Transcript The Renaissance in Italy!

By, Samantha Kalinski
THE RENAISSANCE IN ITALY!
MEANING
WHAT WAS THE RENAISSANCE??

The Renaissance was a time of creativity and
change in many areas- political, social,
economic, and cultural. Perhaps most
important, however, were the changes that took
place in the way people viewed themselves and
their world.
THE ITALIAN CITY-STATES!
Why Italy?
a. It has been the center of the Roman Empire.
b. Architectural remains, statues, coins, and inscriptions, were all visible reminders
of Roman grandeur.
c. Italy differed from the rest of Europe in other ways. Its cities survived the Middle
Ages.
d. In the North some city-states grew into prosperous centers or trade and
manufacturing.
1.Florence
2.Milan
3.Venice
4.Genoa
e. Rome, in central, and Maples, in the south, along with a number of smaller citystates, also contributed to the Renaissance cultural revival.
CITY-STATES CONTINUED…
A wealthy and powerful merchant class in these
city-states further promoted the cultural rebirth.
 These merchants exerted both political and
economic leadership, and their attitudes and
interests helped to shape the Renaissance.
 They stressed education and individual
achievement.

MEDICI FAMILY





In the 1400’s the Medici family of Florence organized a
successful banking business.
Extended their business to :
1. Wool manufacturing
2. Mining
Ranked among richest bankers and merchants in Europe.
Cosimo de Medici gained control of the Florence government
in 1434, and the family continued as uncrowned rulers of
the city for many years.
He was also a generous patron, or financial supporter, of the
arts.
HUMANISM
At the heart of the Italian Renaissance was an intellectual movement
known as humanism. Based on the study of classical culture,
humanism focus on worldly subjects rather than on the religious
issues.
 Humanists believed that education should stimulate the individual’s
creative powers. They returned to the humanities, the subjects taught
in ancient Greek and roman schools.
1.grammer
2.rhetoric
3.poetry
4.history
Humanists did not accept the classical texts without question, however.
Rather, they studied the ancient authorities in light of their own
experiences.

A GOLDEN AGE IN THE ARTS!
The Renaissance attained its most glorious
expression in its paintings, sculpture, and
architecture.
 Wealthy patrons played a major role in this artistic
flowering.
 Popes and princes supported the work of
hundreds of artists.
 Wealthy and powerful women such as Isabella
d’Este of Mantua were important patrons of the
arts as well.

NEW TECHNIQUES!





Roman art had been very realistic.
Renaissance artists learned the rules of perspective. By
making objects smaller than those close to the viewer,
artists could paint scenes that appeared threedimensional.
Also learned to use shading to make objects look round
and real.
Painters and sculptors also studied human anatomy
and drew from live models.
As a result, they were able to portray the human body
more accurately then medieval artists had done.
WOMEN ARTISTS
Some women became professional poets.
Sometimes they would keep their word secret,
allowing their husbands to pass it off as their
own.
 Few women gained acceptance for their art.
In the 1500’s, Sofonisba Anguissola an
Italian noblewomen, became court painter to king
Philip of Spain.

ARCHITECTURE

Renaissance architects rejected the Gothic
style of the late Middle Ages as cluttered and
disorderly. Instead, they adopted;
1. columns
2.arches
3. domes
THREE GENIUSES OF RENAISSANCE ART!
Leonardo- made sketches of nature and of models
in his studio.
 Michelangelo- Many-sided genius, sculptor,
engineer, painter, architect, and poet. He shaped
marble into masterpieces like the “Pieta”.
 Raphael- Studied the works of those great
masters. His paintings blend Christian and
classical styles. He is probably best known for his
tender portrayals of the Madonna, the mother of
Jesus.

ITALIAN RENAISSANCE WRITERS!
The most widely read of these handbooks was
“The Book of the Courtier”. Its author, Baldassare
Castiglione, describes the manners, skills,
learning, and virtues that a member of the court
should have.
 Niccolo Machiavelli wrote a different kind of
handbook. He had served Florence as a diplomat
and had observed kings and princes in foreign
courts. He had also studied ancient Roman
history.

REVIEW QUESTIONS!

What did the artists of the later Renaissance
focus on in there writing and art?
Many focused on politics and ancient culture.
How did merchants contribute to the birth of the
Renaissance?
They became patrons, or financial supporters of the arts.
What did the development of printing in Europe
lead to?
New ideas that greatly extended their horizon.