Italy: Birthplace of
the Renaissance
Italy’s Advantages
• The Renaissance began in Italy
– Spread through Europe
• From 1300 – 1600
• Means rebirth
– The revival of art and learning
– Hoped to bring back the culture of classical Greece and Rome
• Led to new styles of art and literature
• Importance of the individual
Three Advantages of Italy
• Thriving cities
–Northern Italy had large cities
• Vs rest of Europe which was rural
–Wealthy from overseas trade
–After the plague, fewer laborers and less business
• Merchants pursued other interests, such as art
Merchants and the Medici
• Wealthy merchant class developed
–Dominated politics
–Did not inherit social rank
• City of Florence controlled by powerful banking family,
the Medici
• Ruled as dictators
Lorenzo de Medici
(aka Lorenzo the
Magnificent)
Looking to Greece and Rome
• Renaissance scholars wanted to return to the learning
of Greeks and Romans
–Inspired by the Roman ruins in Italy
–Western scholars studied ancient Latin
manuscripts that were preserved in monasteries
–Christian scholars fled to Rome with Greek
manuscripts after Turks conquered Constantinople
Renaissance scholar
Classical and Worldly Values
• A new outlook on life and art
• Led to humanism, an intellectual movement that focused on
human potential and achievements
– Vs. Medieval scholars, who focused on Christian teaching
• Influenced artists and writers to focus on classical traditions
• Subjects of classical learning – history, literature and
philosophy (the “humanities”)
Worldly Pleasures
• Humanists believed a person could enjoy life
without offending God
• Although most people were devout Catholics,
Renaissance life was secular – concerned with life
here and now rather than the spiritual (religious)
world
• Wealthy people lived lavishly
Patrons of the Arts
• Church leaders and wealthy merchants spent huge
amounts of money for art
–Became patrons 0f the arts – someone who
financially support artists
• Donated art to cities to show how important they were
The Renaissance Man
• The ideal individual strove to master every
area of study, including creating art
–A man who excelled in many fields is a
“Renaissance man”
–Should be educated in classics, dance,
sing, play music and write poetry
The Renaissance Woman
• Upper-class woman should also know the classics
• Were expected to inspire art, but not create it
• Little political influence
The Renaissance Revolutionizes Art
• Artistic styles changed
– More realistic style copied from Greeks and Romans
– Used new technique of perspective – showing three
dimensions on a flat surface (objects that are further away
are smaller)
Use of perspective in Renaissance painting
Medieval
painting lacks
perspective
Realistic painting and sculpture
• Emphasis on individuals led to paintings of prominent
citizens (rather than only religious subjects)
• More realistic depiction of human body
–Michelangelo – painter
• Sculpture showed people in natural positions and
expressions that reveal personality
–Donatello – sculptor (“David”)
Painting by
Michelangelo
1508
Leonardo da Vinci
• A Renaissance man: painter, sculptor, inventor,
and scientist
• Painted the “Mona Lisa”
• Painted “The Last Supper”
Raphael Advances Realism
• Favorite subjects was Madonna and child
• Greatest achievement was “The School of Athens”,
showing some Renaissance figures as classical
philosophers and their students
“The School of Athens”
A Few Italian Women Painters
• Anguissola – known for her portraits of her sisters and
of famous people
• Gentileschi – painted strong, heroic women
Painting by
Artemisia
Gentileschi
Renaissance Writers Change Literature
• Wrote in vernacular (native language), rather than Latin
• Wrote for self-expression or to portray the individuality of their
subjects
• Petrarch – writer considered father of humanism; wrote poetry
• Boccaccio – wrote the Decameron - series of realistic stories –
humorous with tragedy and comedy
• Vittoria Colonna – woman writer
• Machiavelli – wrote The Prince, explaining how a ruler should
gain and keep power, by sometimes lying or tricking the people
for the good of the state