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Main Idea
I. Italian Renaissance-Beginning
Details
A. Florence
1. City-State
a. A city that with its surrounding
territory forms an independent
state with different laws and ways
of life.
b. There were numerous Italian
city-states.
2. Known as the birthplace of the Italian
Renaissance.
a. renaissance is a French word
meaning rebirth- new beginning
b. Renaissance: The revival of art
and literature under the influence
of classical models in the
14th–16th centuries (1300s-1500s).
c. It was a rebirth of culture
1. Culture is a way of life for people
in an area.
2. Includes religion, education,
food, clothing, and all parts of
living in an area.
3. Produced most of the major artists of
the Renaissance.
a. Leonardo da Vinci
b. Michelangelo
4. In the 1400s many wealthy bankers
and traders called Florence home.
5. The city-state was controlled by the
Medici family who were patrons of the
arts.
a. Patrons are people who financially
support the arts.
B. Medici Family
1.The city-state of Florence was
ruled by the Medicis.
a. They were wealthy bankers and
traders.
2. The Medici Family ruled over Florence
from 1434 to 1737- at this time, the
country was very prosperous
3. The Medici Bank was the most
important financial institution of the
15th Century.
4. Cosimo Medici
a. Cosimo was the founder of one of
the main lines of the Medici Family
that ruled over Florence from 1434
to 1537.
b. He became the uncrowned ruler of
Florence, and during his reign
Florence was very prosperous.
1. reign is a period of time a person
rules.
2. Cosimo (first main ruler) was
uncrowned because
he believed the only king was
one who wore a crown of thorns.
5. Lorenzo Medici- grandson of Cosimo
a. Lorenzo was a patron of the arts
b. he was responsible for supporting
talents such as Botticelli,
Michelangelo, and the young Da
Vinci.
c. Was called “Lorenzo the
Magnificent.”
d. Was not as successful as his
grandfather Cosimo, and was
considered a tyrant.
1. Cruel and unreasonable ruler.
C. Humanism
1. Humanism is an intellectual
movement at the heart of the
Renaissance that focused on
education and the classic time of
Greece and Rome.
2. The importance of the individual was
also emphasized.
a. In other words, every person was
important.
3. Focus was on the secular world.
a. Life outside of the church and the
clergy.
1. Clergy refers to ordained
leaders of a church.
4. This focus on the secular part of life
led to inventions, new discoveries,
and a new painting style called
perspective.
a. Artistic technique used to give
paintings and drawings a
three-dimensional effect
b. Perspective can make the object
your drawing look more realistic.
5. A person who practices and believes
in the ideals of humanism is a
humanist.
6. From the study of classical Greece
and Rome, the humanities were
studied.
a. Subjects such as literature,
philosophy, poetry, rhetoric, AND
history.
7. Francesco Petrarch was “the Father
of humanism.”
a. Is mostly remembered for his
poetry.
b. Many of his poems are directed to
a woman named Laura, whom he
was in love with.
II Art
A. Leonardo da Vinci
A. Humanist artists showed humanism by
painting and sculpting figures from the
present, not religious figures from the
past.
1. Professions
a. He had many professions
b. Such as a painter, scientist, architect,
sculptor, musician, mathematician,
writer, inventor, botanist, engineer, and
geologist
3. Art
a. Mona Lisa: a Florentine woman with a
sleek smile on her face. Displayed in
Louvre in Paris. Da Vinci’s largest
contribution to Renaissance.
b. Last Supper: religious piece that
shows Jesus and his disciples the day
before the crucifixion.
1. Painted on the wall of Santa Maria
delle Grazie dining hall.
2. Da Vinci used different kind of paint
(oil)
which lead it to decay over time.
c. Vitruvian Man: famous study of human
proportions based on the statement of
the Roman architect Vitruvius that the
'well-shaped man' fits into the perfect
shapes of the square and circle."
(proportions)
d. Perspective is shown in numerous
paintings of the Renaissance.
1. It is defined in notes above under
Humanism.
4. Inventions
a. Flying Machines
1. In his journals he has sketches of
machines that allow humans to ‘fly’.
2. He also drew sketches of
helicopters and parachutes.
b. Water Machines
1. He drew submarines, but refused
to share it with the world.
2. He thought they would be used for
evil rather than good.
