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Explore the spread of Renaissance thought to Northern Europe, the development of Christian Humanism, and the impact of key figures like Erasmus and Thomas More.
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Spread of the Renaissance • By the late 15th century, Italian Renaissance thought and ideals had spread to France, Germany, England, most of Northern Europe. • N. Renaissance differed from the Italian Renaissance in some respects • Greater effort than in Italy to reconcile secular and Christian values and attitudes • Infused with a more powerful Christian spirit • Focused more on the ancient texts of Christianity rather than of Romans and Greeks • Studied Latin and Greek, like in Italy, but for editing the Bible and reading writings of Church Fathers • Distinctly religious in character
Development of Printing • One of the most important events in the Renaissance outside of Italy • Johannes Gutenberg of Mainz in the German Rhineland around 1440 • Printed edition of the Bible- 1456 • By 1480, there were over 380 printing presses in operation • Had an immense impact on European civilization, enabling the rapid spread of knowledge and ideas among the educated classes
Northern Humanists • Humanism in the Northern Renaissance is referred to as Christian humanism because of the humanists’ efforts to unite classical learning with the Christian faith • Rejected medieval Christianity’s excessive emphasis on other-worldliness • Sought to achieve a balance of otherworldly and secular concerns and regarded classics as guides in that quest • Desire to use knowledge of classics to deepen understanding of the Christian faith • Begin to criticize Catholic Church
The Brethren of the Common Life • Contributed to the development of Christian Humanism • Devoted themselves to education based on classical learning and to creating a deep spiritual relationship with Christ and a love for human beings
Erasmus (1466-1536) • One of the most famous of the Christian Humanists • Although he was ordained to priesthood, he devoted his life to classical studies • Was a master of the Greek Language • Made new translations of the Greek and Latin versions of the New Testament to create “purer” editions • Devout Catholic who sought to reform the Church, not to destroy it
Praise of Folly first printed in 1511 • Satire, ridiculed many attitudes of his own time – ignorance, superstition, and greed • Satire was sharp when it was directed against churchmen who manifested these qualities • Criticized the immorality and hypocrisy of Church leaders and the clergy • Best seller- only the Bible sold more by 1550 • Written in Latin- so not for mass consumption • Book inspired renewed calls for reform and influenced Martin Luther “Erasmus laid the egg that Luther hatched”
Erasmian Humanism • Based on Erasmus’s belief that the Christian religion offered humanity sound guidelines for its moral conduct and that religion and learning were bound together • Even though he was a critic of the abuses of the Roman Catholic Church he was not a Protestant • He had faith in the ability for humans to reform their institutions from within
Thomas More (1478-1535) • England’s greatest humanist • Prime example of civic humanist- rose to the highest government position of any humanist • Lord Chancellor to King Henry VIII in England • Most famous work– Utopia • Society based on reason and tolerance • Practiced Christianity free of ignorance and superstition • No private property or desire for profit • Contrasted this society with all the evils existing in his own society
Thomas More • Mixes civic humanism with religious ideals to describe a perfect society located on an imaginary island • In order to achieve harmony and order people have to be willing to sacrifice their individual rights for the common good
Jacques Lefevred’Etables (1454-1536) • Leading French humanist and good example of how Northern Christian humanists • Produced 5 versions of the Psalms that challenged a single authoritative version of the Bible
Francesco Ximenes de Cisneros (1436-1517) • Spanish humanist who reformed the Spanish clergy and church so that many of the Church abuses highlighted in Reformation didn’t necessarily apply to Spain • Grand Inquisitor of Spanish Inquisition • Shows that not all humanists were necessarily tolerant in views
French Writers • François Rabelais (1494-1553) • Secular writings portrayed his confidence in human nature and reflected Renaissance ideals • Gargantua and Pantagruel • Folk epic and comic masterpiece that satirized French society • Attacked clerical education and monastic orders- championed secular learning
French Writers • Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) • Developed the essay form • A vehicle for testing new ideas • His father was Catholic, while his mother was of Spanish Jewish decent • The mixed religious background of his parents may have led to his skepticism about religious beliefs • Believed that since one could not know anything with absolute certainty, must be tolerant
British Literature • Elizabethan period • Shakespeare (1564-1616) • Greatest of the English Renaissance authors • Reflected ideas of classical Greek and Roman culture, individualism, and humanism • Wrote comedies, tragedies, histories, and sonnets • Taming of the Shrew, Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, and Antony and Cleopatra
Spanish Literature • Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) • Don Quixote – major work • Critical of excessive religious idealism and chivalric romance • Satire of medieval chivalry- telling story of nobleman who travels the countryside in search of romantic adventures and his accomplice who has common sense and prudence • Presented characters of all kinds and classes
Jan Van Eyck (1390-1441) • Most famous and innovative Flemish painter of the 15th century • Brother Hubert was also a painter- they were first major painters to use oil successfully • Da Vinci actually learned about oils from them • Great attention to minute detail, microscopic detail in vivid color- trained illuminator of manuscripts • Master of portrait painting
Van Eyck: The Marriage of the Arnolfini (1434)
Bosch (1450-1516) • Netherlands • Master of symbolism and fantasy • His art often times look surrealistic (similar to Dali of the 20th century) • Focused on death and torments of Hell • Inventive torments as punishments for sinners • Monsters • He believed that a corrupt mankind, seduced by evil, should suffer calamitous consequences
Brueghel (1525-69) • Flemish • Not influenced much by the Italian Renaissance • Focused on the lives of ordinary people, especially peasants
The Battle Between Carnival and Lent (detail)
Breughel: Children’s Games (1559)
Dürer (1471-1528) • Native of Nuremberg- major German Renaissance artist • Master of the woodcut • “Leonardo of the North” • First northerner to master Italian techniques of proportion, perspective, and modeling • Painted numerous self-portraits • Painted both religious and classical subjects
Durer: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, woodcut (1498)
Durer: Knight, Death, and the Devil engraving, (1513)
Grünewald (1475-1530) • German Rhineland • Primarily religious works • Somber and awe-filled crucifixion scenes • The Isenheim altarpiece is best – known work
Holbein the Younger (1497-1543) • Premier portrait artist of the era • Painted Erasmus and numerous portraits of Henry VIII • Considerable Italian influence • His father was an important painter in Gothic tradition of medieval German Art
El Greco (1541-1614) • Greatest painter of the Spanish Renaissance • Studied in Italy with Titan • His paintings reflected his intense religious mysticism and characterized by elongated and distorted figures ‘ • Dramatic lighting effects
Mannerism • Reaction against the Renaissance ideals of balance, symmetry, simplicity, and realistic use of color • Used unnatural colors with elongated shapes
