THE NORTHERN
RENAISSANCE
TO WHAT EXTENT DOES CULTURAL DIFFUSION
IMPACT SOCIETY?
NORTHERN RENAISSANCE
• Like the Greek/Roman writings inspired the Italian
thinkers, the new arts, technology and ideas of the
Renaissance inspired and spread to Northern
European countries such as France, England, and
German
• Ex. Painters: Durer (German), van Eyck (Flemish),
Bruegel (Flemish)
ITALY VS. NORTH
• Italy – City-States
• BR/FR – Strong monarchs
• Francis I of France purchased many Renaissance
paintings
• Humanists more interested in religious ideas than
secular of Italy
• Human dignity inspired some northern humanists to
develop plans for social reform based on Christian
values.
IDEAS SPREAD
• 1494 – French king claimed throne of Naples in
Southern Italy
• Launched invasion through northern Italy
• Many Italian artists and writers left for a safer life
• Brought styles of techniques of Renaissance with
them
HOW IS THIS AN EXAMPLE OF
CULTURAL DIFFUSION?
SO, AGAIN, WHY DID THE
RENAISSANCE MOVE NORTH?
• 1450?s - Bubonic Plague and Hundred Years War end -leads population and urban growth in N. Europe
• N. European monarchs begin to sponsor the arts, similarly
to patrons like the Medicis
• 1459 - War erupted in Italy over political struggles - artists
moved north out of Italy for safety bringing ideas with
them
• Artists from N. Europe studied in Italy and began to return
home with new Renaissance ideas
ALBRECHT DURER
ALBRECHT DURER WOODCUT
HANS HOLBEIN
JAN VAN EYCK (FLEMISH)
PIETER BRUEGEL THE ELDER
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlandish_Proverb
s
CHRISTIAN HUMANISM
• Humanism – Intellectual movement in which thinkers
studied classical texts and focused on human
potential and achievements
• Christian Humanism – in North. Gave this a more
religious slant. Not as secular.
DESIDERIUS ERASMUS
• In Praise of Folly – 1509
• Poked fun at greedy merchants, heartsick lovers,
quarrelsome scholars, and pompous priests
• Poked fun at Clergy, but work is strongly Christian.
• Christianity of heart, not ceremonies or rituals
• People should study the Bible
THOMAS MORE
• Tried to show a better model of society
• Utopia – 1516
• Imaginary land with peace-loving people
• Utopia means “no place” but in English, it meant ideal
place because of his book
• Greed, corruption, war don’t exist
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
• Command of English language and understanding
of human beings
• Revealed souls of men and women through
tragedies like Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream – examines human
flaws through comedy
• Drew on classics like other Ren writers (what story is
he known to have written that does this?)
ELIZABETHAN AGE
• Elizabeth I
• Wrote poetry
• Patronized artists and writers
THE PRINTING PRESS
• Chinese invented block printing/movable type
around 1045
• During 1200’s, block printed items made their way
to Europe
• 1440 - Johann Gutenberg invents movable type
printing press to print complete books - facilitating
the spread of ideas through books and pamphlets
• Gutenberg Bible