The Renaissance:
Italian & Northern
Ms. Allen
World History II
2015-16
Part 1: The
Italian
Renaissance
• Renaissance – “rebirth”
–Renewed interest in Greek and
Roman styles and methods in the
Humanities
study human culture,
includes ancient &
modern languages,
literature, philosophy,
religion, visual and
performing arts, music,
theater, social sciences
like history, anthropology,
cultural studies, law
The Renaissance Beginnings
Why Italy?
–Home to ruins of the Roman Empire
–Crusades and trade with Byzantine
Empire
–Trade with Asia and Africa
–Rich Italian city-states
–Medici Family (patrons of the Arts)
Humanism
• Theory that emphasizes human reason
and scientific inquiry and deemphasizes
the importance of religious focus
• Study of the Humanities (philosophy, art,
literature, etc.)
Italian Renaissance: Writers
• Francesco Petrarch
– One of 1st Humanists and
proponent of classical writers
• Niccolo Machiavelli
– Diplomat and historian
– Wrote “The Prince”
– Government should be realistic
and practical without much
concern for morals
Italian Renaissance: Art
• Realistic and lifelike images were a
contrast to “other worldly” art of
Medieval times
• Perspective- technique making distant
objects smaller than those in the
foreground (front); create illusion of
depth on a flat surface
– This makes painting have a three-dimensional
(3D) element
“The School of Athens” by
Raphael
Italian Renaissance: Art
• Secular vs. non-secular art
– Secular = religious
– Non-secular  must be the opposite
– Describes Renaissance paintings with NO religions
connotations or meanings
Italian Renaissance: Artists
Leonardo da Vinci
- “Renaissance Man” (architect, engineer,
painter, sculptor, and scientist)
- science influencing art  realistic figures
- “The Last Supper” and “Mona Lisa”
Italian Renaissance: Artists
Michelangelo
- Sistine Chapel (at the
Vatican)
- sculptures such as
“David”
Raphael
- known for
paintings/depictions
of Mary
“Pieta” - Michelangelo
“Madonna del
Granduca” - Raphael
Niccolo Machiavelli
• READING
Part 2: The Northern
Renaissance
• Renaissance spreads from Italy through the
Alps and rivers of Europe (Danube, Rhine)
• New universities
• PRINTING PRESS – Johannes Gutenberg
(Germany) was 1st European to use movable
type to print books
- What book do you think was printed the most?
The Bible
Northern Renaissance: Writers
• Desiderius Erasmus
– Interested in Early Christian and Greek/Roman
periods
– “Praise of Folly” – criticisms of Christian faith
• Thomas More
– “Utopia” (imaginary, ideal society)
– Executed for not going along with King Henry VIII’s
annulment request and recognizing Henry as the
head of the church
Northern Renaissance: Artists
• Jan and Hubert van Eyck
–Attention to detail and facial
expression
–More realistic than symbolic
The Ghent Alterpiece
“Giovanni Arnolfini and
his wife” by van Eyck
Northern Renaissance: Artists
• Peter Brueghel
–Scenes of village dances and festivals
–Used paintings to criticize intolerance
• Albrecht Durer
–Copper engravings and woodcuts
“Peasant Wedding” –
Pieter Brueghel
“Adoration of the Magi” –
Albrecht Durer
Who is this?
• HOW DO YOU THINK HE
RELATES TO THE
RENAISSANCE?
• HOW MANY DIFFERENT
JOBS DOES HE HAVE/HAS
HE HAD?
Sean John Combs
Puff Daddy, Diddy, P. Diddy
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Rapper
Record Producer
Actor
Entrepreneur – Clothing line of Sean
John
Founded Bad Boy Records
Won 3 Grammy’s
Producer of MTV’s Making the Band
Movie Production Company
Owned two restaurants
Worth about $550 M