3. He studied properties of water in
motion and density.
c. Other Machines
1. He drew machines that resemble
the modern tank.
2. He drew machines that are now
like the machine gun
d. Is famous for his notebooks that still
exist today.
1. Contain many of his sketches of
inventions and other interests such .
as art and science.
5. Was fascinated with the human body.
a. Studied anatomy frequently.
b. Could be considered the first medical
examiner.
B. Michelangelo
1. Early Years
a. He grew up in Florence and his mother
died at the age of 6.
b. When he was 13 Michelangelo was
apprenticed to the most famous
painter in Florence, Domenico
Ghirlandaio
1. After a year with him, Michelangelo
was given the opportunity to live
with the Medici Family in Florence.
2. He was advised by a sculptor who
looked after the Medici’s Ancient
Roman Sculptures.
2. Art
a. Mural on the Ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel
1. 1508: Michelangelo was asked
by Pope Julius II to architecturally
design and paint this ceiling
2. Work felt 3-dimensional
3. Includes 9 stories from book of
Genesis in the Bible and 12
prophets (Creation- Great Flood)
4. Took 4 years to complete
5. Had to lie on his back to complete
his work, at the end of the process
6. Paint dripped into his eyes,
sometimes
7. felt pressure from the patron
b. Last Judgement
a. On Altar Wall of Sistine Chapel.
b. Asked by Pope Paul III, after
Michelangelo returned to Rome.
3. Sculpture:
a. Bacchus
1. Michelangelo’s first surviving large
statue, made in Rome in 1496,
finished in 1497
b. Pietà
1. In 1498 The Bacchus led to the
commission for the Pieta, finished
in 1499 and placed in St. Peter’s
Basilica (Rome)
2. The Pieta was the first large-scale
sculpture by Michelangelo
3. Scene of Mary holding the crucified
Jesus in her arms
c. David
1. Commission made in 1501
2. This sculpture, to this day, is used
as the main example of the
Renaissance ideal of perfect
humanity
3. David was the main boost of
Michelangelo’s career, and is
possibly his most famous work
d. Tomb of Pope Julius
1. Pope Julius II had commissioned
him to paint the Sistine chapel in
1508, and in 1513 he died.
2. When Michelangelo finished the
Sistine Chapel, he began the tomb
for Pope Julius II
3. On the tomb he carved three
figures, Moses (the centerpiece)
and two prisoners
4. Tomb placed in the Vatican
4. Architecture
a. Michelangelo’s interest in architecture
was sparked from working on many
sculptures that required architecture
to execute.
b. Mannerism
1. His style of architecture influenced a
period of art called Mannerism
ranging from 1510- 1600.
a. This is when art was diverging
from the traditional classicism of
Ancient Greece and Rome
b. Into art that used exaggerated
proportions and unusual scale
and lighting
c. Created images focused on
beauty, not just natural images.
c. San Lorenzo Church:
1. Michelangelo spent much of his
career on this church.
a. It is the main church of the
Medici Family, located in
Florence, Italy.
b. Constructed in 1418
d. The New Sacristy:
1. 1519-1533
2. Cardinal Giulio de’ Medici
commissioned to house the
tombs of his recently deceased
relatives.
3. The architecture is stone used
with traditional Florentine
designs around the two tombs
on the first two stories
4. With tabernacle windows that
join as they go up.
5. Completed with a grand dome
on top made to bring in more
light.
6. A Sacristy is a chapel where
the priest prepares for service.
e. The Laurentian Library:
1. Cardinal Giullo de’ Medici also
commissioned in 1523 to house
the library of his uncle, Lorenzo
the Magnificent.
2. The Library has two rooms, the
vestibule (entrance hall) and the
reading room.
a. It is built above where the
priests live.
3. Michelangelo did not finish the
work on this project because in
1527 the Medici Family was
kicked out of Florence, and
Michelangelo fled to Rome.
f. Saint Peter’s Basilica:
1. Located in Vatican City, a country
within Rome.
2. Most significant feature of church is
the dome, built by Michelangelo.
3. Originally architect Donato
Bramante which Michelangelo
redesigned later.
4. His dome served as a model for
many other famous structures in
history, such as the US Capitol
building in Washington, DC.
