European Renaissance

The Renaissance The rebirth of learning in Europe Began in Italy around 1300 CE. Why? Italy was the center of trade & economic growth (spread North) Roman and Greek influences were abundant

Factors that helped start the Renaissance Patronage: rich merchants, bankers had money to spend on artists Towns: drew people with artistic talents together Crusades helped increase knowledge of the world outside Europe.

Factors that helped start the Renaissance Economic independence: people with money had time to read, learn, experiment, create Moveable print: printing press created by Johann Gutenberg helped spread knowledge; most important invention of Renaissance Image: Johann Gutenberg Image: Gutenberg’s printing press

Factors that helped start the Renaissance As a result, the attitude of common people towards life changed Humanism developed dignity and worth of all people People concerned themselves with enjoying life, solving problem, questioning everything Image: Pieter Paul Rubens, The Four Philosophers, 1611. The painter and his brother are shown with the humanist scholars, Justus Lipsius and Jan Woverius

Medieval Man vs Renaissance Man Religious-minded (concerned with afterlife) Men felt like a member of a group People accepted authority (king & pope) Concerned with life on Earth Man as an individual was important Man begins to question and investigate

Society Art Renaissance art is more life-like use of perspective (depth) use of light and shadows more secular (non-religious) topics Education: still mainly for the sons of the rich; new philosophy: respect for individual differences in students Image: Mona Lisa by da Vinci

Renaissance or Medieval? Why? 2 4 3 1

Renaissance or Medieval? Why? What influences do you see?

Society Women: peasant & middle class women still lived harsh life with little or no education Upper class women had private tutors; fathers arranged marriages for daughters; men received a dowry (land or cash) from family of the bride

Spread of Renaissance The Renaissance spread to the rest of Europe by students who studied in Italy. France Spain Netherlands England

Spread of Renaissance France: King Francis I brought the Renaissance to France: brought artists to France (da Vinci) Built the College of France Built the palace of the Louvre Image: Louvre Image: King Francis I

Spread of Renaissance Spain: Painters: El Greco: View of Toledo; Velazquez: Four Maidens Miguel de Cervantes: wrote Don Quixote de La Mancha Image: El Greco – View of Toledo Image: Velazquez - Las Meninas (Maids of Honor) Image: Miguel de Cervantes

Spread of Renaissance Netherlands: Rembrandt: painted Man with Golden Helmet, Night Watch Erasmus: wrote In Praise of Folly which criticized the Catholic Church for its greed, corruption, & superstitions Image: Rembrant - “Man with Golden Helmet” Image: Rembrant – “Night Watch” (vandalized several times) Image: Erasmus

Spread of Renaissance England: supported by Queen Elizabeth Thomas More: wrote Utopia which criticized society by creating a utopia, perfect society Shakespeare: humanist playwright who dealt with love, tragedy, hate, desire; greatest writer of the English language of all time Image: Thomas Moore Image: William Shakespeare Sir Thomas More: He became an ardent humanist through his friendship Erasmus. He was a successful lawyer in London; and served King Henry VIII. He disagreed with Henry’s split from the Church and was eventually beheaded on a charge of treason. His Utopia (published in Latin, 1516; tr. 1551) is a picture of an ideal state founded entirely on reason.

Scholars Petrarch: the “Father of Humanism” wrote sonnets about love, nature, enjoyment of life writing caused a change in the direction of education; teachers started to teach students to seek answers not just to memorize the classical works of the past stressed history, grammar, philosophy Image: Woodcut of Petrarch To be able to say how much you love is to love but little. Rarely do great beauty and great virtue dwell together

Scholars Machiavelli: humanist writer who served as a diplomat for Florence; wanted to unify Italy wrote The Prince: a lesson on how to gain & hold power without moral concern for justice or honesty “Ends Justify the Means.” Image: Detail of Machiavelli (painting) Famous quotations by Nicolo Machiavelli: - Before all else, be armed. - Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. - It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both. - One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived. - No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution. - Politics have no relation to morals. - The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it. - The wise man does at once what the fool does finally. - War is just when it is necessary; arms are permissible when there is no hope except in arms. - War should be the only study of a prince. He should consider peace only as a breathing-time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans.

Artists Leonardo da Vinci: painter, sculptor, architect, scientist, inventor Painted Mona Lisa, The Last Supper Inventor: parachute, aqualung, canons, pumps Drawings of human anatomy still used today Image: Mona Lisa Image: The Last Supper Image: da Vinci’s anatomy drawings

Artists Michelangelo: painted ceiling of Sistine Chapel (Vatican); sculpted 9 foot statue David & La Pieta Image: Detail from Sistine Chapel Image: David Image: La Pieta - This famous work of art depicts the dead body of Jesus in the arms of his mother Mary, after his crucifixion.