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The Renaissance. Birth of Venus – Botticelli, 1485. Aim : Why did the Renaissance begin in Italy ? Explain how life was during the Greek and Roman civilizations. Explain Humanism and Secularism. Who was Leonardo DaVinci and what did he contribution to Art. Before the Middle Ages, before
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The Renaissance Birth of Venus – Botticelli, 1485
Aim: Why did the Renaissance begin in Italy? • Explain how life was during the Greek and Roman civilizations. • Explain Humanism and Secularism. • Who was Leonardo DaVinci and what did he contribution to Art
Before the Middle Ages, before the Plague, there was the glory of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
After the damage of the Bubonic Plague, Western European society changed.
In Italy, people began to look to the past, to the glories of early civilizations.
The “Dark Ages” • Renaissance thinkers referred to the Middle Ages as the “Dark Ages”. • They believed that the “light of learning” had gone out in Europe at the fall of Rome. • Renaissance thinkers wanted to rediscover the ancient Greeks and Romans.
What a piece of work is man!
In Italy, a new period of artistic creativity and new interest in the contributions of the Greeks and Romans developed.
It was a rebirth. It was the Renaissance.
The word “Renaissance” means rebirth.
And why did the Renaissance begin in Italy? Italy had a great location for trade. It was king of the Mediterranean Sea. It controlled European trade with Asia.
Renaissance thinkers were interested in discovering new ways of thinking and seeing.
During the Renaissance, humanism became popular. It was the belief in the importance and uniqueness of man.
Secularism • During the Renaissance, secularism became popular. • Secularism is a non-religious viewpoint. • Secularists look to scientific thinking for answers as opposed to religion.
Humanism • During the Renaissance, humanism became popular. • Humanism is the belief that human actions, ideas, and works are important. • Humanists rediscovered the ancient Greeks and Romans.
The Renaissance • The Renaissance was a period of artistic creativity. • Artists rediscovered the ancient civilizations of the Greeks and Romans. • The word “Renaissance” means rebirth.
Humanism • • Celebrated the individual • • Stimulated the study of classical Greek and Roman literature and culture • • Supported by wealthy patrons
Wealth from trade allowed artists to find wealthy patrons to commission and sponsor their work.
The rebirth and rediscovery of learning of the Renaissance soon spread to other parts of Europe.
Medici Family • They were a family of bankers that became very wealthy and powerful. • Soon they were involved in politics and ran the City of Florence. • They were patrons of the Arts and commissioned many works of art.
Gutenberg Bible • Gutenburg Printing Press • Movable Type
Machiavelli’s The Prince • • An early modern treatise on government • • Supports absolute power of the ruler • • Maintains that the end justifies the means • • Advises that one should not only do good if possible, but do evil when necessary
Secularists look to scientific thinking for answers.
Ideas of Machiavelli “It is better to be feared than loved…” “The ends justifies the means…”
The Prince Author: Niccolo Machiavelli Culture: Italian (another Florentine) Time: 1513 CE Genre: didactic prose handbook Name to Know: Cesare Borgia
Background Son of a lawyer. Received an ordinary literary education; read Latin but no Greek. Loved Roman history; studied law. Became a political writer & theorist. Worked as a clerk, then secretary to the second chancery of the commune in Florence (14 years).
Practical Experience As secretary & Second Chancellor of Florence, in charge of internal and war affairs, he had knowledge of military & diplomatic matters; went on diplomatic missions. After arguing against mercenaries and for a national militia, he was given the job of forming one and leading it to battle. Did so successfully(1509).
Another Florentine Exile . . . He lost his position and was exiled from Florence when the republican regime went out of power; forbidden to leave Florentine territory, he was imprisoned and tortured, accused of conspiracy by the new Medici regime. After he was released, he retired with his wife and children, wrote The Prince, among other things. Later got into Medici good graces (1520s). Died in 1527.
Reaction to Change Machiavelli’s life changed drastically when the Medici family took power in Florence. How does he react to this? Compare with how Abelard and Dante dealt with the unforeseen events in their lives (castration, exile). How would Marie de France judge their reactions to unexpected change, the test of unforeseen events ?
His Importance An historian summed Machiavelli up thus: ‘Diplomat, historian, dramatist, philosopher; the most cynical thinker of his time, and yet a patriot fired with a noble ideal; a man who failed in everything he undertook, but left upon history a deeper mark than almost any other figure of the Renaissance.’ [Durant]
Machiavelli was an independent and fearless thinker about ethics and politics: • interested in states, not individuals [individuals are simply members of states] • wants to know why states rise & fall • wants to know how to delay state decay
The Prince A manual teaching how to get and keep political power. The author assumes a pedagogical persona, seeks to persuade readers. The work is powerful for: subject matter rhetorical & technical brilliance Among the most frequently reprinted books in any language. Dedicated first to Giuliano de’ Medici, then to Lorenzo, his nephew.
The presentation of an ideal character is a Renaissance tendency. Author’s premise: human nature is evil; human nature remains constant over time. Author’s goal: to liberate Italy from both internal warring and foreign oppression.
The Prince, Almost Machiavelli admired Cesare Borgia, son of Pope Alexander VI, makes him an embodied will to power, a model for supermen, beyond good and evil.
Borgia’s Accomplishments • Destroyed his disloyal generals, having first made their supporters his own. • Put Remirro de Orco in charge of Romagna. He pacified the province and united it (the bad guy); Borgia then instituted civil courts (good guy). • Had Remirro killed and displayed in public square. “The ferocity of this spectacle left those people at the same time gratified and awe-struck.”
The Art of the Italian Renaissance
Art and Patronage • Italians were willing to spend a lot of money on art. • Art communicated social, political, and spiritual values. • Italian banking & international trade interests had the money. • Public art in Florence was organized and supported by guilds. Therefore, the consumption of art was used as a form of competition for social & political status!
Charateristics of Renaissance Art
1. Realism & Expression • Expulsion fromthe Garden • Masaccio • 1427 • First nudes sinceclassical times.
2. Perspective • The Trinity • Masaccio • 1427 Perspective! Perspective! Perspective! Perspective! Perspective! Perspective! Perspective! First use of linear perspective! What you are, I once was; what I am, you will become.
Perspective! Betrothal of the Virgin Raphael 1504
