The Renaissance
What was the Renaissance?
The Renaissance was…
• A cultural movement that took place in
Europe from the 14th to the 16th centuries
• A rebirth of classical (ancient Greek and
Roman) art knowledge
• The (birth) beginning of the modern world
Where did the Renaissance begin?
The Renaissance began in Italy.
Why did the Renaissance begin in
Italy?
The Renaissance began in Italy
because…
• It had cities which allowed ideas to be shared
and spread quickly
• It had wealthy merchants, like the Medici
family, that served as patrons of the arts
• It’s location was ideal for the studying ancient
Greek and Roman art and literature
What were the characteristics of
Renaissance art?
Renaissance art…
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Was realistic
Glorified the human body
Increased the focus on individuals
Used perspective (shows 3 dimensions)
• Renaissance artists studied light, shadow, and
anatomy
Medieval
Art
http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/m/middleages.html
Medieval
Art
Medieval
Art
Renaissance Art
Medieval Art
Who were some of the most famous
Renaissance artists?
Some of the most famous Renaissance
artists were…
• Michelangelo (St. Peter’s Basilica, Sistine
Chapel, Statue of David)
• Leonardo da Vinci (Mona Lisa, Last Supper)
• Raphael (Madonna and Child, School of
Athens) Remember Raphael’s mom made him
go to school.
Sistine Chapel
St. Peter’s Basilica
Statue of David
Mona Lisa
The Last Supper
School of Athens
Madonna and Child
Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel
God Creating Man
St. Peter’s Basilica
Statue of David
Mona Lisa
The Last Supper
The Madonna and Child
The School of Athens
Who were some of the most famous
Renaissance writers?
Some famous Renaissance writers
were…
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Petrarch (father of humanism)
Boccacio (wrote “Decameron”)
Machiavelli (wrote “The Prince”)
Shakespeare
Erasmus (wrote “Praise of Folly”)
Thomas More (wrote “Utopia”)
What intellectual ideas are associated
with the Renaissance?
Humanism is an important
intellectual idea that developed
during the Renaissance.
What is humanism?
Humanism
• Was an intellectual movement that focused on ancient
Greek and Roman literature especially the writings of
Plato
• Was the study of human (individual) potential and
achievement
• Was the study of the five humanities: poetry, grammar,
philosophy, history, and rhetoric
• Contributed to the increase in individualism and
secularism
• Developed in response to scholasticism which focused
on the science and philosophy of ancient Greeks and
medieval Arabs especially the writings of Aristotle
Who were some of the most famous
humanists during the Renaissance?
Famous Humanists
• Petrarch was the father of humanism
• Desiderius Erasmus and Thomas More were
the most famous Christian humanists
What were the characteristics of
literature during the Renaissance?
Renaissance literature…
• Was written in the vernacular (common
language) instead of Latin
• Emphasized the individuality of their subjects
• Set trends that are followed by modern
writers