary people
•Focused on what they actually saw
