Name: _________________________
Core: 1 2 3 4
The Renaissance
Directions: Use p. 154-157 of your Medieval Times text to answer these questions.
Where in Europe did the Renaissance begin? Why did it begin
there?
How did the Renaissance combine old ideas with new ideas?
Now on the other side of this sheet, read about the
Renaissance artists who inspired the Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles. List four things you learn about them,
beginning with the letters TMNT.
T
M
How was Renaissance art different from the art of the Middle
Ages?
N
How did Renaissance art represent the new ideas of the age?
T
The REAL Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles of the Renaissance
Leonardo
da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci was an artist, scientist, and inventor during
the Italian Renaissance. He is considered by many to be one of
the most talented and intelligent people of all time. The term
Renaissance Man was coined from Leonardo's many talents and
is today used to describe people who resemble da Vinci in their
ability to do many things very well. The Last Supper and Mona
Lisa are among his greatest artistic achievements. Besides
being an artist, da Vinci was an inventor. He sketched early
forms of a helicopter, tank, musical instruments, calculators. He
was also an expert on the anatomy of the human body.
Michelangelo
Michelangelo was a famous Renaissance artist,
sculptor, poet, and architect. He is regarded as one
of the finest painters of the Renaissance period.
Michelangelo is most famous for painting the Sistine Chapel and
carving the statue of David.
In 1508, Michelangelo was working on a prestigious commission,
the tomb of Pope Julius II. Shortly after he began work on the
tomb, however, Pope Julius suddenly changed his mind. He
asked Michelangelo to stop sculpting and start painting the
ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which is very close to St. Peter’s
Basilica. The artist resisted at first, but eventually agreed to the
Pope’s wishes. Little did he know that his painted ceiling would
become one of the most recognized works of are ever.
Donatello
Born in Florence, Italy, around 1386, sculptor Donatello
apprenticed early with well-known sculptors and quickly
learned the Gothic style. Before he was 20, he was
receiving commissions for his work. Over his career he
developed a style of lifelike, highly emotional sculptures and a
reputation second only to Michelangelo's. His style incorporated
the new science of perspective, which allowed the sculptor to
create figures that occupied measurable space. Before this time,
European sculptors used a flat background upon which figures
were placed. Donatello also drew heavily from reality for
inspiration in his sculptures, accurately showing suffering, joy
and sorrow in his figures’ faces and body positions.
Raphael or Raffaello
Raphael was an Italian master painter and
architect of the Florentine school in High
Renaissance, celebrated for the perfection and grace of his
paintings. He is most well-known for his Madonnas and his work
in the Vatican.
The painting called "Sistine Madonna" but is probably best
known for the two angels at the bottom. Their image has been
made into images of its own.