Renaissance Notes
Renaissance Notes: World History, 2nd Period
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Olivia Burnsed
Renaissance
“Rebirth” of European art & learning beginning in 1300s; interest in Green & Latin
literature & art
Florence
Northern Italian city-state where the Renaissance began with wealthy merchants
Vernacular
Everyday speech, slang, idiom
Humanist
Movement that began in Italy [1300s] focusing on the study of the classics &
emphasizing importance of human beings (Petrarch: 1s)
Patrons
Noble Italian families & wealthy merchants who supported the efforts of Renaissance
artists… early: merchants & Medici familylate: Pope Julius & other Renaissance popes
Courtier
Book that described how the perfect Renaissance gentleman & gentlewoman should act
Perspective
Any various techniques for representing 3-D objects & depth relationships on a 2-D
surface (Giotto &/or Massaccio 1st to use it)
Quattrocento
15th century period of Italian art & literature
Characteristics of the Renaissance
Focus on youth & nature, focus on the individual, love of classical learning, love of
worldly pleasures (sign artwork, self portraits, biographies)
Cosimo de Medici
First of the Medici political dynasty, rulers of Florence during the Italian Renaissance
AKA “Cosimo’ the Elder”… started 1st free public library
Lorenzo de Medici
Ruler of Medici family who was a great patron of the arts AKA “Lorenzo the
Magnificent”… grandson of Cosimo. Paid $ to beautify Rome
Dante & his Divine Comedy
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With it’s graphic description of medieval Hell, one of the great poets of all time… Poem
including Inferno, purgatory, and peradecio… Vernacular to relate with the common
people
Petrarch
Humanist inspired by fundamental changes in scholastic education inspired by the
classical commitment to leading a virtuous life in private & public… coined the term
“Dark Ages” …
Castiglione
Italian diplomat who wrote The Courtier about how the perfect Renaissance gentleman
& gentlewoman should act “Universal Man” with broad education in many areas-noble,
military roles, treatment to husband, smart, musician, swordsman, artist, etc.
Donatello
One of the greatest sculptors of the Italian Renaissance-human body in motion &
conveying beauty of human form… early times-revived the freestanding statue (Bronze
David)
Machiavelli
Official in government of civic humanist from FLORENCE, writer & diplomat, universal
man, actual workings of government and the nature of relations between states, wrote
The Prince, an essay serving as handbook for rulers to shower power & ruthlessness
more important than idealism. Ferdinand of Spain’s ruthlessness was his role model “A
prince must be both as strong as a lion & as shrewd as a fox” “The end justifies the
means” (ruthlessness) “It is much safer to be feared than to be loved” “You may have
to trick your enemies & your own people for ht good of the state” ADVISED RULERS TO
USE MIXTURE OF CUNNING DIPLOMACY & RUTHLESSNESS
The Renaissance Popes
Patrons of the arts who worked in taking attention from Florence… age of exploration &
protestant reformation movement… Pope Martin V & successors/ council of Constance
nominated him to end the Great Schism & determined to beautify Rome
Pope Julius II
Main Renaissance Pope during very early 1500s, bribed w/ money & promises for
position, restored most of papal states in war & Venice formed Holy League to free Italy
from the French but died beforehand… bull against simony @ papal elections… patron
of the arts, hired MICHELANGELO to paint Sistine Chapel, RAPHAEL to paint 4 exquisite
rooms, BRAMENTE to make impressive Basilica instead of Old St. Peters… frustration
with MICHELANGELO when he left, who sculpted MOSES @ front of tomb
Michelangelo
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Florentine sculptor, painter, & architect// David, Sistine Chapel & plans for St. Peters
Church in Rome HIGH RENAISSANCE “giant”  David (couldn’t sleep & made hat to
sculpt by w/ candlelight) “The world has many kings, but only one Michelangelo”. 9
scenes in Sistine chapel years later added Last Judgment
Raphael
Italian painter hose works, including religious subjects, portraits, and frescoes,
exemplify the ideals of the High Renaissance… Influenced by Leonardo & Michelangelo
+ Pope Julius  Library of Sistine Chapel w/ Hall of Fame/ Focus School of AthensAristotle & Plate… favorite of Pope Leo X
Leonardo da Vinci
Italian painter, engineer, musician, & scientist… most versatile genius of Renaissance &
made sketches of inventions centuries ahead of their time [The Last Supper & The
Mona Lisa]… RENAISSANCE MAN, HIGH RENAISSANCE ERA, PAINTING MOST FAMOUS
Giorgyo Vasarri
First Renaissance Historian who wrote Lives of the Artists (biographies) 1st Renaissance
historian
High Renaissance
Early 1500s (pentacle of Renaissance arts) Florence limelight  Rome (1st Renaissance
Pope) Patronage shifts to popes when Lorenzo de Medici dies from wealthy merchants…
-*~da Vinci, Raphael, & Michelangelo~*Botticelli
Prima Vera, Birth of Venus, Adoration of the Magi
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By writing in the vernacular, Dante allowed common people to read his work
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They were patrons of the arts in the early Renaissance-Merchants
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He is considered the “first humanist”-Petrarch
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He wrote The Prince-Machiavelli
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His book described the true “Renaissance Man”-Castiglione
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This word refers to those scholars who searched for and studied classical texts
and art- humanists
