The Pre- (or "Proto"-) Renaissance began in a northern enclave before 1400, It didn't, at least initially, represent a wild

divergence from any other Medieval art. What made the Proto-Renaissance important was that the area in which it began was stable enough to allow explorations in art to develop. Fifteenth-century Italian Art, often (and not incorrectly) referred to as the "Early Renaissance", generally means artistic goings-on in the Republic of Florence between the years 1417 and 1494. (This doesn't mean nothing happened prior to 1417, by the way. The Proto-Renaissance explorations had spread to include artists throughout northern Italy.) Florence was the spot, for a number of factors, that the Renaissance period really caught hold and stuck. After hearing so much about Florence, in the article entitled "The Early Renaissance," it would be natural to assume that the next and most glorious - phase in Art History would occur in the same location. Well, no, this didn't happen. Wonderful Florence met the end of its Renaissance heyday in the 1490s for several reasons. First, Lorenzo de Medici - arguably the greatest of the Medici - died in 1492. This brought a close to what is often referred to as the "Laurentian Age" in Florence. Of equal importance, a rabidly religious monk named Savonarola was busy in Florence decrying the decadence of its art which, in his opinion, had caused moral decay and would, quite possibly, bring the Apocalypse upon the Florentines. As is always the sad case in instances such as these, many were willing to listen to Savonarola. The powerful Medici were expelled, fleeing to Rome. Savonarola inspired, for a time, great religious fervor in the townspeople, to the point of organizing the first "bonfire of the vanities", wherein "sacrilegious" items were burned in public. Loyalty being fickle, Savonarola himself suffered a similar fate in 1498. The damage to Florence's profile in the arts, however, had already been irreparably done. Finally, the Florentine scene had made it incredibly chic for Those in Power (elsewhere) to acquire their own, personal artistic geniuses. Have you ever heard the phrase "keeping up with the Jones-es"? On a grand scale, at this time, many were keen to "keep up with" the Medici. The ranks of the Florentine artists were plundered, lured to other locations by promises of wealth and fame.

The good news is that, even though Florence was left with not much talent, it had already trained the talent that went elsewhere. In one of those ironic twists of fate, nearly all of the "greats" (excepting the Venetians, which is another topic entirely) of the High Renaissance were either trained in or influenced by the Florentine School. Bidding Florence both huge thanks and a fond farewell, then, let's get right down to defining the who-s, what-s and when-s of the "High" Renaissance. Why is it called the "High" Renaissance? Simply put, this period represented a culmination. The tentative artistic explorations of the Proto-Renaissance, which caught hold and flowered during the Early Renaissance, burst into full bloom during the High Renaissance. Artists no longer pondered the art of antiquity. They now had the tools, technology, training and confidence to go their own way, secure in the knowledge that what they were doing was as good - or better - than anything that had been done before. Additionally, the High Renaissance represented a convergence of talent - an almost obscene wealth of talent concentrated in the same area during the same small window of time. Astounding, truly, considering what the odds against this have to have been. How long did the High Renaissance last? Not long at all, in the grand scheme of things. Leonardo began producing his important works in the 1480's, so most art historians agree that the 1480's were the start of the High Renaissance. Raphael died in 1520. One could argue that either Raphael's death or the Sack of Rome, in 1527, marked the end of the High Renaissance. No matter how it's figured, though, the High Renaissance was of no more than forty years' duration. Where did the High Renaissance occur? A little bit in Milan (per early Leonardo), a little bit in Florence (per early Michelangelo), smaller bits scattered here and there throughout northern and central Italy and a whole lot in Rome. Rome, you see, was the place to which one fled when a Duchy was under attack, a Republic was being reorganized or one simply grew tired of wandering. Another attractive feature Rome offered

artists, at this time, was a series of ambitious Popes. Each of these Popes, in turn, outspent the previous Pope on elaborate works of art. In fact, if this string of Holy Fathers agreed on any one secular policy, it was that Rome needed better art. By the end of the 15thcentury, Popes were coming from the sorts of wealthy, powerful families that were accustomed to underwriting public art and employing their own private artists. Now, a Pope had (still has, in fact) a great deal of clout. If one was an artist, and the Pope "requested" one's presence in Rome, one certainly packed off to Rome. (Not to mention the fact that these Holy "requests" were often delivered by armed emissaries.) In any case, we've already seen it demonstrated that artists tend to go where arts funding is found. Between Papal requests and the money being in Rome, the Big Three Names of the High Renaissance each found themselves in Rome being creative, at certain points. We all know what the Renaissance was, correct? Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael and company created some fabulous paintings and sculptures that we continue to marvel over many centuries later and so on and so forth. (Hope you are nodding your head right now and thinking "Yes, yes - please get on with it!") While these were vitally important artists, and their collective work is what usually comes to mind when one hears the word "Renaissance", as so often happens in life things aren't quite that simple.

