The Renaissance

Essential Question 3:

Who were some of the important people of the

Italian Renaissance?

Leonardo da Vinci

1. Early life– Born and raised in Vinci, Italy - April 15,1452– Early education taught him to read, write, calculate,

do geometry and Latin– Began apprenticeship at 14 in Florence in the

workshop of Verrochio

2. Major works– Mona Lisa– The Last Supper

Leonardo da Vinci

3. Interesting Details– Leonardo was accused of being a

homosexual– Kept 100s of notebooks; many written in

mirror script– Best example of true “Renaissance Man”

4. Impact on the Renaissance– drew first relaxed portraits with misty

landscapes in the background– Changed the way people painted and

sculpted

Michelangelo Buonnarati

1. Early Life– Born in Caprese, Italy– Apprenticed at 13 to Domenico Ghirlandajo for a 3-

year term but left after one year, having nothing else to learn.

– Taken under the wing of Florentine ruler Lorenzo de Medici, known as the Magnificent

2. Major works– Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel– Sculpture of David– La Pieta

Michelangelo

3. Interesting Details– Forced to paint the Sistine

Chapel by Pope Julius II– Did not like painting near as much as sculpting– Never completely recovered from the stress & agony

endured while painting the Sistine

4. Impact on the Renaissance– his expressive use of the idealized human

form had tremendous impact on contemporaries and future generations

Raphael

1. Early Life– Born in Urbino, Italy (most important city of Italy by

1483)– Apprenticeship with Pietro Perugino

2. Major Works– Sistine Madonna– Mackintosh Madonna– Madonna with Child– School of Athens

Raphael

3. Interesting Details– Real name was Raffaello Sanzi– designed the Church of Saint’

Eligio degli Orefici– Died on 37th Birthday– Best known for his lifelike paintings of the Madonna

4. Impact on the Renaissance– Emphasized qualities of energetic

movement and grandeur in his work

Donatello

1. Early Life– Born in Florence, Italy -1386

2. Major Works– David– St. John the Baptist– The Annunciation– St. Rossore in Bronze

Donatello

3. Interesting Details– He had no wife or kids– Liked to study Roman ruins

4. Impact on the Renaissance– Invented technique known as shadow relief– Made first bronze sculpture

Lorenzo de Medici

1. Early Life– Born in Florence in 1389– Family of wealthy bankers

2. Major Works

• none

Lorenzo de Medici3. Interesting Details

– Made Florence the most powerful city-state in Italy

– Liked to “dabble” in a variety of artistic and scientific areas; participated in the artistic movement as well as patronized it

4. Impact on the Renaissance– He and his family’s patronage of the arts

helped to make Florence the premier Renaissance city for much of the 14th century

Petrarch

1. Early Life– Born in Aresso,Tuscany (Italy)– Originally studied law

2. Major Works• Africa• On Solitude• Letters to Laura

Petrarch

3. Interesting Details– Laura inspired his great love sonnets

(written in the vernacular)– Wrote of humanist themes and interests

4. Impact on the Renaissance– Known as the “Father of Humanism”

Machiavelli

1. Early Life– Born in Florence, Italy– Little known about early life

2. Major Works

• Principe (The Prince)

• L'Arte della Guerra (The Art of War)

Machiavelli

3. Interesting Details

• He wrote Principe in hopes to secure the favor of the Medici; did not work

4. Impact on the Renaissance– The father of modern political theory– Realpolitik (the world as it is, not as it

should be)