1. Chris Anderson Randolph-Henry High School
The Renaissance
Chris Anderson
Randolph-Henry High School

2. The Renaissance The Renaissance lasted from 1350 until 1600
Western Europe experienced a cultural awakening
Europe was moving from the Middle Ages into the Modern Era
People began to develop new ideas about the world around them

3. The Italian Renaissance
The Renaissance began in Florence, Italy
Italy was in an ideal location to be the birthplace of the Renaissance
Close to the old Byzantine Empire
Center of trade in the Mediterranean

4. Italian scholars began to take lots of interest in the classical writing of the Greeks and Romans
This increased interest in the classics is called humanism
Humanists studied Greek and Latin works, old manuscripts, and even tried to copy the old works

5. Humanists began to admire much of the ancient Greek and Roman Culture

6. Humanists adopted many Roman and Greek beliefs
1.) seeking fulfillment in daily life
2.) all people have dignity and worth
3.) the ideal person—one who can do almost anything (the Renaissance Man)

7. Humanists began opening schools to introduce the classics to people
The humanist schools taught 4 subjects:
1.) History
2.) Philosophy
3.) Latin
4.) Greek

8. Humanism brought about new types of writing—moving away from religion
People wrote about daily life and feelings
Petrarch—introduced the Sonnet
A new way to express ideas in poetry

9. Machiavelli—wrote The Prince
The Prince was a book about Italian government
Machiavelli supported the idea of absolute power
In order to keep power, a ruler must do some evil

10. Machiavelli
Petrarch

11. The Humanists began to challenge many long held beliefs
Humanists also began to question the Catholic Church

12. Italian City Life Feudalism was easily thrown away in Italy
Most Italian cities were wealthy and self-controlling

13. Italian City Life
A new social order was created in the Italian city-states because money and wealth were more important than land ownership
1.) Wealthy Merchants and bankers
2.) Middle Class (artisans and shopkeepers)
3.) Lower Class (poor workers)
4.) Peasants--farmers

14. Italian City Life
Italy was NOT a unified nation during the Renaissance
Each city-state was independent of the others
Frequently, the peasants would revolt against the wealthy rulers—usually, unsuccessfully

15. Italian City Life
1400s—social unrest was so bad that many city-states turned power over to a single leader, hoping to restore peace
The leaders were called the Signori
Signori were like dictators—they used threats and violence to keep peace

16. Italian City Life
City-states also fought with each other over the control of land
City-states would hire soldiers to fight
The richer city-states would have the most and best soldiers

17. There are three (3) important city-states that played major roles in the Italian Renaissance
1.) Florence
2.) Rome
3.) Venice

18. Florence, Italy The Renaissance began in Florence, Italy
Florence was ruled by the Medici family in the 1400s
The Medici’s allowed the ideas of humanism to spread through Florence

19. Florence, Italy
The 1st Medici to rule Florence—Cosimo de Medici

20. Florence, Italy Cosimo placed a heavy tax on the people of Florence
Cosimo used the money to make improvement to the city

21. Florence, Italy
Lorenzo de Medici ruled Florence after his grandfather, Cosimo, died
Lorenzo ruled from 1469 until
1492

22. Florence, Italy Lorenzo kept his grandfather’s heavy tax
Lorenzo used the money to patron artists and writers

23. Florence, Italy
The Medici’s were forced to hand power over to Savonarola because Florence had lost control over Europe’s cloth trade

24. Florence, Italy Savonarola criticized the many vices in Florence
Gambling, parties, paintings, swearing, etc.
He also criticized the Catholic Church

25. Rome, Italy The Renaissance moved to Rome in the early 1500s
The Pope controlled Rome
The different Popes rebuilt the city
The Popes commissioned many different artists to decorate the palaces and churches

26. Rome, Italy
St. Peter’s Basilica was built during this time

28. Rome, Italy
Renaissance Pope’s became very corrupt, caring more about money and politics than spiritual matters
The Popes wasted money on luxuries
Many Europeans began to question the Church

29. Venice, Italy City located over hundreds of small islands
Venice had a monopoly over the trade with Asia—made Venice $$$$$$
Venice was the wealthiest Italian city-state in the Late Renaissance

30. Venice, Italy
Venice had a republican form of government, headed by a Doge
The Doge controlled the day-to-day activities of the city

32. Artistic Achievements
Renaissance art was lifelike and captivating
Most art was still centered around religion
Artists began to experiment with new techniques
Perspective
Studied anatomy
Used gestures and expresions

33. Artistic Achievements
Architecture
Filippo Brunelleschi built the dome above the Cathedral of Florence

34. Brunelleschi’s Dome

35. Artistic Achievements
Painting and Sculpture
Early Renaissance sculptors copied the classical works
Statues were realistic
Renaissance painters used new techniques to create realistic images in their works

36. Artistic Achievements
Painting and Sculpture
Michelangelo was a painter and sculptor
Sculpted David and La Pieta
Painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel

40. Artistic Achievements
Painting and Sculpture
Donatello was a sculptor
He was the 1st to use bronze since ancient times

42. Artistic Achievements
Painting and Sculpture
Leonardo da Vinci was an artists as well as writer, scientist, inventor, etc.
His famous works are the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper

46. Northern Renaissance
By the late 1400s, the Renaissance had moved to the Northern areas of Europe
Renaissance ideas spread through contact and by the printing press

47. Northern Renaissance 1494—the French invaded Italy
The French King became very interested in what he saw
The King decided to bring a “piece” of the Renaissance back to France
He brought with him Leonardo da Vinci back to France
Other European kings wanted a piece of the Renaissance

48. Northern Renaissance
1440—Johannes Gutenberg developed moveable metal type for the printing press
This innovation allowed for more books to be printed

50. Gutenberg Bible

51. Northern Renaissance French Renaissance
Chateaux—castles built with a mixture of Gothic and classical style
French writers wrote sonnets, satires, comic tales, and parodies

53. Northern Renaissance Germany and the Low Countries
German and Dutch began to replace Latin in writing
Lots of books were printed
Art took on a very religious tone
Humanism and Christianity were blended together—Christian Humanists

54. Northern Renaissance Germany and the Low Countries
Christian Humanists wanted to Church to be more like the original Church
Most famous Christian humanist—Desiderius Erasmus
Erasmus believed his colleagues should be able to read Greek and Hebrew so they could read the original version of the Bible

55. Erasmus

56. Northern Renaissance Germany and the Low Countries
2 Flemish brothers changed the way painting was done—Jan and Hubert van Eyck
They were the 1st to use oil paints
Allowed for brighter colors
Easy to make changes

59. Northern Renaissance Germany and the Low Countries
Albrecht Durer was another artist known for his Renaissance works
He created painting and wood cuts

62. Northern Renaissance English Renaissance
1485—The War of the Roses is over in England and the Renaissance comes to England
The English Renaissance was known for its writers

63. Northern Renaissance English Renaissance
Sir Thomas More was a very famous English Humanist
He criticized English society in his Book Utopia

64. Sir Thomas More

65. Northern Renaissance English Renaissance
William Shakespeare is probably the most famous English Renaissance writer
He wrote plays, sonnets, and essays
Romeo and Juliet, MacBeth, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, Richard III, Henry V, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Othello, etc.

66. William Shakespeare