C. Raphael
1. Early Years
a. He was trained by his father originally,
but his father died when Raphael was
11.
b. Raphael became an apprentice of
Perugino in Perugia, Italy at the age of
16.
c. He used Perugino’s art style for his
altar pieces The Crucifixion, The
Coronation of the Virgin, and The
Marriage of the Virgin.
d. He was an apprentice for four years.
2. Famous For
a. Raphael was most famous for his
painting “Transfiguration”.
b. Another one of his famous paintings
was “School of Athens”
c. his other popular one was the
“Sistine Madonna”.
d. He also became well known after
painting the private library of Pope
Julius II.
e. Painted numerous works of the
Madonna and Madonna with child.
D. Donatello
1. Early Years
a. Donatello was born in Florence Italy
in 1386.
1. His early sculptures were David
(out of marble) and
Orsanmichele.
b. David was made in 1408 and
Orsanmichele was made in 1414.
2. Famous For
a.His most famous sculptures were St
John the Evangelist and David.
b. First person to do a sculpture of a
lifesize person on horseback.
c. His different realistic but classical
style of art.
III Architecture
A. Filippo Brunelleschi
1. He was the first modern architect of
the Renaissance, and he rediscovered
linear perspective, since all knowledge
of it was lost with the Greeks and
Romans.
a. Linear perspective makes art
appear to have space and distance
on a flat surface.
2. Filippo’s most famous structure was il
duomo (the dome) of the Cathedral of
Santa Maria del Fiore.
a. It is very large, and it is made of
spiraling brickwork.
b. The dome was made without
scaffolding or flying buttresses
which meant there was nothing
inside.
1. So instead he created 2 domes
to lower the pressure and
prevent the dome from
collapsing.
2. He used hoists and cranes of
his own design.
3. He also designed buildings such as
the Santo Spirito and the Ospedale
degli Innocenti (hospital of the
innocents).
a. The first buildings to have the
design of arches supported by
columns.
IV. Writing
A. Niccolo Machiavelli
1. Niccolo’s most famous book called
The Prince published in 1513.
2. A famous quote that is still used today
comes from ideas written in the book.
a. “The End Justifies the Means”
3. The “End Justifies the means” means
as a ruler in order to gain power you
must do what you have to do, maybe
even killing another
a. The greatest example of someone
who would follow this is a ruler
B. Baldassare Castiglione
1. Wrote The Courtier published in 1528
a. Translated into many languages
such as Spanish, Latin, English, and
German.
b. About the Royal court, and manners in
the royal court, also wrote about the
ideal man.
1. Characteristics of ideal man
were:
a. Athletic, Good at games,
plays musical instrument,
knows literature and history, NOT
ARROGANT.
V. Northern European Renaissance
(Beginning)
B. Art
A. The Great Plague
1. The plague wiped out about one-third
of the population of Europe.
2. Also knows as the Black Death
3. Was a reason for the late start of
Renaissance in the rest of Europe
compared to Italy.
1. Albrecht Durer
a. Early Years
1. In his early years, Durer worked in
his father’s gold-smithing shop.
a. He drew his first self portrait at
age 13 and worked towards a
life out of Germany to travel to
Venice, Italy early on.
b. Art
1. He travelled around Germany to
gain art experience as soon as his
father let him out of his shop.
a. He gained knowledge of art from
historians and got enough
knowledge to know what he
should do.
b. He is known as the German
Leonardo because of his wide
interests and he studied Italian
artists.
2. He is famous for his self portraits
a. In some paintings he makes
himself appear to look like Jesus
Christ.
c. Engravings
1.After he finished up his paintings, he
moved on to something called
engravings.
a. Engravings are where you
take a slab of wood about an
inch thick, and you carve a
design into it with a knife.
b. Then you filled the lines with
ink and put a sheet of
durable paper on the top.
c. Then you press the paper
down with a stone so the
ink makes an impression.
d.Two examples of his
engravings were Meloncolia
and Adam and Eve.
2. This was Durer’s passion that he is
remembered for.
2. Jan Van Eyck
a. In the 1400s Jan van Eyck was one
of the most important Flemish
painters.
b. He portrayed townspeople as well as
religious scenes abound with rich,
realistic details.
c. Van Eyck painted with tempera, which
was a medium that is made with egg.
d. He helped make oil paints popular by
using them often in his paintings.
