Transcript Brief Introduction to European Culture---

Renaissance
1. What were the backgrounds of the
Renaissance historically? 14-16 C.
A. famine, plague, war, and religious
dissent, Latin of the church, of law
courts, of Scholasticism in Europe;
B. new birth of ancient Roman Latin
for native literature as by Petrarch,
the Italian poet, to describe ideas
of humanism and patriotism.
The School of Athens (1510-1511), one of several frescoes in the
Vatican Palace, depicts ancient Greek philosophers and scholars, such
as Plato and Aristotle (center);it is considered a masterpiece in the
portrayal of the artistic ideals of the Renaissance. It also illustrates
the importance of classical studies to literary and cultural
achievements of the era.
Classical Studies
Renaissance humanists
studied the literature of
ancient Greece and Rome,
believing that these classical
works represented the height
of human knowledge and
were important models for a
new age. St. Jerome in His
Study by the Italian painter
Antonello da Messina (14301479) depicts the 4th-century
scholar Jerome. He was
known for his important
literary accomplishments,
including a translation of the
Bible into Latin.
Leonardo da Vinci
known not only as a
masterful painter
but as an architect,
sculptor, engineer,
and scientist. His
pursuit of
knowledge was
relentless and his
discoveries left
lasting changes in
the fields of art and
science. With his
sophisticated skills
and love for
learning, Leonardo
embodied the
curiosity and
individualism of the
era and was the
quintessential
Renaissance man.
Giotto
Italian painter Giotto is
held in high regard as
the artist who moved
away from the traditional
medieval technique of
portraying the human
figure as a stiff, flat,
two-dimensional
character. An artist far
ahead of his time, Giotto
began to protray humans
as rounded,
proportioned, and
naturalistic. His work
influenced the
development of
Renaissance art more
than a century after his
death in Florence in
1337.
Petrarch, who
perfected the
sonnet form and is
often regarded as
the first modern
poet, was also one
of the first
humanists.
Petrarch’s love of
the classics and his
belief in the value
of human
experience
influenced his own
writing and
inspired other
humanists.
2. What were the characteristics of
the Renaissance?
A. rediscovery of Classical Literature
and Art as objects of ideal beauty
or learning, instead of professional
work of theologians/philosophers;
B. curiosity about the objective world;
& interest in the morality of human
actions, instead of abstract talks of
religious issues;
C. Individualism: concept of fame &
education for overall development;
3. What interpretations were given by
scholars of the Renaissance?
A. as rebirth of art that was inspired
by ancient Greco-Roman glories; as
rebirth of republican government in
ancient Rome before emperors; as
rebirth of Greco-Roman arts in the
reform of Christian society; as the
beginning of the modern era with a
fundamental individualism;
B. as gradual change based on the
high order of civilized Middle Ages;
Portrait of Michelangelo
Italian artist Michelangelo's
extraordinary
accomplishments in painting,
sculpture, and architecture
made him one of the
outstanding figures in
Renaissance art. During his
lifetime (1475-1564) he
influenced many young
artists, including the
Florentine writer and painter
Giorgio Vasari, who included
this likeness of Michelangelo
in one of his own works.
Tomb of Leonardo Bruni
Italian artist Bernardo
Rossellino combined elements
of architecture and sculpture
when he created the tomb of
Leonardo Bruni, a prominent
Florentine humanist. Rossellino
also evoked the grandeur of
classical antiquity by borrowing
elements such as the imperial
Roman eagles seen directly
below Bruni, as well as his
crown of laurel. Bruni and his
followers admired the
republican government of
ancient Rome and encouraged
the citizens of Florence and
other Italian city-states to adopt
a new patriotism based on the
Roman model. The tomb, begun
in 1444, is in the Church of
Santa Croce, Florence, Italy.
Voltaire
The French writer and
philosopher Voltaire is
considered one of the central
figures of the Age of
Enlightenment, a period
following the Renaissance
which emphasized the power of
human reason, science, and
respect for humanity. Voltaire
believed that literature should
serve as a vehicle for social
change. His biting satires and
philosophical writings
demonstrated his aversion to
Christianity, intolerance, and
tyranny. The expression
captured in this portrait of
Voltaire in 1718 hints at the
sharp sense of humor with
which he won the favor of
18th-century French society.
Medieval Schools
During the Middle Ages, advocates of Scholasticism sought to forge a connection
between classical Greek philosophy and Christian theology through the use of logic.
Teachers and instructors employed the concepts of reason and revelation to teach their
students how to think. In this 15th-century Italian painting, parents take their children
to see a teacher of grammar.