The Renaissance c 1400 1600 The Birth of

The Renaissance c. 1400 – 1600 The Birth of the Modern World?

What IS the Renaissance? • Renaissance: French word for rebirth • Rebirth of what? – Art • Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Literature – Science • Astronomy, Anatomy, Physics – Learning • Classical Greek and Roman texts – Opulence: fantastic wealth

What IS the Renaissance? • A new way of thinking & learning known as Humanism emerged • Humanism: – People are capable of anything and everything • Focus on CHOICE – Optimistic belief that humans do anything • Focus on ACHIEVEMENT – Focus on humanities as subjects of study • Literature, Rhetoric (speech), Poetry, History, Latin, Greek • Art & philosophy are more focused on man than god

Humanism in Quotes From Pico’s Oration on the Dignity of Man (1487) • “There is nothing to be seen more marvelous than man” • “What a great miracle is man” • Man is the “free and proud shaper of his own being” – Man as a “chameleon”

What CAUSED the Renaissance? • The Crusades – Increase in trade • Cause: Europeans learn about new products while on Crusades • Effect: Italian merchants get rich and use $ to sponsor artists – Increase in learning and curiosity • Cause: contact with advanced Islamic civilization • Effects: – Renewed interest in learning, especially of ancient Greece/ Rome – Mixing of ideas from different culture

What CAUSED the Renaissance? • The Plague – Feudal system broke down • • • Serfs now allowed to leave manors Cities grow as serfs seek work Becomes easier for people to move up in society Fewer people = more wealth person Nobles lose power, kings gain power – Partially due to the rise of a middle class – Guns changed the way wars were fought » Skilled warriors (Knights) no longer needed » So King no longer needs nobles/ Knights for protection

Why did the Renaissance start in ITALY? • Location, location – Italy is the crossroads of trade routes between Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia – Italian merchants get very wealthy – Italian merchants exposed to many cultures – Heritage of ancient Rome • New economic and political ideas – Invention of new systems of banking – City-states were competing • Tried to outdo each other with works of art & beauty of cities

Why did the Renaissance start in ITALY? • The Crusaders passed through Italy • Italians profited from transporting goods and people to the Holy Land Ideas always travel alongside goods

Why did the Renaissance start in ITALY? • Location: Italy was the crossroads between Europe and the rest of the world • Italians profited from controlling trade between Europe and the rest of the world Ideas always travel alongside goods

Why did the Renaissance start in ITALY? • Italian city-states competing for power – None was strong enough to conquer others • This allowed them to focus on trade and art • Heritage of ancient Rome

Why is the Renaissance considered the beginning of MODERN TIMES? • INDEPENDENT thought – People “broke the intellectual chains” of the Church (focus on man, not on god) • Reliance on REASON – Rather than on pure faith • Birth of modern SCIENCE – Universe is heliocentric, not geocentric • OPTIMISTIC – Belief in the improvement of society – Focus on talents and achievements of individuals

Why did SCIENCE advance during the Renaissance? • Crusades – Europeans came into contact with Arab civilization • Arab society had made many scientific advancements – Europeans become more curious about the world • Increase in geography and cartography (map-making) • Humanism – Focus on man rather than God • Increase in study of anatomy • Printing Press – Literacy improves – Ideas can spread rapidly • Wealth – Rich sponsored scientists (as they did with artists) – Scientists can work without financial constraints

How was Renaissance Art DIFFERENT than Medieval Art? • • Medieval Religious subject matter Dark colors Depressing, scary Unrealistic, 2 -D – No perspective (flat) • Bulky, dark buildings • Sponsored by Church officials • • Renaissance Many subjects Bright colors Optimistic, happy Realistic, 3 -D – Perspective • Bright, airy buildings • Sponsored by merchants, rulers

How did Renaissance ART express HUMANIST ideals? • Focus on individual • Focus on secular (non-religious) themes – Focus on this world, instead of afterworld • Influenced by Greek and Roman art – Beauty of human form • Brighter colors (optimistic, hopeful) • More realistic • Balance: artists used mathematical ideas to compose their works

Where did the Renaissance SPREAD to? • All over Europe – Ideas traveled north with trade goods – Spain, France, Germany • Northern Renaissance – England, Holland, Denmark

What is a “Renaissance Man? ” • Broad knowledge about many things in different fields. • Deep knowledge/ skill in one subject. • Able to link information from different subjects to create new knowledge. • The Greek ideal of the “well-rounded man” was at the heart of Renaissance education.