The Renaissance and Reformations
Chapter 14
The Renaissance circa 1350-1600
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Renaissance- Time of change &
creativity
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Political, social, economic & cultural
More worldly less concern about the
afterlife
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Rebirth of classical culture of Greece
& especially Rome
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Major theme was the idea of
individualism--pursuit of one’s on
ideas as a way of life
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New worldview--Spirit of adventure
Humanism
Italian city-States
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Renaissance began in northern Italy
Prosperous city-states
Florence, Milan, Genoa & Venice
 Very urbanized area
 Wealthy merchant class promoted culture
 Merchants also dominated politics
 These city-states had their own armies
 They became patrons of the arts
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Florence
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Florence and Medici
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Medici family grew powerful and
wealthy
Gained their wealth through
banking, mining and wool
Cosimo de Medici – spent a
fortune beautifying the city—
wealthiest man of his day
Lorenzo – “the Magnificent”
represented the Renaissance ideal—
politician and patron
Humanism
Intellectual movement based on study of classical
culture—study original classical manuscripts
 Focused on worldly and secular themes and the
importance of the individual
 Intense study of ancient world – attempt to imitate its
great achievements
 Believed education will stimulate creative powers
 Stressed study of humanities – grammar, rhetoric,
history, poetry
 Emphasized development of body, mind & spirit
 Most impressive contributions was the recovery of
ancient texts
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Francesco Petrarch
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Father of Humanism
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Spent years searching monasteries & cathedrals for
lost Roman & Greek manuscripts
Developed Italian sonnet - 14 lines
 Humanism influenced French scholars/writers
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Giovanni Boccaccio
First writer of prose in a modern language
(Italian)
 Decameron witty and sarcastic work set
during the Black Death
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Renaissance Masters
The Big Four
Donatello
Works with natural postures & expressions
 Many works in bronze
 Bronze statue of David—first free-standing
nude since antiquity
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Gattamelata – first equestrian bronze statue
by Western European since Roman times
Leonardo de Vinci
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True “Renaissance man”
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Painter, sculptor, inventor, scientist
Produced 2 of the most famous paintings in
history - Mona Lisa & The Last Supper
 Produced Notebooks which contained 13,000
pages of detailed drawings and writings
 Machine gun, airplane, submarine, parachute etc
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Michelangelo
Greatest sculptor of the Renaissance
 Works include:
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Pieta
Moses
David
Painter—Sistine Chapel
Architect- designed the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica
in Rome
Worked for 7 popes—Pope Julius II ( Warrior Pope)
was worst taskmaster
SISTENE CHAPEL
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Painted 340 human figures (10 to 18 ft. tall)—
representing origin and fall of man
Most ambitious artistic undertaking of the Ren.
Accomplished in less than 4 years
Ceiling was 10,000 square ft.
“Last Judgment” completed 29 years later
(entire wall of Sistene Chapel)
Raphael
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Youngest of the great masters –
died at 37
Series of frescoes for pope’s private
room including the School of
Athens
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Also known for portrayals of the
Madonna – mother of Christ
WOMEN AND THE RENAISSANCE
Main duty was to manage household, servants, meals,
tend the ill, and provide religious instruction
(autonomy)—main function was to bear children
 Denied any sort of political or legal activity—subservient
to men
 Childbirth painful and deadly
 Marriages arranged—great age differences
 Status of upper class women declined during this period
 Focus should be on domestic affairs of family life
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Women Artists
Sofonisba Anguissola – Italian noblewoman –
gained fame as a portrait painter
 Court painter of Philip II of Spain
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The Artist’s Sisters Playing Chess
Artemisia Gentileschi
First woman painter widely known
 Created bold paintings of dramatic realism –
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Judith and the Maidservant with the Head
of Holofernes
Other Artists
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Giotto--known as the first artist of the It. Renaissance
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Artist who used shading for realism & a sense of depth
Used chiaroscuro, light and shade to provide a sense
of depth—most noted works were frescoes
Famous works include Lamentation of the Dead
Christ
Tommasco Masaccio (Sloppy Tom)
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Artist who established perspective rules—makes
paintings look more three-dimensional
Considered the father of modern painting
Famous works include The Holy Trinity and The
Tribute Money
TITIAN
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Very prolific painter (painted into his eighties)
Known for his vivid colors like purple and
especially red
An accomplished portrait painter
Greatest of the Venetian painters
Best known works include The Assumption of
the Virgin
Renaissance Architecture
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Filippo Brunelleschi – father of modern engineering
Goldsmith, sculptor, mathematician, architect, clock
