World History

1. World History The Renaissance and Exploration (15:1)

3. Leonardo da Vinci • The journals of Leonardo • Obsessed with learning and new ideas • Knew man was not restricted to the ground • You can never bring back the past, you can only channel it to make going forward easier

6. The Renaissance • The “rebirth” • A time of creativity • A new view of the world • On the cusp of achieving great things • Art and intellectualism flourished

7. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… • Where is the world coming from? • What is still going on? • 100 Years War • Just coming out of the Middle Ages • Black Death • Political Revolution • New Weaponry

8. Italy Offered New Opportunities • The Renaissance began in northern Italy • Why?

9. New Opportunities • Reason #1: • Economically thriving urban centers • Genoa, Venice, Florence • Northern Italy was ahead of its time (urban)

10. New Opportunities • Reason #2 • Northern Italy was dominated by merchants and wealth • The city-states ran their own affairs • Merchants were the wealthiest and most powerful people • Merchants did not inherit their social rank • Most importantly, their support for the arts

11. New Opportunities • Merchants fought for sponsorships • They wanted to sponsor the most skilled artists, writers, etc. • This enabled artists and intellectuals to concentrate on their craft

12. 3 of the early geniuses: • Giotto – painted frescoes • Painting on wet plaster • Commissioned to paint • Giotto began a revolution in art • Had a grasp on emotion, not anatomy • People interacted in his paintings • Short and homely

14. Giotto • “The Mourning of Christ” • Best known for his works depicting Saint Francis of Assissi • Known for the marks of stigmata

17. Giotto: • “I am he through whose merit the lost art of painting was revived…but what need is there for words? I am Giotto, and my name alone tells more than a lengthy ode.” • Commonplace Renaissance imaging in the celebration of the individual

18. Early Genius #2 • Dante Alighieri • Met his muse at age 9 (Beatrice) – then didn’t see her again for 10 years • “From that time forward, love quite governed my soul” Dante, speaking of his meeting with Beatrice • She died at 24 – Dante’s infatuation continued

20. The Divine Comedy • Part 1 – Gets a tour of Hell from Virgil • Dante’s Inferno • Part 2 – Dante and Virgil visit purgatory • What is purgatory? • Part 3 – Guided through paradise by St. Bernard, a medieval monk, and meets Beatrice • What happens to Virgil?

21. The Divine Comedy • A running commentary on the events of his friends and politics • A philosophic bridge between Europe’s past and its future • Didn’t write in Latin • Wrote it in vernacular • The everyday language of ones homeland, considered now to be the father of modern Italian and greatly influenced others to write in vernacular

22. Early Genius #3 • Petrarch • A great poet • Had a muse named Laura • Very mysterious lady who died of the plague • Wrote many letters as well to influential people, friends, and a combination of the two

23. Petrarch • Often imitated Cicero (Ancient Roman Senator) – a personal literary hero of Petrarch • Crossed Dante’s bridge of old to new • Left the classical, complex styling • A contemporary of his time

24. Petrarch • Laura • Married to another man • Petrarch was denied each time he pursued her • Wrote prolifically about her, letters and poems showing his intense feelings • Slipped into a depression when she died • Fathered the Renaissance • Combined religion and humanism

25. New Values • Celebration of the individual • Artists and intellectuals were now noted, and remembered for their works • They used to do it solely to glorify God • Fame became the final reward for superior talent • Still true today? Right or wrong?

26. New Values • Two new art forms evolved • Portrait paintings • Wealthy patrons wanted to be remembered • Autobiographies • Written equivalents of self-portraits • It seems the Renaissance, rightfully or wrongfully, went hand in hand with the development of the ego.

27. Classical Learning • Scholars despised Renaissance works • Petrarch coined the phrase “Dark Ages” • Since the fall of Rome in 476 people had been living in “Darkness” • Scholars and many Renaissance figures were humanists • Studying what every human should know, Greek and Roman writing • The carrying on of tradition (evolution)

28. Worldly Pleasures • Almost everyone enjoyed the “better things” in life in Renaissance Italy • Clothing became so decorative it was gaudy • Perfumes • No longer did devout people have to dress the part • It was okay to worship God, and have the better things in life as well

29. Differing Ideals • Striving to master every art • “Universal men” / “Renaissance men” • The Courtier – How to be successful

30. The Ideal Man • The ideal man has a responsibility to be many things according to Castiglione • Strong, polite, witty, a good dancer, sing, etc. • Many men during the Renaissance claimed to be well skilled in all these things • Alberti’s third person account

31. The Ideal Woman • The same as the ideal men except: • They were not supposed to seek fame or create art, only inspire it. • Although some made an attempt at greatness • Isabella d’Este • Caterina Sforza • Very few achieved it • Women were however far better educated than in the Middle Ages