500AD
Renaissance
1500
Middle Ages

What is the Renaissance?
a. BackgroundFrench word for rebirth or revival
Beginning of the Modern Era (timeline)
Renewed interest:




- revival in Greek and Roman Classics ( antiquity )
- Philosophy of life, man’s appreciation of nature
& the life on earth.
Man looking past the church for answers
way they did the art b. Where did it begin and why there?
It began in the territory of Italy.

1. A lot of trading
Trading different ideas from all ports (center of
European trade)
Wealth (Renaissance very expensive, involved the upper class)
2. Close to Greece , Rome , and Constantinople
3. City-state system stimulated competition c. Inventions help end the Medieval Times
1. Johann Gutenburg
1454 invented Printing Press or movable type



The printing press had a major impact on the spread of the Renaissance.

2. Gunpowder , probably brought from China, meant the end of the feudal castle, and increased the ability of the King to wage war against feudal lords.
3. Compass , brought from China through Spain, plus geographical knowledge gained from Arab cartographers made possible the discovery of the new world during the
1500’s.
d. How did the Church feel about the Renaissance?
 Church still strong in Italy
 Church had beliefs and did not want to change
 Did not want them to believe in new Science (Astronomy)
 Churches believes were around for 1000 years
 Many scientists were forced to keep their believes hidden .

1. Humanism 2. Literature 3. Science 4. Art
1. Humanism
 Philosophy of the Renaissance that focused on humanity & life on earth.
It also stressed the talents of each person
 Huge impact on the Church
Humanism stressed living fuller lives in this world & do not worry about the afterlife.
Life at this time was seen as a stopping
ground before one went to the afterlife.
Humanism asks man to live life to its fullest.
They stressed that there are other things important in life and you can still be a good Christian.
It was a Secular (non-religious) movement.

2. Literature figures a) Petrarch (1304-1374) “Father of humanism”
Great poet—wrote his Sonnets about Laura
Talks about earthy love & physical beauty rather then the glory of God.
b) Boccaccio (1313-1375)
Author of the Decameron - about 10 people trying to escape the Black plague each telling stories.
Italian vernacular and he criticized the church
c) St. Thomas More (1478-1535)
Author who wrote Utopia
He wrote about what the perfect world should be like by indirectly criticizing his world.
Utopia means perfect world.

d) Erasmus (1466-1536) “ Prince of Humanism”
Author of In Praise of Folly- satire, making fun of superstitions of the clergy and Christians.
e) Machiavellia (1459-1522)
Author of The Prince described a gov’t as it actually should work. The quality of being a great leader with the lack of morality .
Casare Borgia was the leader that he pictured.
Lorenzo de Medici was admired by Machiavellia & patron to many artists.
f) Dante (1265-1321)
Wrote a poem called the Divine Comedy which had three smaller poems in it ( Inferno , Purgatory,
Paradise) about Dante going through the after life to find his love.

a. What was the Scientific Revolution?
The Scientific Revolution was a movement brought about by man’s desire for new knowledge & a better way of doing things. Previously, man had accepted as truth the teachings of the Catholic Church ( Dogma ) and writings of ancient scholars.
b. Ptolemy’s ideas & church beliefs in Medieval Times
 Ptolemy was an ancient Greek astronomer that believed the earth was the center if the universe. He said the sun, stars, & planets traveled around the earth. People did not conduct experiments or question traditional beliefs.
These ideas were accepted for more then 1500 years.

 The Catholic Clergy then used religion to justify Ptolemy.
God made the Universe with the Earth in the middle.
 This thinking changed in the 1500 and 1600 as people began to doubt.
Their desire for the truth led to careful research , experimentation, and the important new discoveries.
These truths led to our understanding of the universe, nature, and man himself.

C. Famous Scientists that rocked the world at this time.
1. Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543) of Poland
Copernicus disputed the Ptolemaic theory. He said the
Earth revolved around the Sun.
2. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) of Germany
Kepler carried Copernicus’ theory further & discovered that the planets orbit the sun in an oval rather than circular.
Discovered the
3. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) of Italy
In 1609, Galileo built one of the first telescopes , and confirmed the Copernican theory.
Galileo’s work threatened existing church teachings, & he was forced to recant by the Catholic Church.

4. Isaac Newton (1642-1727) of England
Law of Motion were the same for the earth & all other parts of the universe.
Law of Gravity causes objects to fall to the earth.
Gravity also causes planets to revolve around the sun instead of flying off into space.
Law of Inertia : an object will remain in the same place until a force causes it to move.
: a moving object will continue to move until a force causes it to stop.

Differences between Medieval Art and Renaissance Art a. Medieval Art
-Figures flat and unstylish
-Lacked expression & dealt with Religion (Blank Expression)
Stained Glass
Statute Columns b. Renaissance Art
Colors used better, made it look real
-Showed the expressions in the face
-Introduced 3-D perspective
-Light and shading

 Donatello: First great sculptor
David - First actual real size nude person since antiquity.
 Leonardo Da Vinci
Last Supper & Mona Lisa
 Michelangelo: Sculptor, painter, and poet.
La Pieta
David (16ft tall)
Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
Last Judgment
ArchitectSt. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome
 Raphael
Portraits of wealthy Merchants
Leo X , Madonnas & School of Athens