Renaissance
and Reformation
Renaissance (1350-1600)
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Started in Italy
Renaissance was a “Rebirth” of European
culture
Rebirth
 Works of the classical civilizations
(Greeks and Romans) served as
inspiration
Recovery
 The plague
 Political instability from the decline in
Church power
Ideas of the Renaissance

Humanism
– Renaissance thinkers
celebrated human
achievements and focused
on individual worth
– Petrarch “Father of
Humanism
– “Humanities”- literature,
philosophy, history, grammar
Ideas of the Renaissance
Secularism
 Thinkers used observation to explain the
world, rather than church teachings
– Church lost power → life no longer revolves
around religion
– Focus on more “worldly” goods and ideas,
materialism
– No more “noble poverty”… the richer the
better!
– Black Death → New views on life… “Live it
up!”
Renaissance Ideas
Johann Gutenberg ‘s invention of
moveable type (printing press) makes it
easier to reproduce books
– Rapid spread of ideas
– Books available to ordinary citizens
– 1455- Gutenberg Bible is the first printed book
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0R1j7ine
54
Economic Renaissance
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Revival of Trade increases wealth
Social mobility
– Now you can move up the chain! (Unlike
feudalism)
 Rise of the middle class
– Peasants made $$ off of trade → New
middle class
Political Renaissance
Rise of Powerful states
 Niccolo’ Machiavelli wrote the Prince

--guidebook for rulers to secure and
maintain power
--”the ends justifies the means”
Intellectual Renaissance
Copernicus
--Sun was center of the universe not earth
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Ptolemaic-geocentric
Copernicus--Heliocentric
Intellectual Renaissance
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Galileo
– Studied motion and law of the pendulum
– Laid the foundation for modern physics
and supported Copernicus
– Tried by the Catholic Inquisition in 1632 for
supporting Copernicus’ view
Impact of the Renaissance

Renaissance artists, architects,
scholars, and writers created a
legacy of achievement that still
influences us today
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoCBNPVDZ
CI
Artistic Impact: Painting and Sculpture
Painting and sculpture became more
realistic
 Artists Like Leonardo DaVinci and
Michelangelo

Artistic Impact: Literature and Architecture
Literature and architecture borrowed
from classical styles, used vernacular
 Brunelleschi and Shakespeare

Renaissance
Religious
Impact
Intellectual
impact
Political Impact
Economic
Impact
Characteristics of Renaissance Art
Giotto--Realism
•
•
Scenes with figures in
lifelike space
Given realistic emotions
and gestures
Announcement of
the Angel to Saint
Anne
Characteristics of Renaissance Art
Masaccio-Perspective
-bringing 3D to
2D
--many lines
meeting a one
central point
The Trinity
Masaccio
1427
Perspective!
Perspective!
Perspective!
Perspective!
Perspective!
Perspective!
Perspective!
Characteristics of Renaissance Art
Leonardo Da Vinci--Geometrical
arrangement
The Last
Supper
Da Vinci
1498
Characteristics of Renaissance Art
Leonardo Da Vinci-- (chiaroscuro)
-Light and shadows
-Softening (makes individual stand out and
seem more human)
Characteristics of Renaissance Art
Michelangelo--Fresco
•
Realistic sculpture and
Frescos
Pieta
Sistine
Chapel
Medieval Art
--hard lines
--cartoonish figures
--positive religious feel
--not overly colorful
--flat (no dimensions)
http://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=_9PDK3iHigc
Medieval or Renaissance?
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Medieval
“Madonna and Child
before a Fireplace” by
Campin
Cartoonish, unrealistic
people figures
Positive portrayal of
religion
Hard lines
Medieval or Renaissance?
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Medieval
The Last Judgment
Flat (no depth)
Hard lines
Dark
Medieval or Renaissance?
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Renaissance
St. Peter’s Basilica,
Buonarroti,
constructed 15061626
Greek and Roman
influence (Columns,
domes)
Symmetry
More horizontal than
vertical
Medieval or Renaissance?
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Renaissance
Creation of Adam by
Michelangelo, 1510
Attention to detail
Realistic portrayal of
the human form
Shows God as
human-like
Use of light
Medieval or Renaissance?
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Medieval
Notre Dame de Paris,
Constructed 11631345
Stained glass with
religious images
Flying buttresses
More vertical
orientation than
horizontal
Medieval or Renaissance?
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Renaissance
School of Athens,
Raphael, 1510
Light
Use of perspective
(looks almost 3D)
Realistic people
Contains images of
Plato, Socrates, and
other classical
thinkers, in homage
to the Greek and
Roman civilizations
Thesis Practice

