The Renaissance
Mrs. K
9th Grade World History
What is the Renaissance
• French word meaning, “Rebirth.”
• The Renaissance represents the
Intellectual and Economic changes of
the time following the Middle Ages.
• Took place between the 1300s and
1500s.
How did we wake up?
 During the middle ages, because of
Feudalism, no middle class
existed.
 People lived on manors in the
country for protection from
barbarians, far away from towns.
 Feudalism kept society divided
between the rich and the poor.
Hooray! The Barbarians are gone!
 After the barbarians had chilled out,
people came out again, heading back
towards towns and cities. (Picture in
your head the scene from the Wizard of
Oz when the Munchkins come out after
the Wicked Witch was smashed by the
house).
Ding Dong the Witch is Dead!

Curses upon you all……
 Unfortunately, after people began moving
towards town, a plague hit that killed 1/3 of
the people in the WORLD at that time. It
was called the black plague.
 The plague led to an economic
depression.
What Happens in a Depression?
 Lets pretend, that you are living in Europe at the
time of the plague and you are a Twinkie maker
(YUM!) You are a pretty awesome twinkie
maker, but 1/3 of your customers die. Now you
have a lot of twinkies, and no customers. So to
make up for the money you are losing, you raise
the prices of your twinkies, but now, nobody can
afford to buy the twinkies. This is a Depression,
meaning people are too broke to buy the
expensive twinkies, making them depressed.
So…how do we get out of a depression?
 Finally! People stop dying of the plague
and the population begins to grow,
which creates a new demand for your
twinkies. Now you have such a high
demand for twinkies that you need to
hire new people to learn how to make
twinkies just like you! These are called
your “apprentice” twinkie makers,
making you the twinkie master!
All Hail the Twinkies!
How does this apply to the Middle
Ages?
 Just like you twinkie makers, other
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business grew during the middle ages and
were able to expand too, such as
Bankers
Lawyers
Doctors
Metal workers, Craftsmen, Blacksmiths,
Going GLOBAL!
 Suddenly, your twinkie business becomes so
large that you are able to expand to other
countries.
 Advances in traveling such as:
 Portuguese maps
 The magnetic compass
 Better ships
Allow you to sail around the world to find new
places to sell your twinkies.
Becoming Masters of the Universe
 During the middle ages, education was
limited to members of the church and high
levels of society.
 Now, people like you twinkie makers need
to become more educated to be really
good at your job.
 What are some areas that as an
INTERNATIONAL TWINKIE MAKER you
would want to be educated in?
The Correct Answer is…..
 As an INTERNATIONAL TWINKIE
MAKER, you would want to know things
like:
 What kind of money do they use in other
countries (international currency)?
 How do I add, subtract, multiply, keep
track of all my money?
 What is the best thing to do with my
money?
The Education Explosion!
 As people began becoming experts in
certain areas (like twinkie making), they
gained a HUNGER for knowledge.
 In 1445, a man named Johann
Gutenberg, invented the PRINTING
PRESS! This wonderful invention was the
answer to all the prayers of the people of
Europe.
The Printing Press
 Johan Gutenbergs invention allowed
books to be mass produced page by
page, rather than being handwritten on
parchment by one person.
 Also, for the first time, books were
printed in languages other than LATIN,
so now people in England, France,
Spain, and Italy could read the same
thing, even learn how to make twinkies!
Why the Church Hated Gutenberg
 During the middle ages, books and writing
were based on the Bible and the teachings
of the church.
 NOW, during the Renaissance, people
began making the ideas of Rome and
Greece popular again, encouraging
people to read the classics and open their
eyes to how smart Rome and Greece
were before the Middle Ages.
Hooray for Humanism!
 Once the people of Europe woke up to the
ideas of the ancient Greeks and Romans,
they started to look at life a little bit
differently.
 This change in thinking resulted in a new
idea called HUMANISM. Humanism was
all about the role that Human beings
played in the world around them (Gods
world, to them).
Middle Ages vs. New Age
 During the Middle Ages the church
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believed that:
Having money or wealth was a BAD thing.
People should not be very educated. It
was better to be dumb in God’s eyes.
Doing good things was based on what the
Bible said.
The Human Body was a TERRIBLE Thing.
AAAAHHH!! THE SCANDAL!
 BUT! Now we have this new idea called
Humanism which changed everything:
 The Human Body was created by God,
therefore people should use it to do good
things.
 Having money allowed people to do good
things for God.
 Creativity was a gift from God that should
be expressed.
Renaissance Basics
 The Renaissance is all about going back
in time and bringing back the Styles and
Ideas of Greece and Rome.
 Almost all areas of the Renaissance show
a connection to Greece and Rome.
 Literature, art, architecture, music,
mathematics, all of these were influenced
by, did I mention, GREECE AND ROME!
Forget Florence….and Fail.
 Since the Renaissance was all about the
Ideas of Greece and Rome, it’s probably
no surprise that it began in FLORENCE,
ITALY.
 Florence was the home to many
famous Renaissance artists like
Michelangelo.
Renaissance Literature
 Writers in the Renaissance were all about
the classics of GREECE AND ROME,
such as the Odyssey, the Iliad, and the
Aenid (which was written by Virgil in
GREECE).
