1-2 pp. 40-43
2
Artists of the Northern Renaissance
The Northern Renaissance began in
Flanders which includes parts of
present day France, Belgium, and the
Netherlands. About 100 years later
Spain, France, Germany, and England
began to move into the Renaissance
period.
A “German Leonardo”
• Albrecht Durer [1471-1528]
went to Italy to study with the
Italian masters around 1494
• When he returned to Germany
he became famous for his
engravings [etched designs on
metal plates using acid, then
use this plate to make prints]
that depicted religious
upheaval
• Durer helped spread
Renaissance ideas in Germany
through art and essays,
because of his many talents he
is referred to as the “German
Leonardo”
Flemish Painters
• Jan [1385-1441] & Hubert [1366-1426] van Eyck
developed oil paints which allowed for more
vivid color and longer lasting paintings. They
were famous for their paintings of every day
people as well as religious events
• Pieter Bruegel [1525-1569] used vibrant colors to
paint scenes of peasant life. His work influenced
later Flemish artists
• 1600,s Peter Paul Rubens[1577-1640] blended
realistic tradition with classical themes, many of
his huge paintings portray pagan figures from
the past
Northern Humanists
2
Like their Italian counterparts,
northern humanists stressed
education and classical learning. At
the same time, they believed that
the revival of ancient learning
should be used to bring about
religious and moral reforms.
• Desiderius Erasmus was a Dutch
priest and humanist. H e produced a
new Greek addition of the New
Testament
• He translated the bible into the
vernacular [everyday language of
ordinary people] He hated the belief
of the CHURCH that the common
person shouldn’t read the bible
• People should be open minded and
good to others. He hated corruption
in the Church and called for reform.
• His writing “The Praise of Folly” used
humor to expose the ignorant and
immoral behavior of the people of his
day including church officials.
Erasmus
c. 1466-1536
Sir Thomas More
• Thomas More was an English
Humanist, and friend of
Erasmus, who worked toward
social reform.
• In “Utopia” More wanted to
create a society where no one
is idle, all are educated, and
justice is used to end crime
rather than to eliminate the
criminal. Thus UTOPIAN
means ideal society
1478-1535
Writers for a New Audience
• Scholars like More and Erasmus
wrote mostly in Latin. In northern
towns and cities, the growing middle
class demanded new works in the
vernacular. This audience particularly
enjoyed dramatic tales and earthy
comedies.
Rabelais
• Francois Rabelais
[1483-1553] was a
French Humanist who
was a monk,
physician, Greek
scholar, and author
• In “Gargantua and
Pantagruel” Rabelais
tells the story of two
giants. It is a comic
tale on the surface but
really shows Rabelais
views on religion,
education, and other
Shakespeare
[1564-1616]
• Obviously the most famous of
the Playwrights from the
Renaissance
• English, wrote 37 plays
between 1590-1616
• He wrote comedies, histories,
and dramas
• Shakespeare added around
1700 words to English
vocabulary bedroom, lonely,
generous, gloomy, heartsick,
hurry, and sneak.
• “Don Quixote” was
written by Miguel de
Cervantes [15471616] a Spanish
Renaissance author
• This tale mocks
romantic notions of
chivalry. It follows
the adventures of
Don Quixote, a
foolish knight and
his servant Sancho
Panza
Cervantes
The Printing Revolution
2
A printing revolution took place when:
In 1456, Johann Gutenberg [1397-1468] printed the Bible using
the first printing press and printing inks. He improved on the
paper and presses the far eastern civilizations had been using.
• Printed books were cheaper and easier to produce.
With books more readily available, more people
learned to read. Readers gained access to a broad
range of knowledge and ideas.
• This new knowledge may have been a key factor in the
religious changes that took place in the 1500’s