The Fourteenth Century

Black Death Beginning in 1347, killed one-third to one- half of European population within a century Carried to Europe on flea-bearing rats on commercial ships

Effects of Black Death: Psychological Religious atonement: flagellants Self-indulgence Religious doubt Anxiety and self-consciousness

Wolgemut, Dance of Death, 1493

Effects of Black Death: Economic Labor shortage Rise in peasants’ social and economic status Migration to cities Peasant revolts

Cimabue, Madonna Enthroned, c

Giotto, Madonna Enthroned, c.1310 chiaroscuro

North Transept, Chartres

Giotto, Lamentation,

Lorenzetti, Madonna del Latte, c.1340

Cimabue, Madonna Enthroned, c

Limbourg Bros., February, c

14 th c. Literature Social Realism and Feminism

Boccaccio, Decameron, people outside Florence, hiding from plague, tell stories Social realism: plague, gender relationships, etc. “Tale of Filippa” –Social criticism of legal system

Chaucer, Canterbury Tales, c Modeled on Decameron 29 pilgrims to shrine of St. Thomas a Becket, Canterbury

Christine de Pisan, Book of the City of Ladies, 1405 Environment and social conventions explain why women are less accomplished than men History offers examples of accomplished women –Novella Andrea

Classical Humanism in the Renaissance

Renaissance “rebirth” of classical learning Began in 14 th century Italy, spread north n 15 th and 16 th centuries

Scholasticism vs. Renaissance Humanism (1) Scholasticism: Classics used to explain Christian dogma Renaissance humanism: Classics used as “rational guide to the fulfillment of human potential” (373); however, Renaissance humanists were also devout Christians

Scholasticism vs. Renaissance Humanism (2) Scholasticism: primarily the concern of theologians Renaissance Humanism: involved many members of society, from civic leaders to artists to writers

Scholasticism vs. Renaissance Humanism (3) Scholasticism: based primarily on Latin writers and Latin translations of Aristotle; Greek literary masterpieces and most of Plato were unknown; few Medieval scholars could read Greek

Scholasticism vs. Renaissance Humanism (3) Renaissance humanism: balanced Greek and Latin culture; Greek literature and Plato rediscovered; many scholars study Greek

Scholasticism vs. Renaissance Humanism (4) Scholasticism: grammar, logic, metaphysics, theology Renaissance humanism: language, literature, history, ethics, that is, what we call “the humanities” today

Why Italy? Least feudalized and most urban part of Europe Commercial prosperity Contact with the East Wealthy families in urban centers served as patrons of arts and learning –Civic spirit

Lorenzetti, Effects of Good Government in the City,

Effects of Bad Government in the City

Medici family The leading family in Florence during the Renaissance Originally a family of physicians, they made money in banking Commissioned works by Botticelli, Michelangelo, and others

Petrarch ( ) Scholar and poet, the “father of humanism” Collected and copied classical Latin manuscripts Letter to Lapo da Castiglionchio: –“For just in proportion as the writing is slower than the reading does the passage make a deep impression and cling to the mind” –Cicero’s copying inspires Petrarch’s copying

Petrarch: Dual Identities Judeo-Christian identity vs. Classical identity –A big fan of both Cicero and Augustine Studied Latin manuscripts, but wrote love poems in Italian: Petrarchan sonnets

Pico della Mirandola ( ) Humanist, poet, theologian; could read Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic Lived only 31 years Oration on the Dignity of Man (1486) –Addressed to Catholic clergymen, an introduction to his theological disputes with the Church

Oration on the Dignity of Man Revises Genesis, says that God created man in order to have someone to appreciate the Creation (380) Man is a creature of “indeterminate image” set “ in the very center of the world ” (381) Man has the free will to “trace for yourself the lineaments of your own nature” (381)

Leon Battista Alberti ( ) Mathematician, architect, engineer, musician, playwright On the Family (1443): –Man should work hard, scorn idleness –God approves of people who are useful to others –Man “is born to be happy” (382)

Baldassare Castiglione ( ) The Book of the Courtier (1518), a Renaissance bestseller Marks shift from medieval to modern values The courtier practices sprezzatura The purpose of the courtier is to influence the ruler, strengthen the state

Raphael, Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione, c.1515

Which is NOT a courtier quality? Able to use a variety of weapons Knows how to wrestle Tall in stature Plays tennis Able to swim Able to throw stones A good horseman

Which is NOT a courtier quality? Able to use a variety of weapons Knows how to wrestle Tall in stature Plays tennis Able to swim Able to throw stones A good horseman

Which is NOT a courtier quality? Speaks Latin, Greek, English Possesses clear, sonorous voice Writes well Knows how to dance Plays several musical instruments Knows how to paint Can tell a joke

Which is NOT a courtier quality? Speaks Latin, Greek, English Possesses clear, sonorous voice Writes well Knows how to dance Plays several musical instruments Knows how to paint Can tell a joke

Lucretia Marinella ( ) The Nobility and Excellence of Women and the Defects of Men (1600) –Studies the psychology of misogyny –Misogyny caused by men’s anger, envy, self- love, insufficient intelligence

Machievelli, The Prince (1513) Realist analysis of what keeps a leader in power The Prince must learn how not to be good, because human nature is not perfectly good Virtue is a nice idea, but the main job of the prince is to stay in power ; virtue makes no sense of the prince loses his authority

Machievelli, The Prince (1513) Better for prince to be feared than loved simulateThe prince must be able to simulate and dissemble The evils of a prince will be excused by the people if the prince maintains his authority