The Early Modern Period

“Early Modern”? (ca. 1500-1800)
 Followed
Middle Ages, post-classical period
 Traits in Europe
 Movement
toward secular state
 Divided Western Christianity
 Growing emphasis on science
 World
becoming more global, more dominated
by Europe
The Renaissance
(ca. 1300-1600)
The Renaissance

When you hear “The Renaissance”…
 What
do you think of?
 What do you understand it to be?
 Do we see it in culture at all?
Origins and Humanism

The Renaissance


“Rebirth”
Rebirth of what?



Culture and heritage of
Greco-Roman antiquity
Make antiquity model for
present
Italian Origins



Wealth
Remnants and ruins of
ancient world
Flourished throughout
peninsula
Origins and Humanism

Humanism
 Emphasized
study of form and content of classical
learning
 Goal: recapture culture of ancient world 
improvement of individuals and society
 Interests of Humanists



Liberal arts
Latin and Greek
Classical documents

“Ad fontes!”
Origins and Humanism

Francesco Petrarch
(1304-1374)
 Renowned
humanist
 Hated Middle Ages!
 Encouraged revival of
classical studies

Wrote in classical Latin


Africa
Searched for ancient
manuscripts
Origins and Humanism

Lorenzo Valla
(1407-1457)


Major humanist, linguist
On the False Donation of
Constantine (1444)


Response to Donation of
Constantine
Valla’s Observations


Latin here not used until
after Constantine
Exposed Donation as
early medieval fraud
Origins and Humanism

“Civic Humanism”
 Some
humanists became involved in public
affairs
 Literary talents  promote city
 Focused on morality and ethics as applied in
civic sphere
Goal: inspire “virtuous men” to take leading roles in
communities
 Follow examples of antiquity and Christianity

Origins and Humanism

Niccolò Machiavelli
(1469-1527)



Florentine chancellor
Met important international
leaders  “experience”
The Prince (1513)





Manual for despots on
gaining and holding power
Prince might have to be
immoral
Lion and the fox
“Virtue” in politics is
ambiguous!
“Political realism”
Origins and Humanism

Questions?
Italian Art and Architecture

Medieval Traditions
 Mostly
spiritual
iconography
 Paintings influenced
by Byzantine style



Stiff, solemn figures
Shallow, flat space
Golden skies!
 Gothic
architecture
Madonna and Child (early 13th cent.)
Italian Art and Architecture

Renaissance Art

Artists’ goals






Imitate nature
LINEAR PERSPECTIVE
Revive classical idealism
Capture sense of
“individual”
Secular iconography
GIOTTO (ca. 1266-1337)


Pre-Renaissance painter
Greatest paintings: Arena
Chapel, Padua (1304-06)
Italian Art and Architecture
Italian Art and Architecture
The Lamentation, Arena Chapel
Italian Art and Architecture

Donatello (1386-1466)


Studied classical statues in
Rome
David (1428-1432)

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
Bronze
First freestanding, lifesized nude since antiquity
Renaissance Traits



Based on classical nude
male
Movement
Calm, ideal beauty
Italian Art and Architecture
Marcus Aurelius (ca. 175)
Donatello, Il Gattamelata (1453)
Padua, Italy
Italian Art and Architecture

Leonardo (1452-1519)



Student of nature, genius
Quintessential
“Renaissance man”
The Mona Lisa
(1503-05)




Portrait of Florentine
merchant’s wife Donna
Lisa
Individualized, yet
idealized!
Ambiguous smile!
One of Leonardo’s favorite
works
Italian Art and Architecture

The Last Supper (ca. 1495-98)



Mural
Subject: announcement of coming betrayal of Christ, Last Supper
Renaissance traits


Perspective
Individuality
Italian Art and Architecture
Embryo in the Womb (ca. 1510)
The Virtruvian Man (1490)
Italian Art and Architecture

Michelangelo
(1475-1564)



Renaissance man
Difficult character!
The Pietà (ca. 1500)


Subject: Virgin Mary
cradling dead Christ after
crucifixion
Renaissance traits


Appreciation for human
body, drapery of clothing
Virgin Mary is idealized,
youthful
Italian Art and Architecture

David (1501-04)
 Huge!
 Important



traits
Pent-up energy
Visage is tense,
psychological insight
Demonstrates
knowledge of human
body
Italian Art and Architecture
Vaulted Ceiling, Sistine Chapel (1508-12)
Italian Art and Architecture
The Creation of Adam (1508-12)
Italian Art and Architecture

S. Andrea, Mantua
(ca. 1470)
 Medieval
church,
required new façade
 Architect: Alberti
 Additions


Temple front
Triumphal arch
Façade, S. Andrea
Italian Art and Architecture

Dome, Florence Cathedral
(1420-1436)


Construction of cathedral
began ca. 1296 (Gothic)
Building was incomplete


Engineering problems  no
dome
Brunelleschi (1377-1446)
commissioned


Dome, S. Maria del Fiore,
Florence
Studied classical
monuments and
architecture of Rome
Resolved engineering
problems  created most
celebrated dome since
antiquity
Italian Art and Architecture
Cathedral dome was largest in western
Europe since Pantheon!
Italian Art and Architecture

Questions?
The Northern Renaissance
The Northern Renaissance

The Printing Press

Moveable lead type
developed ca. 1450



Attributed to Johann
Gutenberg
Can now print many
copies of a book
Huge impact on Europe



Ideas spread rapidly
Increased literacy
Books now cheaper
The Northern Renaissance

Northern Humanism
 Classics
 “Christian
Humanism”
 Religious reform
The Northern Renaissance

Erasmus of Rotterdam
(1466-1536)
 Dutch
 “Prince
of Humanists”
 Projects


Praise of Folly (1511)
Critical edition of Greek
New Testament (1516)
The Northern Renaissance

Sir Thomas More
(1478-1535)



English lawyer and lord
chancellor
Very spiritual
Humanist


Wrote history
UTOPIA (1516)


First part: criticism of
political-social abuses
Second part: description
of social arrangements
at ideal island of Utopia
The Northern Renaissance

Northern Art

Interest in oil painting



Vibrant color
Minute detail
Jan van Eyck (ca. 1390-1441)


Flemish
The Arnolfini Portrait (1434)



Portrait of Italian banker and
his betrothed
Detail and depth
Spiritual symbolism
The Northern Renaissance

The English Language


Major changes throughout
its history
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
(d. 1616)



Playwright, London
Greatest English writer
Plays


37!
Many set in Roman and
English past
The Northern Renaissance
1990
1996
The Northern Renaissance

Questions?