1. AP World History: The Italian Renaissance
Period 3

2. I What was the Renaissance?
The renaissance was the rebirth of Western Europe. At the end of the Middle Ages, Europeans looked to the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome for inspiration in art, literature, science, and philosophy.
I need to wake up!

3. II Why was a Renaissance necessary?
In the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome, learning was a virtue. Both Greece and Rome achieved a Golden Age in the arts, science, and philosophy. After the Western Roman Empire fell in 476 CE, Western Europe entered the middle Ages. Feudalism replaced a strong, centralized government. Manorialism replaced a strong economy. Trade was limited. Most people were illiterate. Life largely centered on the Church. Hygiene and medical knowledge was poor, leading to short and difficult lives. A Renaissance was absolutely necessary!

4. III How did the Renaissance begin?
The renaissance began in the Italian city-state of Florence.
1. Ancient Roman ruins were a constant reminder of Rome’s former Golden Age.
2. Florence and Venice had never stopped trading with the Byzantine Empire or Muslim Arabs during the Middle Ages. This was due to their location near the Mediterranean Sea.
3. The Medici family were wealthy Florentine bankers. They used their wealth to finance beautiful sculptures, paintings, and buildings.
- funded Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci
- developed and funded institutions for scientific study
Maria de Medici

5. How did the Renaissance begin? Continued…
B) A growing middle class had time for the pursuit of education, the arts & science C) Gutenberg invented the printing press in This allowed for the faster spread of ideas.

6. IV Humanism
A) Humanism was a philosophy that grew out of the Renaissance. Humanists believed that humans are rational and moral beings. B) Humanists studied classical texts (ancient Greek and Roman) C) Humanists believed in the importance of a well-rounded education, including the arts, science, history, and philosophy.
How was this different from the beliefs of the Church in the Middle Ages?

7. Francesco Petrarch “Father of Humanism” (1304-1374)
“…His passion to write his thoughts to paper was only overcome by the need to sleep or eat. So great was his desire to write his thoughts and feelings and so difficult was it to find anyone in Europe to match his desire he found himself writing to Cicero, one of the only people he believed really shared his passion. (Cicero was a Roman Poet/Politician that died over 1200 years before Petrarch was born). His writings would go on to influence countless others… Shakespeare would study his works and copy his sonnets... So great were his writings that royalty treated him, the son of exiled nobles, like a king and in a letter to a friend he even goes as far as to say that he has caused his own plague to spread over Europe, one which has caused people to take up pen and paper and write and read.” – “Love is the crowning grace of humanity, the holiest right of the soul, the golden link which binds us to duty and truth, the redeeming principle that chiefly reconciles the heart to life, and is prophetic of eternal good.” – Petrarch, 14th century

8. V Renaissance Art vs. Medieval Art
Religious in theme
Some Renaissance art was religious in theme, but often would be painted in a classical style (similar to ancient Greek or Roman art).
Flat (2-D), abstract.
Used perspective (an art technique that creates the illusion of 3-D, by making distant objects appear smaller)
People were fully clothed. Lack of detail.
Realistic, detailed. Nudes and portraits of individuals became common.

9. VI Italian Renaissance Art
A) Leonardo de Vinci (1452 – 1519)
1. Painter, sculptor, engineer, and inventor.
2. Secretly dissected corpses to learn about human anatomy.
Above is a page from da Vinci’s notebook. This is an example of the humanist desire to unlock the secrets of nature.

10. Leonardo da Vinci Continued…
Pages from his notebook
“O investigator, do not flatter yourself that you know the things nature performs for herself, but rejoice in knowing that purpose of those things designed by your own mind.” – Leonardo da Vinci

11. Leonardo da Vinci Continued… Vetruvian Man, 1492
Vetruvian Man shows us how Leonardo understood the proportions of the human body.
“Each separate part was a simple fraction of the whole. For example, the head measured from the forehead to the chin was exactly one tenth of the total height, and the outstretched arms were always as wide as the body was tall.”
– bbc.com

12. Mona Lisa, 15th Century
Some art historians believe that it was the portrait of Francesco del Giacondo’s wife, a Florentine nobleman.
Do you see perspective in this painting? Geometric shapes?
Is it detailed? Realistic?
Does it deserve to be so famous?

13. Mona Lisa Geometry

14. Leonardo da Vinci Continued…
The Last Supper, 1498

15. Last Supper Perspective
vertical
horizontal

16. Italian Renaissance Art Continued…
B) Donatello
David by Donatello was the first free form sculpture since Ancient Rome!

17. Italian Renaissance Art Continued…
C) Michelangelo
Michelangelo was a painter, sculptor, and engineer.
Self Portrait

18. Michelangelo Continued…
The Pieta, 1499

19. Michelangelo Continued…
David, 1504
Michelangelo’s David was displayed in the largest piazza in Florence. “It took the voice away from statues both ancient and modern” – Vassari, Michelangelo’s biographer

20. Michelangelo Continued…
David, 1504

21. Michelangelo Continued… Sistine Chapel, Vatican 1508 - 1512

22. Sistine

23. Michelangelo Continued… Sistine Chapel Details

24. Michelangelo Continued… Sistine Chapel Details

25. Italian Renaissance Art Continued… D) Raphael (1483 – 1520)
Self Portrait, 1506

26. Raphael (1483 – 1520) Continued…
The School of Athens (1510 – 1511)

27. The School of Athens Details
Raphael Continued…
The School of Athens Details

28. The School of Athens Details
Raphael Continued…
The School of Athens Details
Plato and Aristotle were 2 of the most influential classical philosophers in history. Plato is pointing to the heavens, which symbolizes his belief that reality lies beyond the physical world. Aristotle’s hand is towards the earth, as he disagreed with Plato (his teacher).
Who do you agree with more; Plato or Socrates?
Why do you think that they were the focal point of this painting?

29. VII Italian Renaissance Architecture
A) Filippo Brunelleschi 1377 – 1436
Brunelleschi engineered the largest masonry dome in the world for the Cathedral of Florence.

32. Italian Renaissance Architecture Continued…
B) Ghiberti – Gates of Paradise, Baptistry Door
Florence

33. Italian Renaissance Architecture Continued…
C) St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome designed by Michelangelo, dome completed 1590

34. St. Peter’s Basilica, Interior Dome

35. St. Peter’s Basilica Interior

36. VIII Italian Renaissance Literature
Machiavelli was a Florentine diplomat and humanist (1469 – 1527). He wrote The Prince, a guide on how to rule. He raised ethical questions about government and its use of power.
1. “Before all else, be armed.”
2. “It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.”
3. “A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.”
- Machiavelli

37. HW Questions Why was a Renaissance necessary in western Europe?
Why/how did the Renaissance start in Florence?
What was Humanism? How was it related to the Renaissance?
How did Italian Renaissance art compare to medieval art?
Read about the Italian Renaissance in your textbook. Does the author have a positive view? How do you know? Do you agree or disagree with how your textbook describes the Italian Renaissance?
Do we need a Renaissance today? Explain your answer.

38. Key Vocabulary
Filippo Brunelleschi’s Dome Leonardo da Vinci Donatello Donatello’s David Florence Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise Gutenberg’s Printing Press Humanism Machiavelli Medici Family Michelangelo Michelangelo’s David
Mona Lisa Perspective Petrarch Raphael Renaissance St. Peter’s Basilica The Last Supper The Pieta The Prince The School of Athens The Sistine Chapel Vitruvian Man