CHAPTER 10
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1.
The Renaissance is often considered the beginning of a modern secular spirit because
a. Renaissance scholars were so impressed by the works of Greece and Rome that they abandoned
the Christian religion
b. Renaissance artists with their emphasis on the nude, began a cult of the body that eventually denied
the existence of the soul
c. Renaissance scholars, though religious, were usually not men of the churches, monasteries, or
universities—institutions dominated by religious thought
d. None of the above
2.
The text calls the Renaissance a multifaceted
movement. Which of the following ideas is not
one of the facets?
a. Realism
b. A secular spirit
c. Activism
d. Romanticism
3.
The core of Renaissance Humanism was
a. Systematic theological study
b. The study of history, literature, and philosophy, especially that of the Greeks and Romans
c. A conscious attempt to imitate the virtues of the Germanic invaders of the Roman Empire
d. A great admiration for the cultural achievements of Mesopotamian civilization
4.
Isabella d’Este
a. Was one of the last female Medieval intellectuals in France
b. Was a major Renaissance artist, a rival of Michelangelo
c. Was duchess of Ferrara, and a major patron of Renaissance literature and art
d. None of the above
5.
The printing press was developed by
a. Gutenberg
b. Petrarch
c. Salutati
d. Giotto
6.
During the Renaissance, the city of Florence
a. Maintained a large population because it was spared from the bubonic plague
b. Was epitomized by Savanarola, a Renaissance humanist noted for his nude sculptures
c. Was controlled by the Medici family, who were major patrons of the arts.
d. All of the above
7.
In contrast with Florence, Venice
a. Suffered from constant domestic political violence
b. Had no naval force to speak of
c. Was ruled by a merchant oligarchy
d. Changed from a republic to a monarchy
8.
During the Renaissance the papacy
a. Was dominated by popes who were often great patrons of the arts, though not always very religious
or moral
b. Attempted to dominate the Holy Roman Empire
c. Opposed the Renaissance, burning several important Florentine intellectuals at the stake
d. Was virtually a satellite of France
9.
In his famous book, The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli argued that
a. Princes must always show the virtues of charity and generosity
b. Princes must be educated humanists in order to rule well
c. Princes must be ready to discard ethical principles to succeed
d. None of the above
10. Growing antisemitism in the 14th and 15th centuries was expressed by all of the following except
a. Laws restricting Jews to specific parts of cities
b. The refusal of Poland and Russia to admit Jews
c. The expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492
d. Laws requiring Jews to wear clothing that identified them as Jews
11. Pick out the incorrect statement about
Renaissance families
a. Most classes of society emphasized family loyalty
b. Men tended to outnumber women, reversing the Medieval sex ratio
c. Marriages were very important in establishing alliances between families
g. Children were usually spoiled, especially in the wealthier families
12. Which of the following architectural features became common during the Renaissance, but was lacking
in the great Gothic Cathedrals?
a. Flying buttresses
b. Pointed arches
c. Domes
d. Stained glass windows.
13. The great dome of the cathedral of Florence
a. Was designed by Brunelleschi
b. Was a reproduction of the dome of the Pantheon in Rome
c. Collapsed because of poor design
d. Was the only one built during the Renaissance
14. Michelangelo’s sculpture of David
a. Was noted for its realistic depiction of action
b. Carried a political message, upholding the Florentine republic against the attempt of the Medici to
dominate it
c. Was intended as a column, rather than as a free-standing statue
d. None of the above
15. Renaissance sculpture
a. Was entirely confined to churches
b. Never had a political message
c. Shows an exuberant praise of anatomical realism, such as in Michelangelo’s David
d. None of the above
16. Renaissance painters
a. Rejected realism and the full range of human expression
b. Developed the technique of linear perspective so that the viewer was drawn into the painting that he
viewed.
c. Regarded mathematical and optical accuracy as unworthy of a great artist’s attention
d. None of the above
17. The figure who, more than anyone else, personified the “Renaissance Man” was
a. Michelangelo
b. Leonardo da Vinci
c. Machiavelli
d. Brunelleschi
18. The French king known as the “Spider” by his contemporaries was
a. Francis I
b. Henry VIII
c. Charles VI
d. Louis XI
19. The so-called “New Monarchies” of Northern Europe during the Renaissance did all of the following
except
a. Bypass the nobility by appointing bureaucrats to government and by raising taxes to pay for the army
b. Bring in artists from Italy to provide new and more beautiful residences for their kings
c. Promote humanistic studies in their universities
d. Reject war and Machiavellian diplomacy as instruments of their policies
20. William Shakespeare
a. Was strongly influenced by the Renaissance in his plays
b. Took advantage of Renaissance English social mobility in his rise to prominence
c. Performed some of his plays at the Globe theater
d. All of the above
ESSAY QUESTIONS
SHORT ESSAYS
1.
The text identifies four basic patterns of the Renaissance as individualism, realism, activism, and a
secular spirit. Define these terms and show how they contributed to the politics and the art of the
Renaissance.
2.
How did Renaissance ideas spread northward and how were they transformed in France and in
England?
3.
How did the political structure and situation in Italy differ from that of northern Europe? Did this have
any effect on the Renaissance?
4.
Describe daily life in Renaissance Italy. Did this affect the production of art? If so, how?
5.
What are the outstanding characteristics of Renaissance art and architecture? Illustrate with specific
artists and artistic works.