European Renaissance Western Europe 1300 to 1600 C.E.

What was the Renaissance? A rebirth in art and learning produced new ideas reflected in the arts, philosophy, and literature. Patrons sponsored works that glorified city-states in northern Italy. Education became increasingly secular.

Causes of the Renaissance Crusades –The rise of trade –Interest in producing new goods to trade in M.E. –Use of Hindu Arabic numerals, banking and credit systems Plague –Less devotion in church, more interest in finding scientific explanations

First Stop…. Northern Italian Cities –Florence –Genoa –Venice Why? Had access to trade routes connecting Europe with Middle Eastern markets Served as trading centers for the distribution of goods to N. Europe initially independent city-states governed as republics –Wealthy merchants were active civic leaders protecting profits

Machiavelli Wrote The Prince observed city-state rulers of his day and produced guidelines for gaining and maintaining power –An early modern treatise on government – shared responsibility of governed and governing –Supports absolute power of the ruler –The end justifies the means –One should do good when possible, but do evil if necessary

Renaissance Art vs. Medieval Art? Medieval art focused on spiritual topics. –Salvation, Madonna and child… Renaissance art focused on individuals and secular (worldly) matters as well as Christianity Medieval artRenaissance art

Humanism A movement in art and literature that celebrated the individual –Human potential and achievement vs. salvation and serving the church revived study of Greek and Roman literature and culture supported by wealthy patrons School of Athens by Raphael

Patrons Supporters of the arts Financed artists Came from the wealthy merchant class Lorenzo de Medici

Italian Artists and Writers Artists Michelangelo Leonardo da Vinci Writers Machiavelli Petrarch da Vinci’s Ermine

Michelangelo Painted the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel Sculpted David

Michelangelo Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel The Creation of Adam

Leonardo daVinci painted The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa considered to be the ultimate Renaissance man (one who becomes an expert at many fields of study).

He was a painter, sculptor, scientist and inventor da Vinci’s Mona Lisa

Petrarch Early humanist scholar Wrote sonnets: Sonnets to Laura Sonnet: love poem –14 Lines –Rhyme Scheme The Italian sonnet is divided into two sections by two different groups of rhyming sounds. The first 8 lines is called the octave and rhymes: a b b a a b b a The remaining 6 lines is called the sestet and can have either two or three rhyming sounds, arranged in a variety of ways: c d c d c d c d d c d c c d e c d e c d e c e d c d c e d c Assembled a library of Greek and Roman works

Renaissance spreads to Northern Europe Why? trade and travel growing literacy rates and use of vernacular –Common language vs. Latin Growing wealth in N. Europe supported Renaissance ideas. merged humanist ideas with Christianity.

Northern Renaissance Artists Portrayed religious and secular subjects Peter Paul Rubens

Northern Renaissance Humanist Writers Merged humanist ideas with Christianity –Erasmus –Sir Thomas More

Erasmus Wrote The Praise of Folly used humor to expose the ignorance and immoral behavior of many people, including the clergy

Sir Thomas More Humanist reformer Wrote about a perfect society (Utopia)

Best Invention Ever… The movable type printing press (Gutenberg Press) –Chinese origin… –the sale of books increases as they become affordable to all –Increased literacy rates –Rapid spread of ideas…. Gutenberg Bible was the first book printed Gutenberg Printing Press