The Renaissance
1300-1600
After the Black Death
• Population of N. Europe begins to recover
• Cities are growing
• Urban merchants become wealthy and
sponsor artists.
Renaissance Beginning
Everyone used to be VERY religious, but too many
were suffering and dying! Started to pull away from
the church
Looking to SECULAR (worldly) ideals of the here and
now vs. life after death
Begin studying HUMANISM: study of human
potential & achievement
The Renaissance Begins in Italy
• Explosion of creativity in Europe 
Renaissance or “rebirth” of art & learning
• Italy had 3 Advantages:
Thriving cities
Rich merchant class (like the Medici family in
Florence)
o Classical heritage of Greece and Rome
o
o
New Values
• Humanism- focus on human potential
and achievement instead of Christian
teachings
• Enjoyment of Life including good food,
nice clothes
• Patrons of the arts- the wealthy spend
money on the arts
What is a Renaissance Man?
• A person who mastered many
fields of study
• Sculptor
• Painter
• Philosopher
• Educator
New Techniques in Art - Painting
• Realistic portraits and sculptures- very
human like
• Perspective- 3 dimensions, Distant objects
are smaller
New Techniques in ArtSculptures
• Study of human anatomy to paint and sculpt
better
• More natural postures and expressions
The Artists of the Renaissance
Donatello
• DONATELLO: sculptor and painter;
Revealed personality in his art
One of the first to do a nude statue
First bronze statue of St. Louis of Toulouse
The Artists of the Renaissance
Leonardo
LEONARDO DA VINCI: painter, sculptor,
inventor, & scientist  a true “Renaissance Man”
• Mona Lisa
• The Last Supper
The Artists of the Renaissance
MICHELANGELO
• MICHELANGELO: sculptor and painter
• Sistine Chapel
• Statue of David
The Artists of the Renaissance
Raphael
• RAPHAEL studied from Michelangelo
• and Leonardo; painter
• Madonna and Child
• School of Athens
The Renaissance Moves North
Why?
• Italian artists flee Italy and move north
because Italy gets invaded
• Wealthy merchants in the north begin
to be patrons of the arts
How was the art different?
• Northern artists focused on religion and
social reform
Northern Renaissance Artists
• Albrecht Durer- German artistwoodcuts and engravings
• Hans Holbein- German artistportrait painter
• Jan van Eyck- Flemish painter who
used oil-based paints
Printing Spreads Renaissance
Ideas
• JOHANN GUTENBERG: reinvents
moveable type & comes up with printing
press
• Gutenberg Bible: first full size book printed
• Can produce hundreds of copies
• Encouraged people to learn to read!
• RISE IN LITERACY & IDEAS SPREAD
FASTER
The Writers of the Renaissance
• They use vernacular- native or local
language
ERASMUS:
The Praise of Folly – said to improve society,
all should study Bible
THOMAS MORE:
Utopia – imaginary land inhabited by peaceful
people; no use for money
The Writers of the Renaissance
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Greatest playwright of all time:
sonnets, plays, essays
Romeo and Juliet
Hamlet
Othello
Macbeth
Midsummer Night’s Dream
Julius Caesar
King Lear
Videos
William Shakespeare Horrible Histories
The Renaissance: Was it a Thing? - Crash Course
World History