The Renaissance (a word which literally means "born anew") is a name we've given to a period in Western history during which the arts - so important in Classic cultures - were revived. The arts had quite a difficult time remaining important during the Middle Ages, given all of the territorial struggles that were occurring throughout Europe. People living then had enough to do merely figuring out how to stay in the good graces of whomever was ruling them, while the rulers were preoccupied with maintaining or expanding control. With the large exception of the Roman Catholic Church, no one had much time or thought left over to devote toward the luxury of art. It will come as no surprise, then, to hear that "the Renaissance" had no clear-cut beginning date, started first in those areas which had the highest relative levels of political stability and spread, not like wildfire, but in a series of different phases which occurred between the years c. 1150 and c. 1600. What were the different phases of the Renaissance? In the interest of time, let's break this topic down into four broad categories. The Pre- (or "Proto"-) Renaissance began in a northern enclave of present-day Italy sometime around 1150 or so. It didn't, at least initially, represent a wild divergence from any other Medieval art. What made the Proto-Renaissance important was that the area in which it began was stable enough to allow explorations in art to develop. Fifteenthcentury Italian Art, often (and not incorrectly) referred to as the "Early Renaissance", generally means artistic goings-on in the Republic of Florence between the years 1417 and 1494. (This doesn't mean nothing happened prior to 1417, by the way. The Proto-Renaissance explorations had spread to include artists throughout northern Italy.) Florence was the spot, for a number of factors, that the Renaissance period really caught hold and stuck. Sixteenth-century Italian Art is a category which contains three separate topics. What we now call the "High Renaissance" was a relatively brief period which lasted from roughly 1495 to 1527. (This is the little window of time referred to when one speaks of Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael.) The "Late Renaissance" took place between 1527 and 1600 (again, this is a rough time table) and included the artistic school known as Mannerism. Additionally, The Renaissance thrived in Venice, an area so unique (and supremely disinterested with Mannerism) that an artistic "school" has been named in

its honor. The Renaissance in Northern Europe struggled to come into being, mostly due to the stranglehold Gothic art maintained for centuries and the fact that this geographical region was slower to gain political stability than was northern Italy. Nonetheless, the Renaissance did occur here, beginning around the middle of the fourteenth century and lasting until the Baroque movement (c. 1600). Now let's explore these "Renaissances" to get an idea of which artists did what (and why we still care), as well as learning the new techniques, mediums and terms that came from each. You can follow any of the hyperlinked words (they're blue and have underlining) in this article to go to the part of the Renaissance that interests you most.

RENAISSANCE CLOTHINGS

"Is that thine codling or art thou glad to see me?" Anne Boleyn, to Duke Fabrizio of Bologna, apocryphal. Due to laws prohibiting who was allowed to wear what, and the cost of materials, there was a vast difference in attire between the classes. Not only did materials vary, but styles as well, as the lower classes opted for practicality in their clothing by necessity. Lower classes, such as laborers and apprentices would wear linen, a light, cool fabric derived from the flax plant, wool, or sheepskin. Cotton had been in production since antiquity, but its import and manufacture was prohibited in Elizabethan England in order to protect the wool industry, one of England's chief exports. It was not until cotton farming in the new world and Eli Whitney's development of the cotton gin in 1793 that cotton become a favored fabric (Cotton).

An example of middle-class women's dress, c. 1570 Fabrics available to those in the upper classes included silk, satin, velvet, and brocade. As this was prior to the industrial revolution, all harvesting, weaving, and production of fabrics and clothing was done by hand, thus greatly influencing price. As with fabric choices, the lower classes were limited in the amount of clothing they could afford, and may only have one set of clothing. Liveries, uniforms worn by servants with their master's colors or emblems on them, were provided by the master to the servant. Liveries were exempt from many of the sumptuary restrictions, as they represented the upper class master, not the servant. While the the materials and sumptuousness of clothing varied greatly between the classes, the basic elements of an outfit were

much the same. As with today, styles went in and out of fashion, often rapidly.

