Intellectual and Artistic Renaissance

1. Intellectual and Artistic Renaissance

2. Humanism • Study of Classical Texts • Leads to Humanism • Intellectual focused on human potential and achievements • Studied Ancient Greek values, tried to reconcile them with Christian teachings • Influenced art and architects to carry on classical traditions • Popularized study of subjects common to classical education • History • Literature • Philosophy (called Humanities) • Emphasizing individual ability • High regard for human worth • Well-rounded universal person • Leonardo da Vinci • Painter • Sculptor • Architect • Inventor • mathematician

3. Renaissance Man • Educated men should master almost every area of study • Called “universal man”, today called “renaissance man” • Baldassare Castiglione (1528) • The Book of the Courtier by Baldassare Castiglione • Described characteristics: have character, talent, skills of warrior and an education, follow certain standard of conduct, aim was to serve prince in effective and honest way • Should be charming, witty, and educated in the classics • Should sing, dance, play music, and write poetry

5. The Courtier • “Let the man we are seeking be very bold, stern, and always among the first, where the enemy are to be seen; and every other place, gentle, modest, reserved, above all things avoiding ostentation and that impudent self-praise by which men ever excite hatred and disgust in all who hear them….” • “I would have him more than passably accomplished in letters, at least in those studies that are called the humanities, and conversant not only with the Latin language but with Greek, for the sake of many different things that have been admirebly written therein. Let him be well versed in the poets, and not less in the orators and historians, and also proficient in writing verse and prose.”

6. The “Renaissance Man” defined • Leonardo Da Vinci • Painter • sculptor • inventor • scientist • Best known for painting the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper

11. Writers changing Literature • Dante • Medieval writer • Influences Renaissance by writing in the vernacular, or native language. (Italian) • Story of the soul’s journey to salvation, goes through three realms of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise • (another Vernacular writer is Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales) • Petrarch • One of the earliest and most influential humanists • Father Renaissance Humanism • Great poet, wrote in both Latin and Italian • Looked at forgotten Latin manuscripts, spread Cicero, Homer, and Virgil • Typically wrote sonnets (14-lined poems) • Used pure classical Latin • Boccaccio • Wrote Decameron • Uses cutting humor to illustrate the human condition • Presents his characters in all their individuality and all their folly

13. Literature • Geoffrey Chaucer • Wrote Canterbury Tales • Collection of stories about 29 pilgrims on their way to Thomas a Becket’s tomb • Portrayed all of society • Christine de Pizan • Frenchwoman • Wrote The Book of the City of Ladies • Wrote in defense of women • Argued Women should be allowed to go to school

14. Niccolo Machiavelli • Wrote The Prince (1513) • Central thesis • How to acquire and keep political power • Ethics • Middle Ages stressed ethics of leaders • Machiavelli said that princes must understand human nature, which was self-centered • Political policy should not be based on moral principles • Must be strong and shrewd, be able to trick his enemies and even own people for the good of the state • World • Examines the imperfect conduct of humans • Idea that people are selfish, fickle, and corrupt • In real world, Prince must sometime mislead people and lie to opponents

15. Machiavelli Machiavelli saw himself as an enemy of oppression and corruption Critics attacked his cynical advice and even claimed he was inspired by the devil “Machiavellian” came to be a term used to refer to deceit in politics

16. The Prince “From this arises the question whether it is better to be loved more than feared, or feared more than loved. The reply is, that one ought to be both feared and loved, but as it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved, if one of the two has to be wanting. For it may be said of men in general that they are ungrateful, voluble, dissemblers, anxious to avoid danger, and covetous of gain; as long as you benefit them, they are entirely yours; they offer you their blood, their goods, their life, and their children, as I have before said, when the necessity is remote; but when it approaches, they revolt. And the prince who has relied solely on their words, without making preparations, is ruined.”

