Renaissance

1. Renaissance SOL WHII.2

2. Late Medieval Period • 1300’s—AKA The Dark Ages • Marked with: • Famine, Disease, War and Death…many Europeans believed that the end was coming • Reflected in art

3. Art during the Dark Ages

4. Dark Ages • Famine—widespread crop failures leads to starvation • The plague—leads to death • 100 Years War—leads to death!

5. The Plague • 1347-rat infested trading ships from the Black Sea to Sicily • By 1348—it reached Spain and France • Bubonic Plague—spread by fleas on rats (bites • Pneumonic Plague—airborne—lungs-cough

6. The Plague: Signs of Sickness • Red dots, swelling—black bruises, heavy sweats, coughing, horrible odor, internal bleeding • Life expectancy—3-4 days • 1 out of 3 people died • 25-33% of Europe's Population • Ring Around the Rosies

8. Plague led to hysteria!!! • People turned to magic/witchcraft • Pleasure seeking—enjoy life before you die • Some felt it was a punishment from God—they beat themselves for repentance • Blamed the Jews--persecution

9. The Black Death Caused: • Economics were nearly ruined—loss of population resulted in a decrease in the number of craftsmen • Decrease in TRADE!!!! • Decrease in number of workers so serfs left Manor and farmland was abandoned • Increase in prices • Church declined

10. Church • Lacked strong leadership • Church was not able to offer peace of mind during the plague • Critics of Church corruption • People begin to doubt the church

12. War • 1337-1453-England and France fought a series of conflicts—Hundred Year’s War • Both have been fighting over control of French lands • When Edward III (England) claimed the French throne—war erupted

13. The English King, Edward III, is the grandson of the last Capetian King on his mother’s side. • The French do not want the throne to go to the English King, so they crown Philip VI, a nephew to the deceased king and cousin of Edward III

14. The wool industry: Flanders was at this time the center of the European wool industry. England’s main source of revenue was the selling of wool to Flemish wool merchants. • France was gradually gaining control of Flanders and shutting out the English. • Edward III made a great deal of his income from profits on wool. • So in 1337 Edward III, threatened by having a large amount of his property and income taken away, declares war on Philip VI.

15. Joan of Arc • 17 year old peasant convinced the king to let her lead the French troops against England—lead several victories • Was captured by English—tried for witchcraft and burned at the stake • England was forced off of French lands—with cannons

17. Renaissance • Italian for rebirth (classical learning) • Intellectual and artistic revival • Focused on themes of Ancient Greece and Rome • Started in 1300’s—height in 1500s • Started in Italy then spread throughout Europe

18. Why did it start in Italy? • First to recover from the Dark Ages • Trade revived in Italy first • Wealthy merchant class (Medici—Lorenzo “the Magnificent”) • They were big patrons of the arts (supporters of the arts)

19. Renaissance Cities • Florence, Venice, Genoa, Milan (North)—cultural centers of trade • Rome—central • Naples--southern

20. Renaissance Literature • Writers focused on humanist ideals • Humanism: mode of thought or action in whichhuman interests, values, and dignity predominate • Emphasized religious and moral reform • Wrote in vernacular

21. Literature continued… • Machiavelli—The Prince—guide to gain/maintain power; the end justifies the means—use whatever is necessary to achieve their goals • Francisco Petrarch—started a library of classical manuscripts; wrote Sonnets to Laura

22. Literature continued… • Cervantes—Don Quixote—mocked Romantic notions of chivalry • Shakespeare—Renown playwright— • Comedies—A Midsummer Night’s Dream • History—Richard III • Tragedies—Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth

23. Literature • Castiglione– wrote a “how to” book explaining how to become Renaissance people—The Book of the Courtier

24. Reasons for the success of Renaissance Literature • Development of printing • 1300’s = papermaking • 1400’s = movable type • 1456 = Johann Gutenburg (German)-printed a Bible with movable type • Books = cheaper, easier to produce, more available

25. Renaissance Art • Still used religious images/figures (icons) • Revived classical form • Focused on realism • Used perspective—technique that gives art three dimensions

26. Leonardo da Vinci • Mona Lisa • Last Supper • Dissected corpses to study bones and muscles • Sketches of flying machines and undersea boats

27. Mona Lisa Vitruvian Man Last Supper

29. Michelangelo • David—statue of the shepherd that killed Goliath • Designed the dome for St. Peter’s in Rome

30. Ceiling of Sistine Chapel Creation of Man David

31. Raphael • School of Athens—gathering of thinkers (Plato, Aristotle, …) • Madonna—mother of Christ portrayals

32. School of Athens An example of a Madonna by Raphael

33. Northern Renaissance • 1450’s—region of Flanders (today—N. France, Belgium and Netherlands)

34. Northern Artists • Albrecht Durer—German; studied in Italy; returned home—helped to spread the Italian Renaissance to his homeland (nickname—German Leonardo) • Jan and Hubert van Eyck—oil painters; paintings

35. Durer—A Young Hare Durer--Eve

36. Jan van Eyck—The Betrothal of the Arnolfini Jan van Eyck—Portrait of a Man in a Turban

37. Northern Artists continued… • Pieter Bruegel—scenes of peasant life

38. Pieter Bruegel—The Harvesters Pieter Bruegel—Netherlandish Proverbs

39. Scholars • In addition to classical learning—they emphasized religious and moral reform • Desiderius Erasmus—(Dutch) challenged corruption in the church; In Praise of Folly—used humor to highlight immoral behavior of the clergy—called for a vernacular translation of the Bible

40. Scholars • Sir Thomas More—(English) Utopia—wanted social/economic reform; ideal society—where people live in peace