Chapter 15 Section 2

1. Chapter 15 Section 2 The Northern Renaissance

2. Review • Which approach to study included critical analysis of material? • The Renaissance began in Italy because the ________ increased trade and brought them in contact with Byzantine scholars • Italian Renaissance writers reflected whos teachings? • increased trade and brought Italy in contact with Byzantine scholars (who preserved Greek and Roman ideas) as well as contact with new ideas from where?

3. The Spread of Ideas • Italian Renaissance ideas began to spread northward mostly by students who had studied in Italy • Another way the ideas spread was the process of printing • Scholars believe that in about 1450, Johannes Guttenberg became the first European to use moveable type to print books • Guttenberg’s invention was not totally well received by some. They believed books made from paper would not last long, that hand written manuscripts were far more beautiful, and scribes feared for their jobs

4. Skepticism did not stop the spread printing press. By 1475 printing presses were used in England, France, Germany and Italy

5. Northern Renaissance Writers • The most influential humanist of Northern Europe was Desiderius Erasmus • {Erasmus differed from Italian scholars in that he studied the works of early Christians} as well as Greek and Roman scholars. He believed that the ideas of Christianity and of classical civilization could be harmonized • In Erasmus’ most famous book The Praise of Folly he criticized fasting, pilgrimages and even the church’s interpretation of the Bible • Believing medieval scholars had made Christianity less spiritual and more complicated, he suggested a return to the original simple message of Jesus

6. Desiderius Erasmus

7. Thomas More • Thomas More, an English humanist, took a similar view • In 1516 he published Utopia in which he condemned governments as corrupt and argued that the private ownership of property causes unnecessary conflict between people • Thomas More contrasted life in Europe with his idea of a perfect society where every man was equal and everyone worked to support the society • After refusing to agree that the king was the supreme head of the church in England, King Henry VIII had him executed • 400 years later he was sainted by the church

8. Thomas More By Hans Holbein the Younger King Henry VIII

9. William Shakespeare &Christopher Marlowe • English literature reached its peak in the late 1500’s and the early 1600’s • Whereas classical dramas portrayed angry gods punishing humans {writers such as Shakespeare and Marlowe focused on human actions and emotions} • Marlowe used powerful language and imagery to convey his thoughts • Shakespeare built upon the ideas of Marlowe but he portrayed human emotions and personality with a skill that few other writers have matched

10. Christopher Marlowe William Shakespeare

11. Northern Renaissance Artists • Painters from northern Europe began to study under Italian painters, spreading the new style • In Flanders a group of artists developed their own style. The painters known as the Flemish School are credited with perfecting techniques of painting on oil canvas • The Flemish brothers Jan and Hubert van Eyck paid great attention to detail, especially in facial expressions • One of the most famous Flemish artists, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, came out of this era

12. An alter piece created by Jan and Hubert van Eyck

13. Continued…. • Germany also produced many great artists as well. • Albrecht Durer was famous for his copper engravings and woodcuts. He was one of the first to suggest illustration in books • Hans Holbein the Younger traveled through Europe painting portraits of famous people • Although northern Europe was influenced by the Italian Renaissance style, it did develop its own personality and style • Example: most Italian art depicted men as athletic figures with rippling muscles and flawless physiques. On the other hand, the northern styles were more like the Europeans of the 1500’s- bald, frail and imperfect

14. Italian Renaissance Flemish Renaissance

15. Review • Erasmus differed from Italian scholars in that he studied the works of who? • What did writers such as Shakespeare and Marlowe focus on? • Which approach to study included critical analysis of material? • The Renaissance began in Italy because the ________ increased trade and brought them in contact with Byzantine scholars