builder
Discovered mathematical perspective
 Architect who used raised dome and classical columns
 Gigantic dome on Cathedral of Florence
Renaissance Writers and Handbooks
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Castiglione – The Book of the Courtier
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“ideal man” – well-educated in Greek & Latin
Charming, witty, polite, skilled in literature, music,
dancing, painting, physically strong & graceful, skilled
rider, wrestler, swordsman, and not be FAKE
“ideal woman” – know the classics, write well, paint,
make music, dance, be witty, carry on honest
conversation, perform sports suitable for women, be
charming, modest in behavior, not be clumsy, evil
tongued, not put up appearances, and not seek fame
like a man
Renaissance Writers
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Machiavelli – father of modern political science -
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Produced handbook for rulers of It. city-states
 Believed most people selfish, fickle, & corrupt
 Reject Christian view that states are subject to divine
law—analyzed politics from standpoint of reason
 Total secular view of politics
 Leader could obtain & hold power by acting in own
self-interest “it is safer to be feared than loved”
 “the end justifies the means”
The Prince
Northern Renaissance
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Flemish artists are from Flanders (Belgium)
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Improved paint—oil based instead of tempera paints
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Did not dry as quickly
Allowed for changes
Jan & Hubert van Eycks – Belgium—credited
with discovering oil paints
Hieronymus Bosch
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Created a fantasy world inhabited by
nightmarish men & monsters
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Garden of Earthly Delights
Pieter Bruegel
Flemish painter who became famous for painting
ordinary people (peasants)
 Best known works include Peasant Wedding
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Alberecht Durer
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The “Leonardo of the North”
Known for woodcuts & engravings
 Famous works include Four Horseman of the
Apocalypse and The Knight Death and the Devil
 Also known for self portraits
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Hans Holbein
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Portrait painter
El Greco
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Style most original of the
Renaissance painters
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Immensely long bodies
harsh light
strong colors
Twisted figures
Northern Humanism (Christian Humanism)
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Like Italian humanist stressed education and classical
learning but more influenced by religion
Searched for writings of the early Christian Church
Concerned with providing guidance on personal behavior
Many concerned with reforming the Church—many were
critical of Church
Christian humanist discoveries of traditional Christian
texts that were different versions proved very unsettling
to many believers including Church officials
Northern Humanism
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Erasmus – known as the “Prince of the
Humanist” Praise of Folly – satire –
stressed the importance of reason,
tolerance & conduct based on Christian
ethics
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Criticized Church but was not a Protestant
Also wrote Adages
Thomas More –pushed for social and
economic reform in England Utopia –
described a perfect society
Critical of the RCC and clergy
Northern Renaissance Literature
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Francois Rabelais – French
Gargantua and Pantagruel – two
satirical works about two lives of two
giants who lived unrestrained lives
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Touched on serious issues like religion,
education & philosophy
Northern Renaissance Literature
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William Shakespeare – greatest playwright
ever
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The Taming of the Shrew
Romeo and Juliet
King Lear
Macbeth
Northern Renaissance Literature
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Miguel de Cervantes – Don Quixote – satire
of medieval chivalry—groom is Sancho Panza
Printing Revolution
Printing invented in 1400’s
Books were scarce before
printing press
 Paper-making learned from
Arabs from Chinese
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Made of wood pulp and rags
Parchment formerly used
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Made from sheep/goat skin
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1400’s—moveable type developed
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Johann Gutenberg
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Developed metal for moveable type
Used to build printing press
1456—entire Bible printed
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Beginning of printed word era
Rapid growth of printing
Improvements lead to affordable books, more
readily available, more accurate, spread ideas
and technology, people more literate
 Prepared way for the religious revolution of
1500s
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RENAISSANCE SCHOLAR
Lorenzo Valla was important Renaissance
scholar in the field of critical textual analysis
 Proved that the Donation of Constantine was a
forgery because language used in document was
not in use in the age of Constantine
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ARTIST AND SOCIAL STATUS
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Early Renaissance artists seen largely as artisans
By the end of the 14th century a transformation in the
position of artists occurred
Especially talented individuals were no longer seen as
artisans but as artistic geniuses with creative energies
akin to the divine
Society excused their eccentricities and valued their
creative genius
By High Renaissance artists were profiting from their
work and rising up on the social scale
