THE RENAISSANCE

RENAISSANCE: Historical period in Europe from about 1300-1600 where a renewed interest in the classical culture of Greece and Rome led to changes in art, learning, and worldviews.

Renaissance (French for rebirth)

This time period is seen as a distinct passing from medieval to modern society.

A rebirth from the “Dark Ages” aka the Middle Ages – approximately 1,000 years between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance.

Some Ways to Describe It…

A time of creativity and great change

A rebirth from the disorder of the Middle Ages (Black Death, wars, etc…)

Why did the Renaissance begin in Italy?

1.) History – ruins from ancient Rome provided inspiration;

Italians wanted to revive greatness.2.) Thriving City-States – key location;

crossroads for trade; great wealth.3.) Wealthy merchant class –

dominated politics in Italian city-states; were patrons of the arts

Themes of the Renaissance Individualism:

In contrast to Christian humility of the Middle Ages.

Uniqueness, Personality Confidence in ability to achieve

greatness Genius, development of full potential Quest for glory

Humanism Education centered around the

study of the Latin classics. Studied these classics to

understand human nature rather than only to understand God.

Focus on the humanities – grammar, rhetoric, poetry, history, etc…

Secularism A basic concern with the material world

instead of the spiritual world. “Worldly” Attention on improving life in the here

and now, but did not abandon religion. More focus on education, business,

wealth More leisure time, art patronage, etc…

Introduction to Art (handout!)Medieval Period 500-1500 AD Feudalism Catholic Church Purposes of Art:

To teach religion to illiterate people

Forms of Art: Stained glass windows,

sculptures, manuscripts, paintings, tapestries

Renaissance 1400-1650 Rediscovery of works

of Greeks and Romans Purposes of Art

To show the importance of people and nature, not just religion

Forms of Art Sculptures, murals,

drawings, paintings

Characteristics of ArtMedieval:

Religious Figures look flat and stiff Fully clothed Solemn faces, no

emotion Vibrant colors 2 dimensional Backgrounds often a

single color--gold

Renaissance: Both religious and non-

religious scenes Figures look perfect,

idealized Bodies may be nude or

clothed Real people doing real tasks Expressive faces, emotion Lots of interest in nature,

detail Use of perspective in

backgrounds and symmetry (balance)

Classical, Medieval and Renaissance Art http://www.slideshare.net/MrsHelle

r/classical-medieval-and-renaissance-art

New TechniquesNew Techniques Perspective: The linear

representation of distance and space on a flat surface.

How? By making distant objects smaller than those close to the viewer. Gives the illusion of depth.

Examples of Perspective

Techniques Shading Illumination

The Geniuses of The Geniuses of Renaissance ArtRenaissance Art

1. Leonardo da Vinci2. Michelangelo3. Raphael 4. Donatello

Leonardo da Vinci Painter, sculptor,

inventor, scientist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFN5hRukDlo Mona Lisa The Last

Supper

The Last Supper

Why so famous?? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

IitbJszd1kM http://www.monalisamania.com/fa

qmain.htm http://www.npr.org/2011/07/30/13

8800110/the-theft-that-made-the-mona-lisa-a-masterpiece

MichelangeloMichelangelo Famous works

include: Pieta statue of David ceiling of the

Sistine Chapel in Rome

Pieta

Statue of David

Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u8LDXhFzPo

RaphaelRaphael

A student of Leonardo and Michelangelo

Famous painting: The School of

Athens

The School of Athens

How it embodies the themes of the Renaissance http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=Hh1YGIyn-ok

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-9G0Ndxopg

Who is in the School? http://www.phschool.com/

atschool/california/webcodes/history_interactive/mwp-5153/common_player.html

Donatello

Most famous for his sculptures

Most famous is his bronze statue of David

Important Writers/Literature

Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374) “Father of Humanism” Poet Famous for writing sonnets – 14 line

poems to Laura

Other Humanists… Desiderius Erasmus (1469-1536)

Orphan; joined a monastery Most famous work: The Praise of Folly

(1509) – used humor to expose immoral behavior of clergy

Key Beliefs: Education is key to moral/intellectual

improvement Christian attitude/study of the Bible

Other Humanists… Thomas More (1478-1535)

Lawyer, writer, counselor to Henry VIII Most famous work: Utopia (1516)

“nowhere” Ideal, nearly perfect society Very radical for its time

Beheaded in 1535

Dante (1265-1321) From a noble family in Florence Wrote the Divine Comedy between

1313-1321. Journey of the soul through afterlife;

Inferno, Purgatory, Paradise Written in the Italian vernacular;

helped develop the language.

Writing in the Vernacular

Writing in the Vernacular Geoffrey Chaucer

(c. 1340-1400) Wrote The

Canterbury Tales in the English vernacular language.

Shakespeare

Renaissance Guidebooks The Book of the Courtier (1528)

Guide to becoming a Renaissance gentleman

The ideal Renaissance man should be: Educated in many subjects Know how to sing, dance, play an instrument Able to compose a sonnet, wrestle, ride

expertly, and speak and write eloquently.

The Prince (1513) by Niccolo Machiavelli

About political power How the ruler should gain,

maintain, and increase it “Machiavellian” – use of deceit in

politics “the end justifies the means”

Renaissance Guidebooks

Renaissance Renaissance ArchitectureArchitecture

Return from the Gothic style of the Middle Ages to the Classical styles of Early Greece and Rome.

Architecture became simpler, more symmetrical: columns, arches, domes