 Writers like PETRARCH, who was one of
the first Italian Poets, used the writings
of Virgil as his inspiration.
Renaissance Architecture.
 During the Middle Ages, Architecture was
based on the GOTHIC or ROMANESQUE
Style.
 The main shape used in Gothic
architecture was the Cross and it was
defined (meaning you would recognize it)
by its very sharp angles and steep points,
that were pointing up to Heaven.
Renaissance Architecture
 During the Renaissance, the Gothic and
dark look went out of style and wealthy
people began wanting to see more of the
classic styles of Ancient Greece and
Rome.
 Instead of the Cross, Renaissance
architecture used the circle as the primary
shape, bringing back the use of domes.
Medieval Cathedral in Paris
Interior of a Gothic Cathedral:
What defining characteristics do
you see here?
The Day of the Dome
 Renaissance architecture began, where
else, in Florence with the construction of
the
 SANTA MARIA del Fiore, which is
known as the cathedral of Florence.
 This cathedral is so Famous,
Michelangelo sculpted his famous,
“David,” for the cathedral.
The Santa Maria del Fiore (the cathedral of
Florence).
Note the use of the Domes.
The Medici Chapel by Michelangelo
Y.T.T.W
 Define humanism and give two examples
of changes in beliefs from the Middle Ages
to the Renaissance.
 Determine the differences in architecture
from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.
 4-6 Sentences
Warning: The material you are about to learn has absolutely NOTHING
to do with these four….people.
Renaissance Art
 The most famous aspect of the
Renaissance is by far the artwork.
 During the Middle ages, the art work was
very simple, consisting of Biblical
characters on a blank background, kind of
like having your picture taken at school.
This is an example of art from the
Middle Ages: What observations
can you make?
Creating a new Perspective
 Renaissance artists studied geometry to
help make their art look more realistic.
 They used perspective in their art to make
objects look closer and far away.
 They used a vanishing point to show
distance and depth.
 They also used shadow and light like
never before.
Revamping the Renaissance
 While Medieval Art was very plain,
Renaissance artists wanted everything to
be as LIFELIKE AS POSSIBLE.
 Artists would study dead bodies and nude
bodies to capture the body of a human
perfectly.
 One of the best Renaissance artists to
ever do this, was Michelangelo.
Meet Michelangelo
 Best known as a sculptor, also was an
artist, architect, and poet.
 Mastered the art of drawing, sculpting
male nudes.
 His paintings are easy to recognize by
their 3-D appearance. His figures
almost seem to rise off the page.
 He was also bi-polar.
The David
 Michelangelo’s most
Famous work. Located
In the Florence Cathedral.
Statue of the Bible
Character David who
Defeated Goliath.
The Sistine Chapel
 Michelangelo’s most famous work was the
SISTINE CHAPEL. He was originally
supposed to paint the 12 apostles on the
ceiling of the church, but ended up
painting the story of the old testament
instead, using over 300 pictures on the
ceiling. He laid on his back for 4 years
from 1508-1512 to complete the ceiling.
The Birth of Adam
Michelangelo’s Last Judgment
 In addition to the ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel, Michelangelo also painted the wall
behind the pulpit.
 It is called, The Last Judgment.
The Pieta by Michelangelo (1498-1500
Being Boticelli
 Boticelli was the favorite artist of Florence,
especially The MEDICI family, who were his
best patrons. ( a patron is someone who
supports an artist by buying his or her work).
 He also has 3 paintings in the Sistine Chapel.
 He is best recognized by his use of famous
Greek or Roman characters and his use of
motion.
Primavera by Boticelli
The Birth of Venus: By Boticelli
 Remember, Venus is a Roman name for a
Greek God. This shows you how much
Renaissance artists used classic Greek
and Roman inspiration for their works.
 Hint: This is a good way to recognize
Renaissance art.
 This picture also shows that Boticelli loved
to use beautiful women in his art.
Discovering Donatello
 Donatello was one of the first men to ever
use sculpture OUTSIDE of a church
setting.
 He also sculpted a statue of the David,
only using Bronze.
 Donatello was one of the calmer artists of
the bunch, focusing on his art above
anything else.
Remembering Raphael
 Raphael only lived to the age of 37.
 He was famous for mastering Portraits of
other people.
School of Athens by Raphael
Last but not Least….The Renaissance Man
 The most popular of all Renaissance
artists would have to be Leonardo di
Vinci.
 Leonardo is what people call a TRUE
RENAISSANCE MAN, which means he
did just about everything. He was a jack
of all trades. For example…..
Leonardo Di Vinci
 Leonardo di Vinci was an engineer,
scientist, writer, inventor, architect, and
painter.
 He invented the first parachute, helicopter,
and aeroplane but his designs were thought
to be insane.
 He was also notorious for not finishing
anything he started.
 A good way to recognize his work is that his
people very rarely have eyebrows.
Vitruvian Man
The Last Supper
Self Portraits
Y.T.T.W
 Determine at least two reasons as to how
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art changed from the Middle Ages to the
Renaissance.
Michelangelo: Three works
Donatello: 1 works
Raphael: 1 Works
Leonardo: 3 works