Welcomed as equals in the circles of the upper class—
intellectual and political elite in society
SLAVERY DURING RENAISSANCE
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Black slaves were signs of wealth in Renaissance society
(like women, used for display)
White slaves were also prevalent in Renaissance Europe
(Slavic peoples from Eastern Europe mostly)
Beginning in 15th century, sizable numbers of black
slaves entered Europe
Black slaves were very much sought after—a black lady’s
maid was both a curiosity and a symbol of wealth—some
a source of entertainment
Slavery in Renaissance Europe was a thriving business
and widespread
The Protestant Reformation
Roman Catholic Church Problems
 Many
improprieties in Church
 Fraudulent
sale of “divine” items
 Church caught up in world affairs
 Lower clergy uneducated
 Leaders accused of being corrupt
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Lost credibility during Babylonian Captivity
and Great Schism
Money Making Church
Charged taxes
 Charged fees for baptisms, weddings, funerals
 Sold indulgences
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Reduction of punishment after death
 Usually sold to relatives of deceased
 Most times used to raise money for building
projects
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Many called for reform
MARTIN LUTHER
Protestant Reformation
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Taught theology at Wittenberg University
Upset over corruption & worldliness of the
Church
1517 – German Dominican priest – Johann
Tetzel selling indulgences- build St. Peter’s
basilica
Luther enraged over the practice
Quote “ As soon as the coin in coffer rings/ the
soul from purgatory springs”
Beginning of the Reformation
October 31, 1517 – Wittenberg Cathedral
Martin Luther will post his 95 Theses
which attacks the sale of indulgences and calls
for debate over the issue—copied and printed on
the printing press
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Luther’s Reforms
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Salvation only by faith in God’s gift of
forgiveness (Justification by faith alone)
Church teaching should be based on Bible
Pope and traditions of Roman Catholic Church
were false authorities—Bible final authority
All people in faith were equal
Did not need priests to interpret the Bible
Bible and worship services in language of the
people
Communion Conflict
Catholics believe in transubstantiation by
which the bread and wine actually become the
body and blood of Christ
 Luther believed in consubstantiation by which
the bread and wine are present along with the
blood and body of Christ
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Response to
Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther Jan 1521
 Charles V - Holy Roman emperor – issued the
Edict of Worms after Luther refused to recant
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Luther an outlaw
 No one to aid him
 All his books burned
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Prince Frederick the Wise of Saxony
sheltered Luther for almost a year
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Translated the New Testament into German
Protestants
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Reject 5 out of 7 sacraments
Banned indulgences, confession, pilgrimages,
prayers to saints
Abolished elaborate rituals - emphasis on the
sermon
Clergy can marry (Luther married former nun)
Sermons in German not Latin
New religion called Lutheranism
Protestants
Those who protest papal authority
 Name is applied to all Christians who belong to
non Catholic churches
 People supported Luther’s reforms for religious,
political, & economic reasons
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Clergy - way to stop corruption
German princes – get rid of Church & Holy Roman
emperor
Other – way to seize church property
Peasant Revolt - 1524
Peasants staged major revolt wanting social and
economic changes (abolish serfdom/manorial)
 Luther withdrew support when they became
violent—realized he needs the support of nobility
if his religion will survive
 Many peasants returned to Roman Catholic
Church
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Conflict in Germany
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German Rulers split between Luther and Roman
Catholic Church
Charles V tried to force them back to the Roman
Catholic Church through warfare
Peace of Augsburg decided to let each ruler
choose religion of area (whose region, his
religion)
Northern/Eastern princes chose Luther
Southern/Western princes chose Roman Catholic
Church
Ulrich Zwingli
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Switzerland became the center of
Reformation after Germany
Zwingli launched Reformation at
same time as Luther
Believed in good pastor and sense
of discipline
Sermons based on Bible
Services lacked ritual
Dispute with Luther over Lord’s
Supper--symbolic
John Calvin
Born in France—moved to Geneva,
Switzerland
 Beliefs outlined in Institutes of the
Christian Religion
 Salvation made by God’s decision
 Predestination
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God decided who was saved, who was
not, and nothing could change it
 Saved – the elect
 Condemned – the reprobate
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People should behave in way to
show they were God’s chosen
Calvin’s Rule of Geneva
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Believed ideal government was a theocracy
Everyone must attend religion classes
 No bright colored clothing
 No card playing
 No dancing
 No swearing
 No laughing in church
 Closed the theaters
 No alcohol/prostitution outlawed
 The Consistory - church court set up to punish
those who failed to follow doctrines
 Used stocks, imprison, excommunicate, banish or
death by burning
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The Spread of Calvinism
French Calvinists or Huguenots were strong in
southern France
 Religion taken to Scotland by John Knox where
it will be known as the Presbyterian Church
 Known in England as Puritans
 Netherlands – Dutch Reformed Church
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Did not get along with
