1. Italy: Birthplace of the Renaissance

2. Middle Ages (500-1500 CE): war & plague People questioned institutions unable to relieve suffering.  Church  Northern Italy

3. I. Origins of Italian Ren. 1300-1600: Renaissance Prd.  “Rebirth” Art & learning  Goal: revive the culture of classical Greece & Rome

4. Why Italy? 1. Ruins of Roman Emp. served as reminders 2. Roman tradition lived on in popes 3. Crusades & trade w/Af. & S.W. Asia  New ideas  Byz. Civ. (preserved Greek & Roman learning) 4. Arab & Af. developments in medicine & science

5. A. City-States Trade & industry led to growth of large city-states in N. Italy  N. Italy = urban…rest of Euro. = rural  Intellectual rev. Florence, Rome, Venice, Milan, Naples  Educated, wealthy merchants 1300s: plague killed 60% of pop. (economic changes)  merchants pursued other interests (art)

7. B. Merchants & the Medici Wealthy merchant class developed  Dominated politics Since 1200s, Florence had republican govt.  During Ren. = the Medici family rose to rule Banks throughout Italy  Cosimo de Medici (wealthiest Euro. of time) 1434: won control of Florence thru $$$$ 1464: died  1469: Lorenzo de Medici (“Lorenzo the Magnificent”) came to power

8. C. Looking to Greece & Rome Ren. scholars wanted to return to learning of Greeks & Romans  Inspired by Roman ruins  Studied ancient Latin manuscripts (monasteries)  1453: Fall of Const.

9. II. Classical & Worldly Views Manuscripts influenced scholars w/classical ideas  New outlook on life & art

10. A. The Humanities 1300s: interest in classical Greek & Roman literature Medieval scholars = tried to bring everything into harmony w/Christian doctrine Italian scholars = studied the ancient world to explore its great achievements  Stressed the study of grammar, rhetoric, history, & poetry (“humanities”) --- “Humanists”

11. Humanists – sought to discover how things worked (logic)  Emphasized education  Viewed existence not only as prep. for life after death, but also as a joy in itself Individual achievement (poet & scientist)

12. B. Worldly Pleasures Humanists – you can enjoy life w/out offending God  Material luxuries, good music, & fine foods Ren. Society was secular (most were devout Catholics)

13. C. Patrons of the Arts Clergy spent a lot of $$$$ on art (patrons) Other patrons = merchants & wealthy fams.  Demonstrated their importance

14. D. The Renaissance Man All educated people were to create art The ideal individual strove to master many areas of study (“universal man”)  “Renaissance Man” Baldassare Castiglione (1478-1529)  1528: wrote “The Book of the Courtier” Explained how gentlemen/women ought to act in polite society

16. E. The Renaissance Woman Upper-class women also knew the classics & were charming  Expected to inspire art…NOT CREATE IT  Better educated than M.A. women

17. III. Italian Renaissance Artists Artists (supported by patrons) –N. Italy Artistic styles changed during Ren.  Medieval paintings: stressed the world beyond everyday life---religious subjects Did not look realistic (subjects differed in size) Artists not interested in drawing attention to human nature  Ren. paintings: stressed realism Realistic & lifelike human figures

18. Artists accurately depicted beauty of human form & natural world Created illusion of distance & depth on flat canvas Perspective: distant objects smaller than those in foreground to create depth

19. The School of Athens by Raphael Sanzio

20. Filippo Brunelleschi  Ren. Architect  Discovered linear perspective—how the eye perceives distant objects as smaller than close ones  Cathedral of Florence

22. Giotto (1276-1337)  Began realistic art in Florence  Used shades of light & dark to give depth Mesaccio (1401-1428)  Made biblical figures’ faces look more solid & real (human emotions)

23. Late 1400s – early 1500s (High Ren) 1. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)  “I wish to work miracles”  Painter, sculptor, engineer, architect, scientist  Notebook possessed detailed sketches of inventions and of the human anatomy helped

25. The Last Supper by da Vinci

26. Mona Lisa by da Vinci

27. 2. Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564)  Painter & sculptor  1501: sculpted David and Moses  1508-1512: commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint ceiling of Sistine Chapel 9 expressive scenes inspired by Old Testament

28. David by Michelangelo

29. Moses by Michelangelo

30. The Creation of Man by Michelangelo

31. Subject: God’s creation of Adam, but focus is on humanity of Adam  Adam is portrayed as being weak, while God is supremely powerful  Shows concerns w/religious themes (MA art), but depicts figures human & realistic  People were religious but also believed in the dignity of man

33. 3. Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520)  Influenced by Leo. & Mich.  Commissioned to beautify Vatican (painted frescoes in papal chambers)  The Madonna

34. Marriage of the Virgin by Raphael Notice the linear perspective used here =======>

35. IV. The Italian Ren. in Literature A. Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374)  “Father of Ren. Humanism”  Wrote sonnets (14-line poems) About Laura?  Obsessed w/the classics  Appreciation for world beauty & his accomplishments  Wrote about moral conduct

36. B. Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375)  Friend of Petrarch  Humanist  Wrote the Decameron Series of realistic, off-color stories Presents tragic & comic views of life

37. C. Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)  Diplomat & historian  1498: Inspired by Cesare Borgia (Romagna)  1513: wrote The Prince (handbook for rulers) Described political realities, not ideals Rejected restraints on power of govt. People are selfish & corrupt Put the good of the state ahead of the good of the people Not concerned w/what was morally right, only w/what was politically effective  Also wrote Discourses on Livy  Was a Humanist