Renaissance (1350-1600)- French word for “rebirth”
Rediscovered ancient heritage of Greeks and Romans
Emphasize Worth & creative potential of humans
Forced people to view the world differently
Created optimism, Confidence, & Creativity
Renaissance Ideals: Educated, Artistically Creative, Witty, Military Skills, Charming, Athletic, Trained in the
Humanities, Public-Minded
Writers & artist bring to life the ideals of the Renaissance
Lorenzo de Medici= scholar, skilled architect, talented poet
Collected huge library of classical manuscripts
Expanded university @ Florence
Hired painters, architects, & sculptors to create works of art
Why did Ancient Greece & Rome interest many Renaissance scholars?
Believed Greeks & Romans excelled in the Humanities
Believed that classical ideas were good models to follow
Most Renaissance artists working in several areas: paining, sculpting, architecture, poetry, & music!!
3 Geniuses of the Renaissance Art
Raphael-Combined religious art with Renaissance spirit
Madonnas (pictures of Mary; mother of Jesus)…shown as loving human woman (relates to all moms)
–Has a hint of medieval presence-angelic, heavenly
Designs of his artwork-show perspective creating sense of space & balance
Michaelangelo-Skilled painter, poet & architect
Sculptor above all others…”1st of the arts”
Pupil of Donatello (awesome sculptors)
23 yrs, old- Pieta
1508-Sistine Chapel=ceiling decorated w/frescos (H20 + color painting on fresh plaster)
4 yrs. To finish- made him greatest artist in Rome
Leonardo da Vinci-(1452-1519) Regarded as the “Renaissance Man” (ahead of his time)
Great painter-Mona Lisa...Last Supper
Dissected corpses-drew the structure of muscles & bones
Engineer, scientist, & inventor-recorded designs for inventions
(flying machines, submarines, parachutes, & machine guns)
Artists of the Northern Renaissance: Different Themes & Styles
Italian themes = classical
Northern painters =emphasized precise, realistic detail (use of light & shadow)
=religious themes & symbols
=life in towns & countryside
Netherlands= center of Northern Renaissance (Flanders)
Dutch artists:
Van Eyck- from Flanders…1st master of oil painting
Pieter Brueghel the Elder (1525-1569)- detail & sly humor… farm workers, townspeople @work & play
Dutch Art @ its height in 1600s
Rembrandt- remarkable use of light & shadow
German artists:
Albrecht Durer- paining, woodcuts & engravings
Focused on nature & portraits
Court Painter to Holy Roman Emperor (1512-1528)
Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543)-most famous painter of his time
Showed subjects’ personalities & details of their clothing & the objects around them
2 most famous portraits-Erasmus & Sir Thomas More (personal friends)
Became Court Painter for King Henry VIII in 1536… to escape the religious wars in Europe
Renaissance Humanists…a.k.a Writers!!!
Scholars of Middle Ages used ideas of ancient writers to support the teachings of the church…earthly existence was a
means of preparation for an afterlife! Now there’s rivalry among Pop, Holy Roman Emperor, Kings of France, &
Spain…affects politics!!! Especially kingdoms in Italy. Things are about to change!
Petrarch- studied Roman Literature & Philosophy
Rediscovered Roman authors forgotten during Middle Ages
Collected ancient manuscripts…loved to wrote (both Latin & Italian)…adopts Roman ideas & love poems
Dies in his library=face down in a book
Johann Gutenburg-Printing Press revolutionizes 1440s
Erasmus- From Holland-most respected & influential Humanist of N. Renaissance
1509-“In Praise of Folly”
Ridiculed narrow mindedness of scholars & thinkers; lawyers, professors, church officialsStating clergy was greedy & corrupt= reform needed!! Return to simple faith of early Christianity
1000s read his books
Sir Thomas More- English teacher
Born 1477 Devout Catholic; student of the church doctrine & humanities
Wrote “Utopia” in 1516…An idea peaceful society… promoting religious toleration & social equality
Criticized politics, society, & religion of the times
Michel de Montaigne- “Essay”
Describes personal views-shows people were rational-choose own way!!
Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) Greatest Spanish writer of Renaissance
“Don Quixote” mocked medieval codes of chivalry…old guy loses touch w/reality
(sheep=army, windmills =giants)
Rabelais (Francois) Born in France in 1494
Encouraged Renaissance idea of living a full, busy life (monk, scholar, physician)
Wrote 5 volume work; “Gargantua & Pantagruel”=made fun of non-humanists, combined humor, imagination &
adventure w/scholarship
Shakespeare- (1564-1616) Actor, poet, playwright from England
Admiration for humanity
Wrote plays & poems-Universal human qualities in his characters-other times/places (Ancient world)
–Julius Caesar, Antony & Cleopatra, Hamlet
Characters were complex, believable people
Niccolo Machiavelli-Born in Florence in 1469…Died in 1527
Concentrated on Politics…very corrupt time (Milan,Florence, Venice, Naples, the church all attacking each other)
Worked for Florentine Republic (age of 29)…served for 18 years
Wrote political essay “The Prince” written in 1513, published in 1532…5 years after his death
Cynical attitude based on experience…church preferred disunion to union
Genuine patriot… wanted Italy to unite as a nation
Leader should do whatever is necessary to gain & keep power (lie, break treaties, murder)
Renaissance features;
Individualism- Ancient Greeks & Romans were used as themes & ideas
Stories from Greek Mythology, scenes from Roman history, incidents from the Bible & Church
Emphasized uniqueness of each human face and figure
Showed each individual’s character & personality in a lifelike way (in portraits)
Balance & Proportion- Artists tried to show people & objects in their proper sizes in the portraits (Realism)
Use of Perspective- (Realism) The impression of depth & distance on the flat surface of a painting
New Materials- Tempera-paint that fried very quickly
Oil painting-allowed artists to work more slowly, create new colors & obtain more lifelike effect