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He started the first free, public library in Western Europe-Cosimo de Medici
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This Renaissance book described one who had a broad education in many
different areas-The Courtier
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This Renaissance painter is mostly known for his book, The Lives of the ArtistsVasarri
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He “coined” the phrase, “Dark Ages”-Petrarch
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This long, 3-part poem by Dante revolutionized poetry-Divine Comedy
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His statue of “David” shows the Hebrew Kings as a mature & determined
(marble)-Michelangelo
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Foremost patrons of the arts in the High Renaissance-Renaissance Popes
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He did the most to beautiful Rome during the High Renaissance-Pope Julius II
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This painting of Jesus & the apostles is one of Leonardo’s masterpieces. –The
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His greatest work is the “School of Athens”-Raphael
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The Italian word for the 1400s –Quattrocento
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Foremost patron of the arts in the early Renaissance (a person)-Leonardo da
Vinci
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This was a handbook written for rulers of Italian city-states & dedicated to
Lorenzo de Medici-The Prince
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The central scene on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is called-Creation of
Last Supper
Adam
Johannes Gutenberg
1450-1455 began to use moveable metal type to print books-allowed books to be
printed quickly & cheaply (Gutenberg bible first to print)
Desiderius Erasmus
Dutch (Netherlands), most influential northern humanist… critical on ignorance & vice of
the clergy- personal devotion & moral lessons The Praise of Folly (very critical of clergy)
Sir Thomas More
Wrote of ideal society with equal citizens in Utopia (1516) Humanist in the north who
said people were capable of managing their own affairs without the church
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Queen Elizabeth I
1558: became queen, foremost patronage & well educated
Elizabethan Age
Term for Renaissance called because of Queen Elizabeth’s patronage to arts… mostly in
literature & peak in the 1500s (Renaissance In England)
William Shakespeare
Greatest Elizabethan Writer
Albrecht Durer
“Here I am a Lord, at home a parasite.” While in Italy
German painter & engraver, 1st Northern artist to study in Italy {accurate proportions
but of ordinary subjects
Hans Holbein
Flemish court painter, almost photographic in detail
Painted portraits of well-known Europeans of his day & tried to capture spirit of subjects
w/ Renaissance outlook… “Younger & more contemporary Durer”
Pieter Brueghel
Flemish painter who painted local landscapes with common peasants performing
everyday tasks. Tried to demonstrate cruel treatment to lower class
Flemish School
Group of Renaissance painters who developed their own distinct style… noted for
exquisite detail & landscapes… darker because of geographic location
Flanders
[Focus of Northern Renaissance] Northern France, Belgium, & the Netherlands
What factors contributed to the spread of humanist ideas across Europe?
PRINTING, DIPLOMACY (tired of being in conflicts with other people), & EDUCATION
(spread of education & humanist ideas)
Discuss the progression of printing and its effect on humanist ideas
Hand copy on animal skins  carving pages & smearing ink on wood  wooden
moveable type that decayed  moveable metal type (Gutenberg /cheap & quick)
Compare the Italian Renaissance to the Northern Renaissance (form of
humanism & art in general)
ITALIAN: paintings of Greek & Roman Gods (Early: 1300s & 1400s… Late: 1400s &
1500s)
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NORTHERN: common, everyday people… FLANDERS
ENGLAND: Queen Elizabeth I main patron of art, plays, drama, theatre in general
Explain why a person could argue that the Renaissance in England was more
“democratic” than in other places in Europe.
The Renaissance in England focused on the common, everyday people
ITALIAN RENAISSANCE
EARLY
1300S-1400S
Florence, Italy
Wealthy Merchants (North Italy)
Lorenzo de Medici
Donatello
LATE
late 1400S-1500S
Rome, Italy
Renaissance Popes
Pope Julius II
Leonardo, Michelangelo, & Raphael
Most famous for his portraits that were almost photographic in detail
This was another name for the Renaissance in England
He wrote Utopia
Three factors that contributed to the spread of humanist ideas across Europe
He is credited with the invention of the printing press
Foremost patron of the arts in England
German engraver/artist who was the first to study in Italy
A book that criticized the clergy and called for church reform
He was famous for landscape scenes & scenes of common peasants
A book about an ideal society where people lived in harmony
Greatest Elizabethan playwright
A group of Renaissance painters from Flanders who were noted fro their own style &
their exquisite detail and landscapes
Area of Netherlands (and what is today also a part of Northern France and Belgium)
One of the most popular forms of entertainment in Elizabethan England
Renaissance Notes
He wrote In Praise of Folly
Italian or Northern Renaissance?
Reflected a more “down-to-earth” view of humanity
Art reflected mostly the upper class
Art figures were mostly depicted as Greek gods
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