Beginnings of the Modern
World, 1300-1800
Section 1: Italy – Birthplace of the
Renaissance
SOL WHII.2b, WHII. 2e
Main Ideas
• The Italian Renaissance was a
rebirth of learning that produced
many great works of art and
literature.
• The new intellectual and artistic
ideas that developed during the
Renaissance marked the beginning
of the modern world.
The Middle Ages
• Europe suffered from war and the
plague during the Middle Ages. Those
who lived through it wanted to
celebrate… and some began to
question the Church.
• In Northern Italy, writers and artists
began to express this new spirit and to
experiment with different styles.
The Renaissance
• This movement that started in Italy
caused an explosion of creativity in
art, writing and thought that lasted
from 1300 to 1600.
• This was called the Renaissance.
The term means “rebirth.” It referred
to a revival of art and learning.
THE RENAISSANCE…
Rebirth of Greek and Roman classic culture
• Q: What are classics?
Classics = ideas of Ancient Greece and Rome
Greek Architecture – ex: Parthenon
Roman sculpture
Established in Italian city-states
City-states were wealthy from trade.
Birth of the “modern” world c. 1350-1600
• less superstition
• sports, art, music important
• education, literature encouraged
• study of history & science
Italian artists:
Michelangelo & Da Vinci
The Renaissance and ART
• Leonardo da Vinci
– (1452-1519)
– Painter, sculptor, inventor
and a scientist.
– Wrote his ideas in
notebooks…backwards,
could be read in a mirror.
– Painted the Mona Lisa and
The Last Supper.
– Only 17 of his paintings
survive.
The Renaissance and ART
The Renaissance and ART
The Renaissance and ART
• Michelangelo Buonarroti
– (1475-1564)
– Painters began to paint
prominent citizens
– Realistic portraits
– He was a painter, sculptor,
architect and poet.
– Famous for the way he
portrayed the human body
in painting and sculpture.
The Renaissance and ART
Michelangelo…
Statue of David – over 18
feet tall!
Sistine Chapel ceiling paintings
Took four years to complete
The Renaissance and ART
Michelangelo…
Michelangelo
designed the
dome of St. Peter's
Basilica, although
it was unfinished
when he died.
Renaissance spreads from Italy to Europe
Drawing of the printing press… p.50
Theater: Shakespeare wrote plays and sonnets
Humanism – Erasmus is most famous
The Renaissance
• The study of classical texts during the
Renaissance led to humanism, an
intellectual movement that focused on
human potential and achievements.
• People started to study history,
literature, and philosophy. These
subjects are called the humanities.