Transcript Section I: The Renaissance Begins (Pages 314-321)

Section I: The Renaissance Begins
(Pages 314-321)
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This section is about:
How an acceptance of nonreligious values and the
study of Greek and Roman
cultures were major features
of the Italian Renaissance.
How important contributions
were made to science, art,
politics, and manners, and
that the arts flourished at
this time.
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We have to look at some things on pages 314 and 315.
First: the picture – which we’ve seen before. Where/when?
And, the preview/overview of Chapter 14 on page 314.
On the time line – there are three things which are probably more
important than the others – which ones?
The Renaissance Begins (Page 316)
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We should look at the
Main Ideas before we
start.
And… A: The
Renaissance in Europe
Renaissance means
“rebirth”
This Renaissance started
in Italy, but soon spread
to Germany, France,
Spain, England, and the
rest of Europe.
A Fresh Outlook
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The Renaissance was a time of
new attitudes about culture,
life, and learning.
There was a change from
emphasizing the spiritual world
to emphasizing the human
experience in the present.
Human life was no longer to
be spent preparing for eternal
life – it was to be spent living
life to it’s potential.
This started with people again
studying the Romans and
Greeks.
People were no longer told
money and wealth were evil.
Leaders supported freedom of
individuals praised curiosity,
and celebrated action.
The Renaissance Begins
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Italy was a perfect place for
the Renaissance to begin (was
the center of the great Roman
Empire).
Italy was also one of the first
places trade developed and
towns and cities grew through
commerce and trade (Venice /
Genoa / Milan / Florence)
These wealthy merchants used
their money to support the
arts.
Renaissance Figures in the Arts
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Francesco Petrarca
(sonnets and love
poems)
Giotto (painter)
Filippo Brunelleschi
(perspective in art)
Florence was the
center of the early
Italian Renaissance.
(Perspective: showing proper ideas
of depth/space on a flat surface)
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The classic writings of the Greeks and
Romans were a great source of
inspiration.
A movement called humanism came
from this: studying classic ideals, styles,
and forms from history and literature
(Plato, Cicero, Livy, etc…).
Humanism
Renaissance values
People began being interested in the
world around them.
People began focusing on individual
achievement.
Emphasis was put on the human
experience in the present.
Individuals wanted to control their lives
and fulfill their potential.
Humans have the potential to become
whatever they would like – and to
make a good life for themselves.
(sentience: have great experiences)
Italian Renaissance Writers
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People started writing many
books about how people
should live and act.
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Two of the more famous:
“The Prince” and “The
Courtier.”
Botticelli: La nascita di Venere (The Birth of Venus)
Machiavelli and Government
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Niccolo Machiavelli
started out as a
government worker. He
noticed things that
worked and things which
didn’t.
He was especially
interested in how rulers
gained and kept power.
His book “The Prince”
told of how politics really
worked (and how rulers
needed to act if they
wanted to stay in power).
The Writing of Castiglione
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Baldassare Castiglione
wrote “The Courtier”
about how the ideal
Renaissance gentleman
should act.
He should be of noble
birth, handsome,
graceful, strong,
courageous, and
accomplished in learning.
His book became a best
seller throughout Europe.
Italian Renaissance Artists
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Leonardo da Vinci is “the man”
people think of when they think of
Renaissance artists/men.
Artists like da Vinci were often
supported by wealthy patrons
(financial backers) who would also
get some of their own work done.
Da Vinci:
Painter (The Adoration of the Magi,
The Last Supper, La Giaconda)
Sculptor
Mathematician
Architect
Scientist
Inventor
And… next page
La Giaconda
The Last Judgment (in the Sistine Chapel)
Painting
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Michelangelo (Buonarrotti)
Moved to Rome as a young man
He was fascinated by the
sculpture, architecture, and
paintings.
His first major work was so good
he was immediately called a
master sculptor.
The Pope later gave him the job
of painting the Sistine Chapel.
Built in 1473 by Pope Sixtus IV
(as his private chapel). It’s 46
feet wide and 118 feet long. It
took Michelangelo 4 years to
complete the ceiling paintings
The Battle of the Centaurs (1492) - unfinished
Painting
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Raphael (Sanzio)
Younger than Michelangelo and
da Vinci (so he studied their
works).
His best work was “The School
of Athens”
It has all then ideals of
Renaissance harmony, balance,
and culture.
It’s an imaginary gathering of
great scientists and thinkers and
includes the faces of
Michelangelo, da Vinci, and
himself, among many others.
This was “commissioned” by
Pope Julius II – which also
meant “prestige” for the papacy.
The Small Cowper Madonna
The School of Athens: who’s who?
Sculpture and Architecture
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In the Middle Ages,
sculptures revolved around
religion and the cathedrals
that were built.
In the Renaissance, the
human body started
becoming more of a focus.
Two of the more important
sculptures: “David” and
“The Pieta”
Architects also copied
Greek and Roman styles
with columns, domes, and
arches built with symmetry
and harmony
(Pieta means “pity”)