1. He used much detail and care
when it came to adding light and
small details.
e. After his death, many people
recreated his artwork.
f. His most famous piece of art was the
altar-piece for the St. Bavon Cathedral.
g. Van Eyck was most likely very well
educated, because despite the fact
from learning mainly Latin and Dutch,
he used Hebrew and Greek letters in
his painting.
1. He also had the geographical
knowledge to paint a map.
3. El Greco
a. El Greco’s real name is Dominekos
Theotokopoulos.
b. He traveled to Venice and studied the
works of a few Italian artists.
c. In 1570 when El Greco traveled to
Rome, he studied with Michelangelo,
and Rafael.
d. His most famous painting is the Burial
of the Count of Orgaz.
1. Took El Greco two years to finish.
2. In this painting you can clearly see
El Greco’s many different
influences such as the vibrant
colors of the Venetian
artists, important people of
the Renaissance, and the crowding
of figures which is a style of
European art that originated in
Italy.
e. El Greco started art in 1560 when he
was 19 years old
f. El Greco got his name when he
traveled to Venice
1. Venetians could not pronounce
Dominekos Theotokopoulos,
therefore they nicknamed him El
Greco, which means the greek.
C. Printing Press
1. Johann Gutenberg-German
a. An inventor/ craftsman
1. Created the movable type printing
press
b. Printed first complete edition of the
bible in about 1455
c. Books used to be written and copied
by hand
1. Only a few thousand books
2. Very inefficient
3. Books were expensive because of
the long time it took to write
d. He was working on letterpress-mold
for each letter that could be put into
sentences.
e. Wanted to speed up printing process
and replace handwriting
f. After making the press, he became
partners with a wealthy man named
Johann Fust
1. first wanted to create the bible
since it would sell many copies
g. Quickly spread Renaissance ideas
throughout Europe.
h. It is considered one of the greatest
inventions of all time.
D. Humanism
1. Difference with Italian
a. Emphasis on religious reform
2. Humanities vs. Humanism vs. Humanists
a. Humanism- an intellectual movement
at the heart of the Renaissance that
focused on education and the classics.
b. Humanities- the subjects of grammar,
rhetoric, poetry, and history
1. Humanities were important to
humanists.
c. Humanists- people who believed in
humanism and the humanities.
3. Desiderius Erasmus
a. He was born in Holland.
b. Family very religious
c. Parents died from plague in 1479 and
his brother Peter and him were sent to
a monastery
1. He thought monks ruler were unfair.
d. He was later ordained a priest.
e. He was a humanist and wrote several
books including The Praise of Folly.
1. He pokes fun at the church in this
book.
2. Says the behavior of the clergy was
immoral.
a. Making wrong decisions and
setting a poor example.
f. Martin Luther asked him to be a part
reforming the church but he declined.
1. Some historians criticize Erasmus
for not joining with Luther, since
Erasmus had complaints against
the church.
g. Translated the Bible into vernacular
because he believed everyone should
be able to read it.
1. Everyday common language
spoken by people. Not Latin
4. Sir Thomas More
a. He was a humanist writer.
b. More was a friend of Erasmus and
wrote A book called Utopia in 1516
1. The book describes an “ideal”
society where everyone lives
together in peace.
c. Now the word Utopia is used to
describe perfect societies, but it is
implied that the idea is certainly
impractical.
d. In the ideal place there is no crime,
everyone has a job, and it is peaceful.
e.He started writing Utopia in Antwerp,
Belgium on a diplomatic mission in
1515.
f. More was beheaded on July 6th, 1535
for refusing support the marriage of
Henry VIII to his second wife.
E. Writers
1. William Shakespeare
a. Born at the end of the renaissance
1. Northern Renaissance writer
38 plays, 154 sonnets- short poems
often written in free verse- poetry
that doesn’t necessarily have to
rhyme
2. Importance
a. Added numerous words and
phrases to the english
vocabulary.
b. Had women in lead roles in his
plays and showcased many
different kinds of characters.
c.Wrote comedies and historical
tragedies
d. Changed the way plays were
written and acted
e. Elizabethan London, where
there was a high demand for the
arts
f. Wrote in easy to understand
language, expanding the world of
theater beyond only the rich and
well-taught.
2. Miguel de Cervantes
a. Spanish writer
b. Wrote Don Quixote
1. A play about knights during
Medieval Times.
2. Pokes fun at chivalry
a. A code of conduct that knights
lived by.