Renaissance Europe The Rebirth Renaissance Rebirth begins in

Renaissance Europe: The Rebirth

Renaissance • • “Rebirth”; begins in Florence, Italy Classical culture revival (Greco-Roman) Emphasis on the individual Focus on humanism (study of Classical texts and an emphasis on human potential) • Economic Recovery (banking – Medici Family of Florence, trade, manufacturing) • Emerging Middle Class (Castiglione’s Book of the Courtier to teach manners) • Political Thought: Machiavelli’s The Prince

New Literature & Interests • Written in vernacular languages (NOT Latin!) • Italian Writers = Dante (Divine Comedy); Boccaccio (Decameron); Petrarch (Sonnets); books written about regular topics, not religious • Civic Humanism = people should be involved in political life

Italian Renaissance Art • • • natural human forms Idealistic Realistic perspective Balance Contrapasto – standing on one leg • Chiaroscuro – use of shading to create depth and a 3 -D look

Italian Artists: The Ninja Turtles • Leonardo da Vinci – Last Supper, Mona Lisa, Vitruvian Man • Raphael – School of Athens • Michelangelo – The Sistine Chapel, Pieta, David (the manly one) • Donatello – David (the boy one – first sculpture in the round since Roman period)

Da Vinci, Vitruvian Man

Uses of Art • Patronizing art helped rulers and elites solidify and legitimize their power • Glorious art and impressive architecture impressed people with the rulers’ power

Renaissance begins in Italy Spreads to the rest of Europe ?

How did technology allow ideas to spread?

The importance of being Gutenberg • Circa 1440, Gutenberg developed movable type

Characteristics of Northern Renaissance Art • Painting in OIL • detailed • Realistic [less emphasis on the “classical ideal”] • middle-class, peasant life, portraits • Patron = person who pays for art (Kings, Clergy, nobles)

Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife (Wedding Portrait) Jan Van Eyck 1434

Jan van Eyck - Giovanni Arnolfini & His Wife (details)

The Writers of the North • Erasmus of Rotterdam – most important humanist – Wrote In Praise of Folly – Desire to reform the church; study of ancient Greek/Hebrew texts

To be or not to be that is the question… • William Shakespeare – Primary example of the development of use of vernacular Can you quote Shakespeare?

• The Merry Wives of Windsor • • "Why, then the world 's mine oyster" - (Act II, Scene II). "This is the short and the long of it". - (Act II, Scene II). "I cannot tell what the dickens his name is". - (Act III, Scene II). "As good luck would have it". - (Act III, Scene V). • King Henry IV, Part I • "He will give the devil his due". - (Act I, Scene II). • Taming of the Shrew • "I'll not budge an inch". - (Induction, Scene I). • Julius Caesar • "But, for my own part, it was Greek to me". - (Act I, Scene II). • Macbeth • • "There 's daggers in men's smiles". - (Act II, Scene III). "what 's done is done". - (Act III, Scene II). • Cymbeline • • "The game is up. " - (Act III, Scene III). "I have not slept one wink. ". - (Act III, Scene III). • Eaten out of house and home • Pomp and circumstance • Foregone conclusion • Full circle • The makings of • Method in the madness • Neither rhyme nor reason • One fell swoop • Seen better days • It smells to heaven • A sorry sight • A spotless reputation • Strange bedfellows • The world's (my) oyster