A Rebirth of Ideas

A stone flew through the air, hitting the face of the sculpture. Michelangelo cried out as if he had been struck himself. He rushed to

see if the marble had been damaged. The exhausted workers stopped in their tracks. Suddenly, several men burst out of a nearby

alley shouting, “Medici! Medici!” before disappearing down a side street.

The new political leaders of Florence had hired Michelangelo, the most skilled sculptor of his time, to create a work that would

symbolize the city. He decided on the young biblical hero, David, who defeated the giant Goliath with a simple slingshot and stone.

Michelangelo wanted his work to encourage the people of Florence in their struggle to be free of their enemies and the powerful Medici

family who had controlled the city for so long. He had created a magnificent figure in the spirit of the ancient Greeks and Romans

who he admired. David represented human beings in all their beauty and glory.

“They are gone. Let us go on,” Michelangelo said to the workers. He could hardly wait to see his work standing in front of the Palazzo

Vecchio.Q: Why did Michelangelo choose David as his symbol?Q: What does Michelangelo's choice suggest for how he viewed Florence and its future?

Humanists A new way of thinking

was taking place across the whole continent

This new thinking started in the Northern city-states of Italy

Scholars called humanists looked back to ancient civilizations and studied their art and writing

Rome and Greece Applied these ideas to

their lives and work

Classical Writings Greek and Roman civilizations had not been forgotten in the Middle Ages

Latin remained the language of scholars and the church Writers such as Aristotle and Plato were studied from the Christian

perspective During the Renaissance, scholars looked at these works in a different light

Admired the writing styles Became interested in their ideas concerning society, politics, history and

the arts Renaissance worldview seemed to be a result of intercultural contact with

past civilizations

Greek and Roman which formed “Classical civilization” Islamic civilization that preserved and further developed the knowledge

of Classical civilization and those in India and the Far East

• Sciences, math and medicine

Spread of Ideas These humanist ideas spread mainly among the

wealthy in society Reading and discussing ancient writers became a

kind of fad among the new class

Humanism

On Mind and Body:“You should pray

forA sound mind in a

sound body”- Juvenal

On History: “To be ignorant of the lives of the

mostCelebrated men of antiquityIs to continue in a state of

Childhood all our days.”- Plutarch

On Education:“The educated differ

From the uneducatedAs much as the living

From the dead.”- Aristotle

Humanism and the Individual

The most important aspect of classical thinking to Renaissance thinkers and artists was the belief in the dignity and potential of the individual People could shape

their lives through their own talents and efforts

This fit into the Christian worldview as developing your talents was serving God, because he gave you those talents

Humanist BeliefsVERY IMPORTANT

Human beings can use the power of reason; thinking to find truth for themselves

It is important for a person to have an open, curious and questioning mind

People can achieve great things through learning

Individuals should be skilled in many different areas; they should not just develop their minds but also their bodies and spirits

Humanist Scholars Francesco Petrarch was a humanist

thinker from the early Renaissance

Saw the Classical past as a glorious time

Thought it was far superior to the Medieval world and his current time

“Among the many subjects that interested me, I dwelt especially upon antiquity, for our own age has always repelled me . . . In order to forget my own time, I have constantly striven to place myself in spirit in other ages, and consequently I delighted in history.”

Q: What does this quote tell us about scholars of this time?

Manuscripts Later humanists began to see the

Renaissance as a time when the ideas and values of ancient times were “reborn”

Greek and Roman manuscripts had been preserved in libraries in the Muslim world and throughout Europe in cathedral libraries

These manuscripts were collected by Petrarch and other humanists

They made translations and copies of them

Giovanni Aurispa brought 240 Greek manuscripts to Europe in one year alone

They wanted these ideas to be available to the larger public

In order to be truly cultured, one needed to read good books and examine great works of art

The Ambassadors, 1553 By Hans Holbein the Younger

Q: What objects do you see in the painting?

Q: How does this double portrait illustrate the humanist idea about the individual?

Q: In the top left corner is a small crucifix. What might the size of the object suggest?

Homework/6

Choose one of the four humanist beliefs depicted on slide seven and answer the following questions: Do you think this belief is still followed today? Why

or why not? Do you think this belief is important to follow? Why

or why not? Do you follow this belief in your daily life? If so,

how? If not, how would you change this?