ITALY: BIRTHPLACE OF THE RENAISSANCE

KEY TERMS  Renaisssance  Humanism  Secular  Patron  Perspective  Vernacular

ITALY’S ADVANTAGES Renaissance means rebirth lasted from Bring back life of culture of classical Greece and Rome 3 advantages – Thriving cities – Wealthy merchant class – Classical heritage of Greece and Rome

CITY-STATES Overseas trade from the Crusades helped cities to grow Northern Italy was urban most of Europe was rural Cities people exchange ideas, breeding ground for intellectual revolution

CITY-STATES  1300’s Bubonic plaque struck cities hard  Fewer laborers  Demand higher wages  Merchants began to pursue the arts

MERCHANTS AND THE MEDICI Wealthy merchant class developed Merchants dominated politics Merchants did not inherit social rank Wealthy merchants believed they deserved power Individual achievement was key

MERCHANTS AND THE MEDICI 1200’s Florence had a republican form of government Medici were a banking family Cosimo de Medici was the wealthiest European 1453 won control of Florence’s government

MERCHANTS AND THE MEDICI  Did not seek political office  He influenced others by giving them loans  Lorenzo de Medici was his grandson ruled as a dictator

LOOKING AT GREECE AND ROME Looked down at the art and literature of the Middle Ages Wanted a return to Greek and Roman learning Drew inspiration from the ruins of Rome Western scholars studied ancient Latin manuscripts

CLASSICS LEAD TO HUMANISM Humanism- intellectual movement that focused on human potential and achievement Humanists studied Christian teachings through Greek values Study of subjects of classical education History, literature, philosophy

WORLDLY PLEASURES  Humanists suggested that humans could enjoy life without offending God  Wealthy enjoyed material luxuries, good music, fine foods  Most people remained devout Catholics

WORLDLY PLEASURES  Secular-worldly rather than spiritual.  People lived in mansions, threw lavish parties, wore expensive clothes

PATRONS OF THE ARTS Church leaders beautified Rome Spent huge amounts of money on the arts Patrons-financially supporting artists Renaissance merchants and wealthy families were patrons of the arts Public display of wealth

THE RENAISSANCE MAN  Writer said that all educated people were expected to create art  Baldassare Castiglione wrote a book called the Courtier  Dance, sing  Play music write poetry  Skilled rider, wrestler and swordsman

THE RENAISSANCE WOMAN  Upper class women should know  The classics  Be charming  Not expected to seek fame  Inspire art not create  Isabella d’ Este led her husbands city state

THE RENAISSANCE REVOLUTIONIZES ART  Portrayed religious subjects but in a real way  Copied from Greeks and the Romans  Perspective-shows three dimensions on a flat surface

REALISTIC PAINTING AND SCULPTURE  Paint prominent citizens  Revealed what was distinctive about a person  Michelangelo Buonarrotti- sculpted using realistic style

DONATELLO  Made sculpture more realistic by sculpting natural postures, and expression  His David was the first free standing nude in Europe since ancient times

LEONARDO RENAISSANCE MAN  Leonardo da Vinci-painter, sculptor, artist, inventor, scientist  Studied how muscles moved  Veins in a leaf  Painted the Mona Lisa seems real people try and explain her thoughts

LAST SUPPER

RAPHAEL ADVANCES REALISM  Madonna and child was his favorite subject  Expressions of gentle and calm  Famous for use of perspective  School of Athens greatest achievement

SCHOOL OF ATHENS

ANGUISSOLA AND GENTILESCHI  Few Italian women were artists  Anguissola was the first woman to gain international acclaim  Gentileschi- trained to paint by her father  Pictures of strong heroic women

RENAISSANCE WRITERS CHANGE LITERATURE  Wrote in the vernacular or everyday language  Wrote to portray the individuality of subjects  Petrarch most influential humanist  Father of Renaissance humanism  Boccaccio-wrote letter to many important friends  Realistic off color stories

NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI  Prince 1513  People are selfish, fickle, and corrupt  Prince must be strong like a lion and shrewd as a fox  Did not worry about morally right he worried about politically right

NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI  Praiseworthy for prince to keep his word and live with integrity  Prince must sometimes mislead people

VICTORIA COLONNA  Born of a noble family 1509  Exchanged sonnets with Michelangelo and helped Castiglione get published  Renaissance ideas began to spread north from Italy