introduction to the west: renaissance and reformation

Introduction to ‘The West’

Part 4: Renaissance and Reformation

Plan

1. What was the Renaissance?- Renaissance symbolism in Hans Holbein’s The Ambassadors (1533)

2. Southern Europe: the Italian Renaissance– Origins– Renaissance education– Characteristics of Renaissance art

3. Northern Europe: the Reformation– Lutheran reform– Calvinist reform– Impact and legacy

Hans Holbein’s The Ambassadors (1533)

The Rise of the Italian City States

The Rise of the Italian City States• In High Middle ages city states

like Venice monopolised Mediterranean trade



• Exotic goods and new modes of artistic expression imported from East

Doge’s Palace, Venice (top), Vakil Mosque, Persia (middle), Abassid Palace, Baghdad (bottom)




• More efficient trading and banking practices

Doge’s Palace, Venice (top), Vakil Mosque, Persia (middle), Abassid Palace, Baghdad (bottom)





• Similar in size to city states of ancient Greece





• Similar in size to city states of ancient Greece

• Evolved new forms of representative government to broaden the political power base

A New Way of Life• Emphasis on effort, talent,

and creative genius as basis of merit rather than heredity

Bust of Michelangelo, Daniele da Volerra, 1565,



• Newly rich merchants supported the arts as a means of publicising their power

Adoration of the Magi (1475) by Sandro Botticelli.




Bronze doors of Florence’ Baptistery, designed by Lorenzo Ghiberti




Dome of Florence Cathedral, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi




• Increasing focus on secular world of human affairs rather than salvation

The Money Changer and His Wife (1514), by Quentin Matsys




• Increasing focus on secular world of human affairs rather than salvation

• Opportunistic nature of urban life released citizens from old hierarchies and gave rise to individualism

The Money Changer and His Wife (1514), by Quentin Matsys

Humanist Education• Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374),

father of Renaissance Humanism

Renaissance educationalist Francesco Petrarch 1304 - 1374


father of Renaissance Humanism• Influenced by writings of Roman

senator Cicero

Roman senator, Cicero 106 -43 BC



senator Cicero• Education should not only consist of

acquiring knowledge, but also how to communicate knowledge for the public good






• A curriculum of grammar, rhetoric, poetry, history, and moral philosophy






• A curriculum of grammar, rhetoric, poetry, history, and moral philosophy

• Knowledge of Latin and Greek still a sign of culture and intellect; rules of good writing in English still based on Latin models

The population is expected to more than double in the next ten years

Question?

• What similarities do you see between the Renaissance and classical Greece?

Renaissance Humanism

• A return to the pre-Augustinian Homeric values and the concept of ‘arete’ especially.

“ What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an Angel! In apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world! ”Hamlet, Act II, Scene 2.

Invention of Printing

• 1455 Johannes Gutenberg invents printing process with movable, metal type



• Publishing industry develops with religious then secular publications

A book on the science of navigation published in 1592


A book on the science of navigation published in 1592



• Increased literacy and helped establish national languages and literatures




• Increased literacy and helped establish national languages and literatures

• Over 150 million books published in Europe alone in the 16th century

Salvation and the Sacraments• Salvation in the Middle

Ages depended on receiving the sacraments

Baptism



Confession or Absolution



Communion or the Eucharist



• Power of the medieval Church derived from its exclusive right to provide these



• Power of the medieval Church derived from its exclusive right to provide these

• Reformers criticised the sacraments as encouraging a superficial commitment to religion

Corruption and abuse of power in the medieval Church

• Sale of Indulgences: Rich could buy their way out of purgatory

An artistic representation of purgatory



Representation of the selling of indulgences



• Simony and nepotism: Important positions either sold or given to nobility




• Moral decline: Trading favours for absolution, luxury, sexual relationships




• Moral decline: Trading favours for absolution, luxury, sexual relationships

• Ignorance and illiteracy: some priests did not know the meaning of the Latin they were reciting

Lutheran Reform - 1517

Lutheran Reform - 1517• Salvation by faith alone: no

“bargaining for” salvation by doing good works



• Absolute authority of scripture: no priest is required to interpret the bible; no rituals are required to enter heaven; pope and peasant have equal status



• Absolute authority of scripture: no priest is required to interpret the bible; no rituals are required to enter heaven; pope and peasant have equal status

• Engagement with secular world: it is not necessary to retreat to a monastery to lead a holy life

Calvinist Reform - 1536• Doctrine of Depravity: Augustinian

view that humans are essentially sinful


view that humans are essentially sinful• Doctrine of predestination: Since God

is all-knowing, he already knows who is going to heaven and who is destined for hell; good works will not earn you passage to heaven




• Rationalisation of religion: the ‘beauty’ and ‘magic’ of religious rituals distracts worshippers from developing a private relationship with God




• Rationalisation of religion: the ‘beauty’ and ‘magic’ of religious rituals distracts worshippers from developing a private relationship with God

• Emphasised the importance of hard work and financial success as a sign that you had been ‘chosen’

Religious Wars of the 17th Century


• Thirty Years War (1618-1648) devastates central Europe and bankrupts participating states



• Peace of Westphalia (1648) lays foundations of modern nation-state



• Peace of Westphalia (1648) lays foundations of modern nation-state

• Last major religious war in Europe and beginning of an age of peace, trade and tolerance.

The legacy of the Reformation• Encouraged literacy and

development of national languages

A page from the Tyndale Bible



• Nation states benefitted from the decentralisation of religious authority (Henry VIII)




• Further emphasised the individual over the collective




• Further emphasised the individual over the collective

• Challenged political as well as religious hierarchies; democratic ethos

The German Peasants’ Revolt, 1524

Protestantism and Capitalism

• Why did modern capitalism initially occur in the West and not in other parts of the world?

• Major works– The Protestant Ethic and the

Spirit of Capitalism (Two Parts: 1904 and 1905)

– The Religion of China (1913)– The Religion of India (1916-

1917)– Ancient Judaism (1917)

Max Weber

Protestantism and Capitalism

Max Weber

• Protestant religion emphasises reason- the individual- engagement with the secular

world• Calvinism encourages the

accumulation of wealth as a sign that you have been chosen

• Calvinist morality discouraged the pursuit of sensual pleasure. Wealth is to be accumulated for its own sake

Characteristics of Renaissance Art

• Use of perspective• Balanced and ordered composition• Portraits• Naturalistic rendering • Depiction of classical themes

PerspectiveTrinity

Massacio, 1425-1427

Betrothal of the Virgin

Raphael, 1504

Leonardo da Vinci’s

The Dreyfus Madonna with the Pomegranate, 1469

Balanced and ordered composition

Canagiani Madonna,

Raphael, 1507

Portraits

The Duke & Dutchess of Urbino

Piero della Francesca, 1465-1466

David

Donatello, 1430

Naturalistic Rendering

The first life-size, freestanding nude sculpture since antiquity

David

Michelangelo, 1504

Depiction of Classical Themes

School ofAthens

Raphael,1509 - 1511

Birth ofVenus

SandroBotticelli,1486

introduction to the west: renaissance and reformation

Education

italian city states

new way of life emphasis

basisof merit

creative genius

high middle ages citystates

city states ofancient

persia middle

renaissance symbolism