European Renaissance

The Renaissance

The rebirth of learning in Europe

Began in Italy around 1300 CE. Why?

Italy was the center of trade & economic growth (spread North)

Roman and Greek influences were abundant

Factors that helped start the Renaissance Patronage: rich merchants, bankers had money

to spend on artists Towns: drew people with artistic talents

together Crusades helped increase knowledge of the

world outside Europe.

Factors that helped start the Renaissance

Economic independence: people with money had time to read, learn, experiment, create

1440 - Moveable print: printing press created by Johann Gutenberg helped spread knowledge; most important invention of Renaissance

Factors that helped start the Renaissance

As a result, the attitude of common people towards life changed

Humanism developed– dignity and worth of all

people People concerned

themselves with enjoying life, solving problem, questioning everything

Medieval Man vs Renaissance Man

Religious-minded (concerned with afterlife)

Men felt like a member of a group

People accepted authority (king & pope)

God & the Bible hold all answers

Concerned with life on Earth

Man as an individual was important

Man begins to question and investigate

Creativity & Artistic beauty are encouraged

Society Art– Renaissance art is

more life-like – use of perspective

(depth) – use of light and

shadows– more secular (non-

religious) topics Education: still mainly

for the sons of the rich; new philosophy: respect for individual differences in students

Renaissance or Medieval? Why?

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3

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Renaissance or Medieval? Why?What influences do you see?

Society Women: peasant &

middle class women still lived harsh life with little or no education

Upper class women had private tutors; fathers arranged marriages for daughters; men received a dowry (land or cash) from family of the bride

Spread of RenaissanceThe Renaissance spread to the rest of Europe

by students who studied in Italy. France Spain Netherlands England

Spread of RenaissanceFrance: King Francis I brought the Renaissance

to France:– brought artists to France (da Vinci)– Built the College of France– Built the palace of the Louvre

Spread of RenaissanceSpain: Painters: El Greco: View of Toledo;

Velazquez: Four Maidens Miguel de Cervantes: wrote Don Quixote

de La Mancha

Spread of RenaissanceNetherlands: Rembrandt: painted Man with Golden Helmet,

Night Watch Erasmus: wrote In Praise of Folly which

criticized the Catholic Church for its greed, corruption, & superstitions

Spread of RenaissanceEngland: supported by Queen Elizabeth Thomas More: wrote Utopia which criticized

society by creating a utopia, perfect society Shakespeare: humanist playwright who dealt

with love, tragedy, hate, desire; greatest writer of the English language of all time

ScholarsPetrarch: the “Father of Humanism” wrote sonnets about love, nature, enjoyment of

life writing caused a change in the direction of

education; teachers started to teach students to seek answers not just to memorize the classical works of the past

stressed history, grammar, philosophy

To be able to say how much you love is to love but little.

Rarely do great beauty and great virtue dwell together

Scholars

Machiavelli: humanist writer who served as a diplomat for Florence; wanted to unify Italy

wrote The Prince: a lesson on how to gain & hold power without moral concern for justice or honesty

“Ends Justify the Means.”

ArtistsLeonardo da Vinci: painter, sculptor, architect,

scientist, inventor Painted Mona Lisa, The Last Supper Inventor: parachute, aqualung, canons,

pumps Drawings of human anatomy still used today

Artists

Michelangelo: painted ceiling of Sistine Chapel (Vatican); sculpted 9 foot statue David & La Pieta

Questions What is the Renaissance? Name two famous

Renaissance artists Where did it begin? What are two reasons it started

there? What is Humanism? How did Humanism conflict with religious beliefs? How does this era represent a change from the

previous period of Europe? How does art change during this period? Define the following terms: Renaissance,

Patronage, Dark Ages, Feudalism, Printing Press