Was the Renaissance merely a
continuation of Greek and Roman ideas
or a new intellectual movement
altogether?
--your thesis must start with Although,
While or Despite
 --be ready to trade and peer edit
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Movie Assignment
On a sheet of paper summarize the
Renaissance time period in a 5 sentence
paragraph and include the following
information
--tell me why the Renaissance was an
important time period in history
--tell me about the three artists in the video
and one work of art for each
--tell me which artist (in you opinion) was the
most important to the renaissance and why?

Protestant Reformation
Reformation- The act of forming
anew (Webster’s Dictionary)
Causes of the Protestant Reformation…

Spirit of Inquiry of the Renaissance, and
corruption of the Church led to new
challenges to Pope’s authority

Church activities
– Greed and corruption
 1/3 of the land in Europe was owned by
the Church
 Church officials becoming very wealthy
 Pope acting as ruler not spiritual leader
– Indulgences
 “Buy your way out of your sins”
Luther and his ideas
Martin Luther
launched the
Protestant
Reformation when he
posted his 95 Theses
in 1517
--criticized the Church’s
sale of indulgences

Luther and his ideas
Luther began to directly challenge the
authority of the pope
--encouraged lay people to read the Bible and
interpret it for themselves

--Only faith, not good works, would get one into
heaven
 Edict of Worms (ruling)- Luther and his teachings
outlawed

Reformers became known as Protestants
Peace of Augsburg- allowed ruler of each state
(NOT each person) to choose between Catholicism
and Protestantism
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4TeJJmQJqU
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Lutheran Church
Luther forever shatters unity
of Catholic Church by
breaking away
--Forms Lutheran Church
--believe in salvation by faith
alone
--Kept only sacraments of
baptism and communion
Later Reformers

John Calvin
– focused on predestination, the idea that God would
decide who is going to Heaven after death
– Emphasis on moral purity
 Consistory- an oversight committee of sorts
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King Henry VIII forms the Church of England
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wanted an annulment from Catherine, but the Catholic
Church would not grant it
Act of Supremacy- established Church of England and its
supremacy over any other Church
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The Catholic Counter-Reformation
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The Catholic Church fought back
against the rise of Protestantism.
Council of Trent—ended the sale
of indulgences, introduced
Church reforms, began a Church
ban of certain books.
Inquisition—Tried and executed
persons who were suspected of
committing heresy (non-Catholic
beliefs)
Jesuits—new catholic order
Catholic rulers join with Pope in
fighting Protestantism
Effects of Protestant Reformation
Centuries of
religious wars
between Catholics
and Protestants
 Europe became
divided between
Catholic countries
and Protestant
countries (NW
Europe)
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Effects of Protestant Reformation
Speeded economic growth in
Northern Europe
 Renaissance and Reformation
strengthened the authority and
power of secular powers
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9PDK3i
Higc
Describe at least two causes
and effects of the Reformation
Causes
Effects
Renaissance cause/effect or Reformation
cause/effect
1. growing prosperity of merchants
2. rulers defy pope and become protestant
3. political, social, and artistic theories spread
4. Selling of indulgences
5. printing press and the spread of learning
6. merchants sponsor artists and pay to beautify cities
7. individuals interpret bible for themselves
8. art celebrates individual and personal expression
9. rulers sponsor artists and philosophers
10. Luther’s 95 theses
11. Christian Humanism
12. growing emphasis on the individual