The Renaissance 1485 1660 The Renaissance French word

The Renaissance 1485 -1660

The Renaissance • French word meaning “rebirth” • New interest in science, art, literature • Great advances in science and education • New social order • Interest in humanism “Vision of Ezekiel” by Raphael, 1518

Printing Press • 1430 s: first mass-produced books; no longer had to be hand-copied • Used interchangeable letter block templates, oil-based inks, and high-quality paper • Made books (esp. the Bible) widely accessible for the first time

Protestant Reformation--1517 • Martin Luther (German monk) • Protested sale of indulgences (and other practices) by Catholic church • Nailed 95 Theses to church door • Reformation led to Protestantism • Had a huge influence on society, politics, and the economy

Renaissance Worldview • Middle Ages – people focused energy on religion and the afterlife • Renaissance – people focused energy on life on earth • Emphasis placed on individual and his/her human potential • “Renaissance Man” a well-rounded person who cultivated his talents to the fullest

“Age of Exploration” • European nations “discovered” other nations for commerce • Contributed to later imperial domination and exploitation

Major Scientific Advances • Alchemy, astronomy, medicine, geography, inventions. • Nicolaus Copernicus (1473– 1543) and Galileo (15641642)—theory of heliocentrism controversial with Church

Medical Advances • Many medical advances—learned more about anatomy, surgery, and treatment of disease; used knowledge from earlier Islamic physicians Page from an Ottoman manuscript describing how to make medicines Leonardo da Vinci, “Fetus in the Womb”

Rulers of Note: Tudors and Stuarts King Henry VIII • 17 when crowned • 6 marriages • 1530—broke with the Catholic church and created Church of England (a. k. a. Anglican Church)

Sumptuary Laws • King Henry VIII wanted to be able to tell upon first glance what social class someone belonged to • Laws specified the kinds of cloth, colors, and accessories that were forbidden to people beneath a certain rank • Breaking sumptuary laws punishable by loss of possessions, title, or even life.

Social Classes • Middle class continued to grow with emergence of global trade—especially merchants • Four main classes: royalty, nobles, merchants, and peasants • First three classes often patronized the arts “The Peasant Dance” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1569.

Social Classes: Merchants Quentin Metsys, “Money Changer and His Wife, ” 1514 Pieter Aertsen, “A Cook with Poultry, ” 16 th c.

Social Classes: Nobles Jan Gossaert, “A Noble Man, ” 1530. Jan Mostaert, “Portrait of an African Noble, ” 1520 -30

Elizabeth I (1558 -1603) • • Supported the arts Turned England into a world power Last of the Tudor Line Considered the epitome of beauty: white skin, fair hair, red lips

Stuarts • James I (1603 -1625) Anglican Church supporter • Charles I (1625 -1649)- harsh leadership led to Puritan exodus and civil war • Cromwells and commonwealth took over until 1660, ending the Renaissance Charles I

Renaissance Literature • Writers, like artists, gained patronage from wealthy people • Pastoral poetry: idealized depictions of nature and rural life – Used courtly language with meter and rhyme • Popular poets: Edmund Spenser, Sir Walter Raleigh, Christopher Marlowe, William Shakespeare Depiction of a scene from Spenser’s Faerie Queene

Rise of Humanism • Literature reflected “humanism” – new ideas about the worth and importance of the individual • Humanists were often devout Christians • Sir Thomas More – Wrote Utopia about a perfect society

Sonnets • 14 -line poems • Petrarchan (1300 s) and Shakespearean (1500 s 1600 s) • Iambic pentameter – 5 feet = 10 syllables – 1 foot = 1 unstressed syllable, 1 stressed syllable William Shakespeare

Pastoral Poems • Poems that portray shepherds and rustic life in an idealized manner. • Poems not written in the voice of the common shepherd • Speakers used courtly language rather than common speech

Metaphysical Poets • Broke with convention • Employed unusual imagery • Attempted to encompass the vastness of the universe and explore life’s complexities and contradictions • Most famous poet - John Donne

Metaphysical Poems had • Irregular meter • elaborate metaphors • Themes of death, physical love, religious devotion • Dealt with vastness of the universe