Transcript Italy: Birthplace of the Renaissance

Italy: Birthplace of the
Renaissance
The Black Death
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1346-1352
Killed 1/3 of European population
Appeared in 3 forms
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Pneumonic: attacked the lungs
Septicemic: appeared in bloodstream
Bubonic: caused buboes on the body
Spread of Black Plague
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Ignorant of its cause
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Blames God’s anger, stars, and Jews
Tried ineffective cures such as pomanders,
flagellation, and repentance of sins
Hundred Years’ War
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Battle for power and control of France
French King Charles IV died 1328 with no
male heir to his throne
Edward III of England claimed throne
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Son-in-law of Charles
Philip of Valois claimed throne
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Nephew of Charles
Hundred Years’ War
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War lasts from 1337-1453
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French finally push English out and Charles
VII came to power
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Feudalism ended
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Absolute rule was in place
Renaissance
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Means rebirth and revival of the arts and
learning
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Movement in Italy that caused an explosion
of creativity in art, writing, and thought that
lasted from 1300-1600
Renaissance
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Importance of the individual
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Spread from northern Italy to rest of Europe
Why Northern Italy
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3 advantages
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Thriving cities
A wealthy merchant class
Classical heritage of Greece and Rome
City-States
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Urban- Large cities with good size towns
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Overseas trade led to growth of city-states
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Cities were ideal breeding ground for
intellectual revolution
City-States
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After Black Plague:
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Economic changes
Fewer laborers-workers demanded higher wages
Merchants could pursue interests like art
Merchants
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Wealthy merchant class developed
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These merchants dominated politics
Medici Family
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Powerful banking family with banks in
Florence and throughout Europe
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Ruled Florence but kept the appearance of
having an elected government
Rome and Greece
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Drew inspiration from ruins of Greece and
Rome
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Studied ancient Latin manuscripts
Classical Ideas
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Led idea of humanism
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Intellectual movement that focused on human
potential and achievement
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Encouraged artists and architects to use classical
traditions
Popularized study of philosophy, literature, and
history (Humanities)
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Worldly Pleasures
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Humanists suggested people enjoy life
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Material luxuries
Fine foods
Good music
Secular- being concerned with worldly
pleasures rather than spiritual ones
Patrons of the Arts
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Financially supporting artists
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Beautified cities with large amounts of money
being spent on art
Renaissance Man
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Man who excelled in many fields
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Educated
Created art
Skilled worker, philosopher
Also known as universal man
Renaissance Woman
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Upper class women
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Inspire art
Some education
Know the classics
Renaissance Art
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Perspective- shows three dimensions on a
flat surface
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Religious figures often portrayed
Realism
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Painted or sculpted prominent citizens
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Used realistic style when depicting human body
Natural postures and expression which reflected
personality
Revealed what was distinctive about each person
Leonardo da Vinci
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Painter, sculptor, inventor, and scientist
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Interested in how things work
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Famous works:
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Mona Lisa p. 44
The Last Supper
Raphael Sanzio
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Studied Leonardo and Michelangelo
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Famous for use of perspective
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Famous works:
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School of Athens p. 45
Painted prominent figures such as Leonardo,
Michelangelo, and himself
Michelangelo Buonarroti
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Excelled as painter, sculptor, architect, poet
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Famous for the way he portrayed the human
body in painting and sculpture
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Famous works:
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Dome of St. Peter’s, Sistine Chapel, and Statue of
David
Renaissance Writing
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Vernacular- writing in native language, instead of
Latin (Dante)
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Poetry
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Stories (series)
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Boccaccio
Personal subjects, not politics
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Petrarch
Vittoria Colonna
Political Guides
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Machiavelli
Spread of Idea
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In the 15th century ideas from northern Italy
began to spread north