The Renaissance Primavera by Botticelli The Renaissance Essential

The Renaissance Primavera by Botticelli

The Renaissance Essential Questions What were the chief features of the Renaissance? 2. How would you describe the political world that existed in the Italian states and what role did women play? 3. What were the chief characteristics of Italian Renaissance humanism and how did it differ from Northern Italian humanism? 4. What were the chief achievements of Italian and Northern Renaissance painters? 1.

The Italian Renaissance l l l Renaissance means “rebirth” Began in Italy Lasted from 13501600 The classics from Greece and Rome were revived Spread throughout Europe Palazzo Della Signoria in Florence, Italy

Characteristics of the Italian Renaissance Urban society l Secular-worldly l Recovery from the disasters of the 14 th century l Black Death l Political disorder l Economic recession l l Siena, Italy Piazza del Campo New view of human beings and individual ability

The Italian States During the Middle Ages, Italy had failed to develop as a monarchy l Lack of single ruler made it possible for a number of city-states in northern and central Italy to remain independent l Prospered from trade l Exchanged good with the Byzantine and Islamic civilizations, England, and the Netherlands l Obtained silks, sugar, and spices to take back to Italy l

The Italian States: Milan l l l 14 th century-Visconti family established themselves as dukes of Milan and extend power all over Lombardy Last Visconti dies in 1447 Francesco Sforza (condottiere-leader of a band of mercenaries) conquers Milan and becomes duke Built a strong, centralized state Efficient tax system Duomo in Milan, Italy

The Italian States: Venice Grown wealthy from trading l Small group of merchantaristocrats ran the government on behalf of their own interests l Trade empire brought enormous revenues l Became an international power l San Marco in Venice, Italy

The Italian States: Florence l l l Dominated the region of Tuscany In 1434, Cosimo de’ Medici took control of the city The Medici kept the republic form of government, but ran it behind the scenes Cosimo and Lorenzo put supporters in offices to carry out their policies Florence was the cultural center of Italy Duomo in Florence, Italy

The Italian States l Rest of monarchial Europe was attracted to the riches of Italy l Italians turn to Spain for help l Southern Italy (the Kingdom of Naples) became a battleground for French and Spanish dominance l Spanish sack Rome in 1527 because they are not being paid l Ends wars and Renaissance in Italy

Machiavelli and the New Statecraft l l l Wrote The Prince Concerned with political power and how to get it and keep it Rejected the Middle Ages view that rulers ought to behave on Christian moral values Must be based on an understanding of human nature A ruler acts on behalf of the state, therefore, he should let his own conscience sleep Had a profound influence on political leaders in the Western world Machiavelli

The Making of Renaissance Society: Nobility Around 3 % of the population l Held political posts and advised Kings l Castiglione describe the perfect noble in his work l Isabella d’Este The Book of the Courtier l l l Born, not made Work to be a warrior Have a classical education Standards of conduct Serve his prince in an effective and honest way Pietro Medici

The Making of Renaissance Society: Peasants and Townspeople About 90% of the population l Serfdom declined and more peasants were becoming free l Townspeople were divided also l Patricians-wealthy traders, industry, and bankingdominated communities l Burghers-shopkeepers, artisans, guild membersmiddle class l Impoverished-unemployed, pitiful wages, 30 -40% pop. Moneychanger and his Wife by Quentin Massys l

The Making of Renaissance Society: Family and Marriage l l l l The Marriage of the Virgin by Raphael Parents carefully arranged marriages to strengthen business or family ties Details were worked out when children were 2 or 3 years old Legally binding Dowry-sum of the money given by the wife’s family to the husband upon marriage Father was the center of family Children became adults when they were legally freed Mother’s role was to supervise the household

Italian Renaissance Humanism l Humanism was an intellectual movement based upon the study of the classics l Humanists studied the liberal artsgrammar, rhetoric, poetry, philosophy, and history l Petrarch is considered the father of humanism-used pure classical Latin l Reflected the values of urban society l Put to the service of the state

Education in the Renaissance l Humanists wrote books and opened schools based on their ideas l l l l History Philosophy Rhetoric Poetry Astronomy Music Mathematics Johannes Gutenberg Some women did attend humanists schools, but were not taught rhetoric and mathematics Gutenberg’s Printing Press

Vernacular Language Vernacular-language spoken in their own regions l Geoffrey Chaucer’s l Canterbury Tales l l Dante’s Divine Comedy l l English Italian Began to compete with Latin l Eventually replaced it

The Artistic Renaissance in Italy Branccaci Tributo fresco by Masaccio Self Portrait by Leonardo da Vinci Dome of the duomo in Florence by Brunelleschi

The Artistic Renaissance in Italy l l l Fresco-painting done on fresh, wet plaster with water based paints Figures had the illusion of being three dimensional Two major achievements l l l Perspective Moverment and human anatomy Architects were inspired by the buildings of ancient Rome (San Lorenzo) School of Athens by Raphael Interior of San Lorenzo by Brunelleschi

The Artistic Renaissance in Italy l Mastery of techniques for a realistic portrayal of the world Da Vinci dissected human bodies to study anatomy l Move from painting realistic forms to ideal forms l Glorified the human body Pieta By Michelangelo Rome, Italy l Ospedale degli Innocenti Designed by Brunelleschi Florence, Italy

The Artistic Renaissance in Italy The Last Judgement By Michelangelo Sistine Chapel Rome, Italy

The Artistic Renaissance in Italy The Sistine Chapel Ceiling by Micelangelo

The Northern Artistic Renaissance l l Skilled in painting details Did not fully understand perspective Jan Van Eyck from Flanders Albrecht Durer from Germany Jan Van Eyck Albrecht Durer