1. The Northern Renaissance
Chapter 1, Section 2

2. Spread of Ren. Ideas
In the 1400s, the ideas of the Italian Renaissance began to spread to Northern Europe
Specifically these ideas spread to England, France, Germany, and Flanders

3. Northern Renaissance Begins
By 1450, the population in Northern Europe was growing again because the Bubonic Plague began to subside, and the 100 Years War ended
As a result, cities grew rapidly (beginning in Flanders)
Patronage increase dramatically
Rich monarchs could afford to patronize the arts

4. Artistic Ideas Spread
In the Northern Renaissance, there is an emphasis on realism (making art look as realistic as possible)
One major cause of the spread of artistic ideas begins in 1494, when the French king claims the Kingdom of Naples (in Italy) for himself.
As a result of the fighting, there is trading of ideas from people travelling between the two areas

5. Albrecht Dürer
German artist who specialized in woodcuttings and engravings
His work included religious subjects, classical myths, and realistic landscapes
Dürer is widely regarded as the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance

7. Hans Holbein the Younger
Influenced by Dürer
Created paintings that were almost photographic in nature
Immigrated to England, painted Henry VIII

8. Flemish Painters
During the 15th century, Flanders was the artistic center of Northern Europe
Jan Van Eyck ( ) was a very influential Flemish painter
Used oil-based paint, he would apply many layers of paint to capture rich color
His paintings were very realistic, and seemed to convey personality

10. Flemish Painters Peaked in 1550 with Pieter Bruegel
Bruegel portrayed incredible detail and individual people
Scenes were from daily life: weddings, dances, and harvests

12. Northern Writers Try to Reform Society
The northern writers want to revive classical languages and texts
Northern humanists were critical of the failure of the Christian Church to inspire people to live a Christian life
Created Christian humanism-focused on reforming society; they would achieve this by emphasizing education for men AND women

13. Christian humanist writers
Desiderius Erasmus ( ), a Catholic priest from Holland
In 1509 he wrote The Praise of Folly, which poked fun at greedy merchants, heartsick lovers, quarrelsome scholars and pompous priests.
He believed in Christianity of the heart, not ceremony or rules

14. Christian humanist writers
Sir Thomas More ( ), he was an English lawyer, philosopher, author, statesman, and humanist
Best known for writing Utopia (1516), a book that described an ideal society, originally written in Latin

15. Women’s Reforms
The vast majority of the European population could not read or write
Any family that could afford schooling would probably send sons
Christine de Pizan was a highly-educated female writer who wrote short stories, biographies, novels, and military manuals, all in French

16. The Elizabethan Age
The Renaissance spreads to England in the mid 1500s
The Elizabethan Age is so named for the Queen of England who reigned from
She was the daughter of King Henry VIII (the guy with 6 wives)
Elizabeth was religious, but she held many Renaissance ideas that people were capable of impacting their own lives
Spoke French, Italian, Latin, and Greek
Wrote poetry and music

17. William Shakespeare
Lived , regarded as the greatest writer in the English language, greatest playwright of all time
He revered the classics, and often used them as inspiration and plots
His most famous works include Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the Taming of the Shrew
Still popular today: The Lion King, Gnomeo and Juliet, 10 Things I Hate About You, Aladdin

18. Printing Spreads Ren. Ideas
The Chinese invented block printing-carved letter or word on a wooden block, inked block, then printed
Movable type was created in 1045 by Bi Sheng, but it was regarded as impractical since there are thousands of characters in the Chinese language

19. During the 13th century, block printed items began to enter Europe from Asia (still dealing with the Middle Ages in Europe at that time)
Process was still too slow
At that time, it would take a person 5 months to hand copy a book

20. Johann Gutenburg
Around 1440, Gutenburg developed the modern printing press by combining several techniques
He printed a Bible, called the Gutenburg Bible in 1455
This enabled printers to produce hundreds of copies (about 500 copies in 5 months
For the first time, books are cheap enough that many people could afford to buy them

21. The Legacy of the Renaissance
Period of great change
Break from medieval ideas about the church and God
Gradual rise of democratic ideas
Historians argue that the impact of movable print may be more important than computers

22. Legacy of Renaissance Change in Society Change in Arts
Printing made information available and inexpensive
More books prompted an increased desire for learning and a rise in literacy
Published discoveries spur creativity
Published legal proceedings clarify the law
Christian humanists’ attempts to reform society change views about how life should be lived
Change in Arts
Drew on techniques and styles of classical Greece and Rome
Paintings and sculptures portrayed individuals and nature in a more realistic way
Secular and religious works
Writers used the vernacular
Praised individual achievement