European Renaissance CHAPTER 17.1 AND 17.2

Where have we been?  In the last unit we talked about  The European Middle Ages ( )  Charlemagne and the Germanic Kingdoms  European Feudalism  How the Catholic church has power and influence over governments  How Western Europe developed  The impact of the Plague

Where are we going?  The Renaissance: Period of explosive development in the arts, literature, and thought from 1300 to 1600 in Europe  The Reformation: Religious reform movement in Europe during the 1500’s that ultimately led to the birth of Protestant faiths ( Baptist, Methodist, etc.)

Why Here, Why Now? Reasons for the Renaissance  Crusaders returned to Europe with a newfound understanding of the world  Invention of the printing press encouraged literacy and aided the spread of new ideas  Capitol (extra cash) was now becoming increasingly available and allowed people to become, patrons: supporters of the arts  The development of bookkeeping and the use of credit allowed merchants to flourish

Italian Renaissance  Began in Northern Italian cities of Florence, Genoa, and Venice  “Rebirth” in which the educated wanted to bring back the cultural greatness of Classical Greece and Rome  Why Italy?  Thriving cities  Wealthy merchant class  Heritage of Greece and Rome

Italian Advantages  City-states: urban settings allowed exchange of ideas  Wealthy merchants, such as the Medici family in Florence, used fortunes to influence politics and promote individual achievement  Nearby Roman ruins supplied inspiration for Italian artists

Humanism  Study of ancient Latin and Greek manuscripts led to Humanism: intellectual movement that focused on human potential and achievements  Humanist Ideas:  Classical Greek and Roman traditions  Study of Humanities (history, lit, philosophy)  Enjoyment of material luxury, secularism

Renaissance Man  Idea that emerged from Renaissance writers (Castiglione’s The Courtier) about what educated people should be:  Artistically creative  Charming and witty  Well-educated in the classics  Dance, sing, play music, write poetry  Skilled rider, wrestler, swordsman

Renaissance Art  Technique of perspective: shows 3 dimensions on a flat surface  Focused on religious subjects, realistic styles, prominent citizens  Examples:  Michelangelo  Donatello  Leonardo  Raphael  Anguissola and Gentileschi

Michelangelo's The Last Judgment

The Last Supper Mona Lisa The Vitruvian Man

Raphael’s Galatea Raphael’s Sistine Madonna

Anguissola’s Self Portrait Gentileschi’s Self Portrait

Renaissance Literature  Characteristics: use of native language (vernacular), wrote for self-expression or individuality  Examples:  Petrarch: Father of Renaissance Humanism  Boccaccio: Decameron  Machiavelli: The Prince- Political guidebook  Not concerned with what was morally right but what is politically effective  “Strong as a lion, shrewd as a fox”

Printing Spreads Renaissance  Most significant “invention” of the time was the printing press  Gutenberg creates a much faster, cheaper method of literature reproduction  First used on the Bible  Cheap books became more available to the public leading to an overall increase in literacy

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Questions for Review  Why was the Renaissance important?  Why did the Renaissance occur? TOMORROW: THE REFORMATION