A Rebirth of the Human
Spirit
1300-1600
Renaissance Europe
Europe 1550
Time of Change
What was the Renaissance?
Renaissance, French word for "rebirth"
 What was reborn??
•
a desire to imitate the classical world Greece & Rome
•
a time of creativity and adventure
•
a time of intellectual and economic changes that
occurred in Europe

What was the Renaissance?
Who was reborn?
•
Only a small percentage of the population involved
but… mighty in its influence!

•
Middle and aristocratic classes
Renaissance Estates
• Nobility- People were born into nobility
– Expected to have character, grace, and talent
– Must be able to perform military exercises and have a
classical education
• Clergy- priests
• Townspeople/Peasants
– Townspeople were mainly merchants (family very
important to this class)
– Peasants worked for the nobility or did not have jobs
• Perhaps what was most important
was the…
•
1.
2.
3.

Rebirth of the human spirit… How?
An emphasis on human everyday experience,
the here & now!
Individual achievement was highly valued
Developing an educational background from
classical
The ”Renaissance “man” or “woman” ideal was
the person with talent in many fields.
What were the causes of the Renaissance?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Trade, Banking and Commercial Agriculture
Political Power of the Middle Class
Large fortunes led to rise of patrons
Rise in universities
Birth of the printing press- Gutenberg
Writing in the common language of the peoplevernacular authors- Dante, Chaucer, and Shakespeare
Humanism: Spirit of the Renaissance
A new intellectual movement that started in Italy
– -Studied classical cultures & writings
philosophers Greek and Romans
– -Focused on secular themes
– Loss of respect for the church
– Concerned about business, politics, and
entertainment
Humanism’s Impact

Results
More people are concerned with their jobs, money and
status.
 Religion becomes less important in the western Europe but
maintains its hold on the continent.
 Appreciation for the arts as a product of mankind; not just a
religious symbol

1.
2.
3.
Niccolò Machiavelli, was an Italian
statesman and writer
Considered one of the most
significant political thinkers of the
Renaissance
His best-known work, describes
cunning and unscrupulous methods
for rulers to gain and keep power.
Where it all
began…Italy
In the fifteenth century, Italy
was not the unified country we
know today.

At that time the boot-shaped
peninsula was divided into many
small independent states.

Why Did the Renaissance Begin in Italy?
1.
2.
Center of the Roman civilization
– had all the remains of the
glory that was Rome in
architectural and artistic fields
Italian cities had survived the
Middle Ages and grown into
prosperous centers of trade and
manufacturing.
Why Did the Renaissance Begin in Italy?
3.
A wealthy merchant class in
the Italian city-states
stressed education and
individual achievement and
spent lavishly on the arts.
The Role of Florence

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Like most, it was a center of banking, trade and
manufacturing
Became the cultural center of Europe whose
patron influence by the Medici Family made it
possible
Florence produced an amazing number of gifted
poets, artists, architects, scholars, and scientists.
Venice and Milan also played major roles in the
Renaissance movement
Renaissance Arts


Emphasized individual talent in painting,
sculpture, architecture, literature and
music
Architecture returned to the domes and
columns of ancient Greece and Rome
New Painting Styles & Techniques

Expressed own values & emotion
Realism (define)
Perspective (define)

Balance & Proportion



Focused on secular, mythological & religious themes
More Painting Techniques
Tempera paint (water color) dried to quickly, but oil
water colors allowed artists to correct mistakes because
of its slow drying time. The new techniques include using
oil paints to paint on fresh plaster, creating, a new unique
type of fresco
 Used in the Sistine Chapel Ceiling!

Old Art Compared to New Art


The medieval artists often
painted bland two
dimensional pictures (top).
The Renaissance artists
painted luscious three
dimensional pictures
(bottom).
Major Artists Hog the Spotlight!

They all use the new modern
day techniques! They are
(clockwise): Michelangelo,
Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and
Donatello. These are by the
artists themselves!
Donatello

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Donatello is considered the odd man
out because of his unusual style and
interests
He was a major in carving reliefs, which
was quite unique for his time.
Donatello carved in wood, bronze, and
marble.
“The Mother” ??

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Donatello is considered to be the mother of the other three
famous artists.
They all copied and used his techniques.
He promoted realism.
Highly influenced art in Florence!
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Leonardo da Vinci
Called the original “Renaissance Man, “ why?
Made sketches of nature and of models
Dissected corpses to learn how the human body worked
Studied botany, anatomy, optics, music, architecture,
and engineering
Leonardo da Vinci
Made sketches for flying machines
and undersea boats
 Masterpieces include
 The Mona Lisa and The Last Supperst

Supper
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
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Like many before him, Leonardo
dreamed of flying like the birds.
Not only was he an artist, but an
accomplished scientist and inventor
Leonardo made sketches of a flying
machine that were based on the flight
of birds.


He first tried to make an aircraft that
would flap its wings to get a man into
the air but later discarded the idea.
Leonardo also foresaw the invention of
the parachute and the helicopter,
showing that he was, indeed, a true
visionary..
Raphael
Studied the works of
Michelangelo and Leonardo
 Paintings blended Christian
and classical styles
 He often painted pictures of
the virgin Mary in bright
colors, contrary to common
practices.

Raphael
Michelangelo’s Life
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Born March 6, 1475 in Caprese,
Italy
Mother died when he was six
Grew up without affection
Father wanted him to be a
merchant
The Pieta at
Saint Peter's
Basilica
Created at 23
years of age!
Michelangelo wanted to learn about anatomy
by studying corpses.
The Catholic Church forbid it.
He made an agreement with the Church that he
could study bodies in return for a carved wooden
crucifix.
Studying bodies made him ill many times.
David