1. Warm-up
You are a 35 year old adult. You’ve been working your whole life since school ended, doing okay, but usually too busy to enjoy life during the weekdays. Suddenly, a wealthy citizen from Austin offers you a paycheck to produce something beautiful and/productive for your city: art, a building, a daycare cooperative, a new type of school… you decide. You no longer have to go to your regular job, have funding for the project, and have a year to complete your project.
What would you create? Why?

2. The Renaissance
Today’s Goal: Describe the major causes & effects of the Renaissance
This includes political, intellectual, artistic, economic, and religious effects

3. What was the Renaissance?
A cultural movement that was a great rebirth of Classical Era Roman & Greek art

4. What was the Renaissance?
Resurgence of sculpture, painting, beautiful architecture, literature, poetry, music, singing, drama
Began in Italy in the Late Middle Ages
Spread north throughout Europe
Time of culture! Learning! Art! Music! Enjoying life! Beauty!

6. How did the Renaissance start?
Italian city-states prospered due to trade flowing through Italy
Central Mediterranean location in middle of trade routes People came from all over Europe to buy, sell and do banking ($$!)
merchants & bankers became quite wealthy
prosperous cities emerged
Competition between city states
Because they were independent, there were no kings
often led by elected council or family, typically quite wealthy
Wealthy families became patrons of artists: people that pay artists and architects to create art or buildings

7. Some Italian city-states developed specializations
Some Italian city-states developed specializations. Florence became a center for cloth making and banking. Milan produced metal goods and armor. The port city of Genoa was a trade center for ivory and gold from northern Africa. Venice, the most powerful city state, had hundreds of ships that controlled the trade routes in the Mediterranean Sea. Silk, spices and perfume from Asia flowed into Venice.

8. What caused this amazing Renaissance?
The Crusades/Increased Travel
In the Late Middle Ages, Merchants and Crusaders brought back goods & learning from the East
Classical learning that had been preserved in the Byzantine Empire and by Muslim scholars, Marco Polo…
The End of the Dark Ages
Life after feudalism, invasions, war, slaughter, plague, the Crusades…

9. Life in the Middle Ages (aka the Dark Ages, aka the Medieval Era)

10. What caused this amazing Renaissance?
Increased Trade
Safer trading across the Silk Road (Pax Mongolica)
Wealthy Italian city-state could afford to spend money on luxuries like art
Increased Educational Opportunities
Scholars started collecting & reading ancient manuscripts (books) preserved in Catholic monasteries
Influence of Greco-Roman Works
Artists and architects studied classical statues/buildings

11. What effects did the Renaissance have?
Stunning new art & architecture
More secular & less religious; focused on people’s existence on earth
New focus on reason & logic
How did this impact the power of the church?
New ideas about life!
Individualism – focus on the individual person
Philosophy of Humanism
Ideal of a Renaissance Man: a well-rounded person who is skilled in many areas
More advanced hospitals & universities created
Encouraged invention & innovation

12. What was the philosophy of Humanism?
When the focus is on humans, rather than divine or supernatural matters.
Focus on the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.
Overlaps with individualism

14. Now, lets look a some art to identify Classical Influence in Renaissance Art

15. Classical Art

17. Medieval Art

19. Renaissance Art

20. No need to write any notes on this!

21. Side by Side Comparison
Classical
Medieval
Renaissance
Purpose of the Art
Shows importance of ordinary people, civic leaders, gods and goddesses
Teach religion to people who were illiterate
Show importance of people and nature
Style Characteristics
Detailed and realistic
Minimal details
No background
Halos used to indicate who was holy
Not realistic
Realistic
Emphasis on individual

22. Classical, Medieval, or Renaissance?
As a class determine which piece of Art is from which period.
A – Renaissance
B – Medieval
C – Classical

23. Art, Literature ,Architecture
Protestant Reformation
Art, Literature ,Architecture
Scientific Revolution
The Enlightenment
Celebrate Rational Man
Growing Secularism
Trade
Note how Achievements in Art, Literature and Architecture as well as The Enlightenment, Scientific Revolution, Protestant Reformation coincide with learning goals of unit.