each other or Roman
Catholic Church
Saw itself as the true
religion
People unused to more
than one church or
religion
Each sect based beliefs
on their interpretation of
Bible
ANABAPTIST
(Radicals of Protestant Reformation)
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Rejected infant baptism
Infant could not understand
Christian faith
 Needed a conversion
experience
Baptism and membership
restricted to adults
Rejected taking oaths or bearing
arms
Burned by the Catholics, drowned
by the Protestants—many were
peasants
Menno Simons started
Mennonites
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REFORMATION IN ENGLAND
Henry VII will start the Tudor Dynasty in
England
 First born son was Arthur who will marry
Princess Catherine of Spain ( daughter of
Ferdinand and Isabella)
 Arthur dies shortly after marriage (was not
consummated)
 Henry VIII will become king and marry his
brothers widow-RCC will give Henry special
dispensation to allow marriage to take place
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Reformation in England
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King Henry VIII of England strong
advocate of Catholic Church
Written criticism of Luther
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Earned him title “Defender of the
Faith”
Henry VIII married to Catherine of
Aragon – wanted a divorce”Prohibition of Leviticus – wanted a
male child, had girl – Mary Tudor
Pope Clement VII refused to Henry’s
request
Reformation Parliament - 1533
Passed Act of Supremacy - making Henry ruler
of the Church in England- Anglican Church
 Henry Needed money - Confiscated convents
and monasteries to sell
 Henry gets his divorce & marries Anne Boleyn
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Gives birth to Elizabeth
Anne convicted of adultery & beheaded
Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour – has a son
Edward VI – she dies at child birth
 Marries Anne of Cleaves – political marriage
does not last
 Marries Catherine Howard – beheaded for
adultery
 Marries Catherine Parr – she out lives him
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Edward VI
Inherited thrown at age 10 – rules for 6 years &
dies—adopted Book of Common Prayer
 Lady Jane Grey on throne for nine days
 Mary I becomes queen – Catholic wants
England to rejoin Catholic Church
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Nicknamed “Bloody Mary”
 Married to Philip II of Spain – not popular in England
Elizabeth I-will use compromise to deal with religious
issues-England will be Protestant country as a result
of rule
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Catholic Reformation or Counter
Reformation
Effort of the Catholic Church to make reforms
and fight against the spread of Protestantism
 Leader of the Catholic Reformation was Pope
Paul III (longest pontificate of the 16th century)
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Catholic Reformation
Counter Reformation
Pope Paul III – Council of Trent – 1545-1563
Simony forbidden
 No selling of indulgences
 No charging for administering the sacraments
 Educate the clergy
 Latin language retained as language of Church but
vernacular should be used regularly
Pope Paul IV will start Roman Inquisition and issue
the first Index of Forbidden Books
Pope Pius IV will put the decrees of council into effect
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Ignatius Loyola
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Society of Jesus or Jesuits
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Very well educated
Disciplined
Wrote Spiritual Exercises
Dedicated to combating the
spread of Protestantism
 Francis Xavier – spread the
faith to Japan & India
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Scientific Revolution
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Nicolaus Copernicus – 1543 –
On the Revolutions of the
Heavenly Spheres
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Introduced the heliocentric theory
Late 1500s – Tycho Brahe supports
Copernicus—built observatory to
view the heavens
Johannes Kepler – used Brahe’s
work
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Wrote Three Laws of Planetary
Motion – planet’s orbits are ellipse
Galileo Galilei- 1616
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built a telescope
Observed 4 moons of Jupiter, mountains of the moon,
& sun spots
 Supported Copernicus’ work
 Taken before the Inquisition & forced to recant
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Scientific Method
Developed in the early 1600s
 7 step process
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Propose a hypothesis
Test the hypothesis
Created the Scientific Revolution = Revolution in
thought
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Francis Bacon – English - father of the
Scientific Method
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Developed the general theory of inductive
reasoning
Purpose was to produce highly practical and
useful knowledge to make life better for
people
Rene Descartes – French – developed
analytic geometry
 Wrote Discourse on Method
 “I think, therefore I am”
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Isaac Newton
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Mathematical Principles of Natural
Philosophy
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Orbits of planets created by a force called gravity
Developed calculus
Other Scientists
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Robert Boyle – father of modern chemistry
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Distinguished between individual elements & chemical
compounds
Andreas Vesalius – On the Structure of the
Human Body
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First detailed study of human anatomy
William Harvey – circulation of blood in body
 Anthony van Leeuwenhoek – perfected the
microscope
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First to see cells & microorganisms
Other Scientist
Ambroise Pare– developed a new and more
effective ointment for preventing infections
 Also developed a technique for closing wounds
with stitches
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