Outline Section 2

The Northern Renaissance

I. Spread of IdeasA. How ideas spread

1. Students traveled to other areas of Europe2. Increased commerce

a. Created new wealth, tradeb. More could afford to Educate kidsc. more universities established

B. Printing1. First done in China

a. developed moveable type2. German, Johannes Guttenberg

a. 1450, first to use moveable typeb. printed bibles

3. Concernsa. paper wouldn’t last as long as parchmentb. threaten profession of scribes

1) hand manuscripts prettier4. Impacted economy, society, & technology

a. PP soon spread across Europeb. allowed humanist ideas to spread

Converted wine pressPrint up to 10 sheets per hour

Johannes Gutenberg

His invention of movable type is still considered the most important invention in history.

A Gutenberg printing press

Johannes Gutenberg

Until the invention of theprinting press, books werehandwritten.

Gutenberg’s major work was the printing of the Gutenberg Bible.

In one year Gutenberg printed 80 bibles. Before his

invention, it took a year to hand-print one bible. Each bible had 1282 pages.

Forty-eight copies of the Gutenberg Bible still exist. A copy sold in 1997 for 5.4 million dollars.

A copy of the Gutenberg Bible found in the Library of Congress.

Detail of the Gutenberg Bible showing illumination.

II. Northern Renaissance WritersA. Erasmus

1. Dutch scholar and monka. learned humanist ideas from books

2. Unlike humanists, interested in early Christianity a. thought ideas could be harmonized

1) Christian & humanist

b. used critical method to study bible

c. criticized church - lack of spirituality

1) believed church to ceremonial and complicated

2) argued for a return to simplicity

3. Wrote “The Praise of Folly”a. Ridiculed ignorance, superstition & vice

b. criticized fasting, pilgrimages, shrines & bible interpretation

B. Thomas More1. English humanist2. Similar views to Erasmus3. Published “Utopia”

a. condemned govt. as corruptb. private ownership=conflictc. described fictional ideal society

1) all male citizens equal2) all worked for good of group

4. Served King Henry VIII of Englanda. refused the idea king is head of churchb. Henry cut off his head

C. Christopher Marlow1. Plays focused on humanity, not

Gods actions

2. Used powerful language and imagery to convey thoughts

D. William Shakespeare1. Built on Marlowe’s ideas

2. Wrote dramatic masterpieces from well known stories

a. Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, others

III. Northern Renaissance Artists A. Spread of Art

1. N. European merchants brought Italian paintings home

2. Inspired N. European painters to study in Italy

B. Flemish School (art school)1. In Flanders (Belgium)

a. Distinctive style developed, painting with oils

2. Jan & Hubert van Eycka. attention to detailb. strong interest in facial expressionsc. painted an alter piece for church in

Ghent1) was their master piece2) faces in Adam & Eve look

realistic

Arnolfini

Puppy=fidelity

Shoes off= holy ground

1 candle=Light of Christ

Trees out window- 2nd floor=Rich

Orange on window=Rich

He’s on outside= works outside of home

She’s on inside= Stays at home takes care of house.

Mirror- 2 people entering room – witness to marriage (Priest & van Eyck)

Signature “van Eyck was here”

3. Pieter Brueghela. painted village festivals and dancesb. used paintings to criticize intolerance and cruelty

The Painter and The Connoisseur, 1565. Thought to be a self-portrait.

Bruegel was known for painting landscapes with figures of peasants.

He was the first to paint landscapes for their own sake.

Bruegel painted the celebrations of the villagers, such as weddings, hunts, festivals, dances, and games.

Bruegel developed a painting style that told a story. His Peasant Wedding, for example, shows the hard life of the peasantry. The celebration is held in the barn and the food is bread, porridge, and soup.

Peasant Wedding

1567-1568

Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap1565

C. Germans1. Albrecht Durer

a. Copper engravings & woodcutsb. studied in Germany and Venice

1) studied the classics and humanism

c. one of 1st to see possibilities of illustrations in books

Dürer ‘s most famous woodcut, Rhinoceros, 1515

Young Harewatercolor, 1501

Albrecht Dürer

Dürer was a German painter, printmaker and mathematician.

Dürer lived in Nuremberg, Germany.

He showed great diversity in his art, both in subject matter and form.

He painted both religious and secular subjects.

His woodcuts and engravings were known throughout Europe, and influenced many other artists.

Represents himself as an idealized almost Christ-like figure. Almost like an icon

Christ-like comparisonChrist=creatorDurer=creator of art

Sketch of Praying Hands.

2. Hans Holbeina. influenced by Italian and Flemish School

b. painted portraits of famous people

1) Erasmus, T. More, King Henry VIII

c. portraits reflected Renaissance interest in the individual

D. Similarities1. Techniques like perspective

E. Differences1. Italians

a. figures based on Greek and Romans styles & ideals

b. Admiration of the human form (the ideal)

2. N. Europea. figures more real (frail, bald and imperfect)

b. depicted early fathers of the Christian church

1) emphasizing importance of bible in Christianity

2) Christian Humanism

Comparison between the Renaissance in Northern Europe and Italy

Northern Europe Italy

Did not study the classics as much

Heavy emphasis on reading the classics

Art emphasized everyday life in greater detail

Art depicted everyday life, but not as detailed

Artists supported by royalty and nobility

Artists supported by wealthy merchant class

Linked with religion although studies of

religion led to questioning of church

practicesChristian Humanism

Not as much emphasis on religious issues, humanism very

important