Northern Renaissance Begins:
Get textbook. Look at A12. Italian Renaissance was where? What geo location?
Northern Renaissance was where? England, Germany, Low Countries: Netherlands (lower lands),
Belgium
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Northern Europe’s population had declined because of bubonic plague, but was growing again
by 1450.
Hundred Years’ War b/w France and England ends in 1453 and cities start to grow fast.
1337 to 1453—France and England. Edward III was the ruler of Normandy France but wouldn’t pay
homage to Philip VI… dispute over who was rightful French sovereign.
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Scholars, students, merchants visit Italy. (Italian trade with Middle East)
Urban merchants sponsor artists.
o Happens first in Flanders (now part of France and Netherlands)—rich from trade and
cloth
o Wealth increases in other parts
o MERCHANTS WERE NOT ONLY ONES WHO SUPPORTED THOUGH
Whereas Italy was divided into city-states, England and France had strong monarchs. These
rulers sponsored the arts. Purchased. Supported, invited artists….. da Vinci was invited to retire
in France. French king Francis I hired Italian artists to rebuilt his castle.
1494—French king claimed throne of Naples and invaded northern Italy. (Draw Map)
Italian artists/writers fled for safer life in Northern Europe. (KNOW FRENCH ARE COMING
TOWARD THEM)
Brought styles of Renaissance.
Also, Northern European artists who had studied in Italy brought the ideas back too.
Northern Renaissance develops its own character.
German
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Albrecht Durer: woodcuts, engravings, paintings. Religious, classical myths, landscapes.
Hans Holbein the Younger: photo-like paintings. Painted portraits for English royal family.
Flemish
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Jan van Eyck: made oil painting popular and spread to Italy. Realistic details and personalities.
Pieter Bruegel the Elder: Realistic details and subjects personalities. Everyday peasant life.
Writing/Reformers:
The humanism from Italy reached the North. People used them to examine the traditional teachings of
the Church. CHRISTIAN HUMANISM. Criticized the Church’s failure to inspire people to live a Christian
life. Focus was to reform society. Thought education was most important way. Education of women as
well as men.
Erasmus: Praise of Folly (Holland). Poked fun. Believed in Christianity of the heart, not of
ceremonies/rules. Thought people should study Bible.
Thomas More: Utopia.
Christine de Pizan—questioned different treatment of sexes. Spoke out against formal schooling being
only for boys. “The Book of the City of Ladies.”
Shakespeare—1564. Grew up outside London… wrote poems, plays, performed at the Globe Theater.
Revered the classics, drew upon them for plots.
Command of English language. Understanding of human beings. Revealed souls of men and women
through scenes of dramatic conflict. Show human flaws.
Hamlet Act 2, Scene 2: “What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in
form and moving, how express and admirable; in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a
god: the beauty of the world, the paragon of angels.
Compare to oration on the dignity of man.
Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of the Shrew.
Create a chart that explains
Italian
Northern
Reasons for its beginning (2 for Northern, 3 for Italian)
View of humanity
Purpose/Focus
Important Texts
Art characteristics
Major artists
Art sponsorship
Major Writers/Books
Writing topics/characteristics
Below the chart, make two lists: similar and different. Note the main similarities and differences that
you found from your chart.