Transcript Renaissance Art

The Renaissance
World History
Johann Gutenberg & The Printing Press
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Printing pioneered by the Chinese
German Gutenberg dev. movable
type techniques
Process more efficient
1st printed work: certificates of
indulgences
Gutenberg Bible (1455) 200
copies printed
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1st mass produced work
Cost 300 Florins
Cheaper & faster than monk, handwritten copies
Caused a cultural rev. in Europe
Enabled the spread of new ideas:
Renaissance and Reformation
Turning point btwn. Middle Ages
and Early Modern Period
Resulted in a rise in literacy
Town Life during the Renaissance
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Guilds and the middle class continue their ascent to
power that began in the Middle Ages
Merchants and bankers became the most important
segment of society
Society
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Power
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Towns grew as commerce grew, people began to urbanize
and farm less
Middle class held most of the power by forcing lords to
grant charters for new towns and controlling banking
Status
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Determined by wealth and ability
The Growth of Italian City-States
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What is the Renaissance, & why Italy?
– French for “rebirth”; a revival in arts and learning
– Renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman
culture
– Italian city-states displayed their wealth by
supporting artists
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Why were Italian City-States so powerful?
– Strong ties w/ Byzantine and Muslim merchants
– Each city-state specialized in one economic area
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Milan: metal goods and military armor
Florence: banking and textiles
Venice: Asian Goods
Rome: religious center for pilgrims
Florence: the most influential city-state
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Maintained a thriving wool
and silk industry
acted as the “middle man”
in exchange of goods from
the East
sold insurance to sea
traders
created banks that made
loans to monarchs and
popes and exchanged
currencies
Medici family promoted
trade, banking, art,
learning, and intense civic
pride
Humanism: The Spirit of the
Renaissance
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A new interest in Ancient
Culture
– Knowledge of classical
works was rediscovered
in the Middle Ages- only
those in holy orders
could read the Greek
and Roman writings
– Crusades made people
eager to learn about the
world outside of Europe
– Scholars believed
classical writings would
help solve modern
problems
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A Fascination with
Classical Culture
– Artists used ancient art
as models
– Donatello copied the
Roman ideal of the
human body
– Brunelleschi designed
buildings after studying
ancient ruins in Rome
– The practice of copying
ancient style led to
innovations in technique
Donatello’s Atys Donatello’s David
Brunelleschi’s il Duomo
A New Type of Scholar Called a
Humanist
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Studied ancient writings
Studied Latin, Greek,
history, and mathematics
Opened schools
Emphasized studying
works in language they
were written in
Studied and wrote
literature written in the
vernacular
Secularism was
emphasized by many while
maintaining Christian
beliefs
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A Belief in Human
Potential
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Believed each person
could achieve great
things.
Claimed people
educated in the classics
could create a better
world
Emphasized human
achievement on earth,
rather than the afterlife
Petrarch (Petrarca)
1304-1374
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Background
– 1st Humanist
(1300s)
– Petrarch and Dante
are considered the
fathers of the
Renaissance
– Scholar, poet
– Wrote in Latin
– Works include: a
guide to the Holy
Land, sonnets to his
love Laura, an early
self-help book,
letters to historical
figures
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Philosophy
– Believed in the value
of studying ancient
history and literature
– Study of human
thought and action
– Saw no conflict with
realizing humanity’s
potential and having
religious faith
– Emphasized solitude
& study or a
contemplative life,
rather than an active
life experiencing the
world
Dante Alighieri
1265-1321
La Divina Commedia
The Divine Comedy
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The greatest literary
statement produced in
Europe in the late
Medieval Period
Written in vernacular,
the Tuscan dialect
Established the
vernacular as an
appropriate language
for all works, replacing
Latin (access to more
people)
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This dialect became the
basis for the modern Italian
language
Describes a fictionalized
account of Dante’s journey
through Hell (Inferno),
Purgatory (Purgatorio), and
Paradise (Paradiso)
Inferno described as
having 9 levels, each level
getting worse and being
the home to worse sins
9th level is home to those
who commit treachery
Erasmus of Rotterdam
1466-1536
Philosophy and Contributions
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Northern Europe was still
more religious
Christian Humanism –
reform the Church by
eliminating abuses and
restore piety
Promoted learning as a
way to understand
Christianity better
Studied original versions of
the Bible written in Hebrew
and Latin
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Criticized Renaissance
Popes as corrupt and
unconcerned with religious
matters
Wrote in Latin, but
encouraged the works to
be translated into the
vernacular
Blamed for introducing the
ideas that led to the
Reformation, he “laid the
egg” according to the
Church
Known to question some
Church practices and
Luther’s ideas
Many of his translations
are still in use today
Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)
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Florentine statesman
The Prince
A handbook for politicians
Offers a realistic analysis
of politics
Put ideas that already
existed on paper
“The End Justifies the
Means”