17. Education in the Renaissance • Humanists believed that education could dramatically change human beings • At core were liberal studies • History, moral philosophy, rhetoric, letters, poetry, mathematics, astronomy, music, physical education • Preparation for life • Aim was to create not just great scholars, but complete citizens • Model for basic education in Europe until the 20th century • Females • Some did attend school • Taught same subjects, as well as how to ride, dance, sing, play the lute, and appreciate poetry • Did not learn mathematics or rhetoric • Religion and morals were most important for education “Christian ladies” to become good wives and mothers

18. Artistic Renaissance in Italy • Artists sought to imitate nature • Wanted people to see the reality of the objects or events they were portraying • Developed a new world perspective • Human beings became the focus of attention • New Techniques • Frescoes • 1st masterpieces of Renaissance were frescoes painted by Masaccio in Florence in 15th century • Fresco is a painting done on fresh, wet plaster with water-based paints • Looks like the paintings come alive, created a new realistic style of painting • New “Renaissance” style was modified by others • Two major developments • Stressed technical side of painting • Understanding the laws of perspective • Organization of outdoor space and light through geometry • Investigation of movement and human anatomy • Realistic portrayal of the individual person, especially the human nude

19. Frescoes

22. Artistic Renaissance in Italy • Perspective • Making distant objects smaller than those close to the viewer • Scenes appeared three-dimensional • Used shading to look more realistic • Women Artists • Work was secret • Very few women were recognized • Architecture • Rejected Gothic style • Adopted style of Ancient Greeks and Romans • Domes were used often

27. Artistic Renaissance in Italy • Sculpture • Donatello • Spent time in Rome studying sculpture and architecture • Copied statues of Greek and Romans • Famous works include statue of St. George • Made sculpture more realistic by carving natural postures and expressions that reveal personality • Architecture • Filippo Brunelleschi • Inspired by classical Rome • Medici’s hired him to design the San Lorenzo Church in Florence • Church unlike Medieval and Gothic offers warmth and comfort of spiritual needs • Sought to reflect human-centered world

28. Donatello’s Sculptures

29. Brunelleschi

32. Masters of the Renaissance • High Renaissance from 1490 – 1520 • Last stage of Renaissance painting • Masters • Leonardo • Wanted to capture the perfection of nature and the individual • Raphael • Famous for Madonna paintings • Tried to achieve an ideal of beauty far surpassing human standards • Painted frescoes in Vatican Palace • Michelangelo • Accomplished painter, sculptor, and architect • Painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel • Depicts Biblical history from Creation to the Flood • Took four years to complete • Humans with perfect proportions, beauty = godlike • Glorified human body • Scupltures: Pieta and David

33. Raphael

35. Michelangelo

39. Renaissance in the North • Spread from Italy to the Low countries • Belgium, Luxembourg, and Netherlands • Invasion of French King into Italy drove artists and writers north in 1494 C.E. • Did not decorate ceilings and walls of churches, made illustrations • Flanders was important school of art • Jan van Eyck • One of the 1st to use oil painting • Imitated nature by observing and portraying reality • Albrecht Durer • German painter • Visited Italy, copied Italian laws of perspective

40. Jan van Eyck

41. Albrecht Durer

42. Other Notable Contemporaries • Erasmus • Christian Humanist • Wrote The Praise of Folly • Thought to improve society, everyone should read the Bible • Sir Thomas Moore • Christian Humanist • Wrote Utopia which means “no place” • About imaginary land inhabited by peace-loving people • William Shakespeare • English Playwright • Themes included dramatic conflict, human flaws, and human nature • Famous works include: Macbeth, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream

43. The Printing Revolution • Johann Gutenberg reinvented movable type around 1440 C.E. • Then invented the printing press • Machine that pressed paper against a tray full of moveable type • Printed completed Bible in 1455 C.E.

44. Effects of Printing Revolution • Enabled a printer to produce hundred of copies of a single work • Books became cheap, more people could afford • More books meant more people could learn how to read • People began to interpret the Bible for themselves, became more critical of priests and demanded reforms