The Italian Renaissance

The Renaissance 1350-1600 AD It first began in the city-states of Italy Italy’s central location helped make it a center for the trade of goods and ideas.

They believed education should stimulate creativity. Italian scholars had a strong interest in the Classics (Greek and Roman writings) This interest was called humanism. They believed education should stimulate creativity.

Humanists Humanists found the idea of a happy daily life more appealing than what the Catholic Church had been teaching in the Middle Ages all happiness will be found in heaven

The humanists opened schools that taught humanistic subjects History Philosophy Latin and Greek The humanist schools encouraged writing Sonnets Autobiographies The first political science book, The Prince, by Machiavelli was written in this time period

The Prince was a guide for rulers to gain and maintain power Rather than discuss high ideals, he stressed that the ends justify the means. The term Machiavellian has come to refer to the use of deceit in politics

City life was more important to Italians than many other Europeans The Italian city-states set up their social order so that wealth and ability mattered more than titles and land ownership. City-states were governed by wealthy families until the 1400s These families brought trade and wealth, and provided leadership. They were interested in art and emphasized personal achievement. They were patrons of the arts and supported artists, writers, and scholars.

The Medici family of merchants and bankers controlled Florence after 1434. Lorenzo de' Medici invited poets, philosophers, and artists to the city. The city of Florence became a leader, with numerous gifted artists, poets, architects, and scientists.

Italian Art Italian art also underwent a transformation during the Renaissance. Art in the Medieval period had almost always been based on religion. The new artists started to include classical mythology into their works.

Changes in style Artists started to use perspective to give painting depth. They studied anatomy so their figures looked more life like. They used subtleties to portray emotion.

Typical medieval Church art. Two dimensional, religious subject matter, no use of perspective.

Game of Chess Painting shows use of anatomy, perspective and emotion. By Sofonisba Anguissola 1555 AD. She was 23 when she painted this.

The Masters and the Ninja Turtles? Some of the best known artists came from Florence, Italy. They will change the way Europe looked at art for centuries. They were…..

Donatello Given name was Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi He created a life-size soldier on horseback, the first sculpture of this size since ancient times. He was the son of a wool comber. He was a sculptor.

Michelangelo Given name was Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni) the son of a minor magistrate (judge). He started out as a sculptor but later became a painter. He is most famous for painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Florence.

Sistine Chapel St. Peter’s Cathedral

Ghiberti Given name was Lorenzo Ghiberti He gained his fame for creating door panels for a church.

And last but not least--- Leonardo (DaVinci) Painter, sculptor, inventor and mathematician. He often wrote from right to left called “mirror writing”. Some of his inventions were centuries before his time. Some of his best known works were…

The Mona Lisa The Last Supper

Can you guess what he was drawing?

This is what he was drawing…

Was there really a Da Vinci Code? According to the book and the “Grail” theory of Biblical history Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus Christ and was in fact pregnant with his child when Jesus was crucified. Da Vinci was known for writing in code or “mirror writing”. No one knows for sure if the “Grail” theory is real or not.

The Last Supper as “proof”?