Women
The styles of the gowns worn by women in Renaissance England changed from year to year, but the basic styles remained the same. Women wore gowns comprised of a tightfitting bodice and a fuller skirt that would hang down to the ankles. Dresses cut to expose much of the neckline were acceptable and fashionable. Clothing of the upper classes was heavy and cumbersome, and restricted movement for the wearer. Women of the lower classes wore much less restrictive styles, both for freedom of movement, and because they did not have servants to help them dress. In dressing, a lower class women would wear a much looser corset, or none at all, and would possibly eschew other underpinnings such as bum rolls (crescent-shaped cushions worn around the hips) or farthingales (hoop skirts used to hold the skirts out) for added comfort. All women's outfits started with a shift (a loose, linen smock worn to protect the gown), and stockings, which were normally knee-high. Petticoats were added both to fill out a gown and to keep the wearer warm. "Is that thine codling or art thou glad to see me?" Anne Boleyn, to Duke Fabrizio of Bologna, apocryphal. Due to laws prohibiting who was allowed to wear what, and the cost of materials, there was a vast difference in attire between the classes. Not only did materials vary, but styles as well, as the lower classes opted for practicality in their clothing by necessity. Lower classes, such as laborers and apprentices would wear linen, a light, cool fabric derived from the flax plant, wool, or sheepskin. Cotton had been in production since antiquity, but its import and manufacture was prohibited in Elizabethan England in order to protect the wool industry, one of England's chief exports. It was not until cotton farming in the new world and Eli Whitney's development of the cotton gin in 1793 that

cotton become a favored fabric (Cotton).

An example of middle-class women's dress, c. 1570 Fabrics available to those in the upper classes included silk, satin, velvet, and brocade. As this was prior to the industrial revolution, all harvesting, weaving, and production of fabrics and clothing was done by hand, thus greatly influencing price. As with fabric choices, the lower classes were limited in the amount of clothing they could afford, and may only have one set of clothing. Liveries, uniforms worn by servants with their master's colors or emblems on them, were provided by the master to the servant. Liveries were exempt from many of the sumptuary restrictions, as they represented the upper class master, not the servant.

While the the materials and sumptuousness of clothing varied greatly between the classes, the basic elements of an outfit were much the same. As with today, styles went in and out of fashion, often rapidly.

Women
The styles of the gowns worn by women in Renaissance England changed from year to year, but the basic styles remained the same. Women wore gowns comprised of a tightfitting bodice and a fuller skirt that would hang down to the ankles. Dresses cut to expose much of the neckline were acceptable and fashionable. Clothing of the upper classes was heavy and cumbersome, and restricted movement for the wearer. Women of the lower classes wore much less restrictive styles, both for freedom of movement, and because they did not have servants to help them dress. In dressing, a lower class women would wear a much looser corset, or none at all, and would possibly eschew other underpinnings such as bum rolls (crescent-shaped cushions worn around the hips) or farthingales (hoop skirts used to hold the skirts out) for added comfort. All women's outfits started with a shift (a loose, linen smock worn to protect the gown), and stockings, which were normally knee-high. Petticoats were added both to fill out a gown and to keep the wearer warm.

WOMEN'S FASHIONS - PEASANT CLASS

A peasant woman wore a long-sleeved shift under everything and at least two skirts over that, wit the underskirts, tucked up out of the dirt. She had an apron on over the skirts to keep them clean i of the time. She wore a tight fitting bodice or vest (scoop or square necked), which usually came buttoned on over the shift. It had removable sleeves which were worn or not, depending on the we

Any woman over the age of thirteen had her hair covered by some sort of headgear, such as a bigg hair itself was usually braided or bundled up out of the way. There was no such thing as having sh short hair, cover your head or wear a wig or hairpiece.)

Women sometimes wore knee-length cloth hosen held up by garter ties and they had some kind o She had a belt pouch and a small eating knife of her own. She had a basket to carry things gathere market. In cold weather she would wear a cape or shawl wrapped around her. She wore no lace. It was much too expensive.

Men
A man's outfit would start with a shirt, similar to today's dress shirt, but lacking the collar and cuffs we are familiar with, instead sometimes utilizing lace collars and cuffs. Over this would go a doublet, or fitted top, and finally over that a jerkin, a close-fitting jacket. Men of the working class like their female counterparts dressed for utility and might simply wear the shirt alone. Instead of trousers as we are used to them today, men would wear hose on their legs. The upper hose were (often poufy) knee-length trousers which were met by the nether hose, or stockings, on the lower leg. In the reign of Henry VIII, doublets became shorter, creating a space between the upper hose and the doublet. In order to preserve modesty, the cod piece became popular again, having been around since the middle ages. The cod piece was originally a cloth or animal skin pocket in the from of hose or trouser, but were now made from various materials, and often padded or used for storage - Henry VIII used his codpiece to store money. Once more, these additions to the outfit would be more common in an upper class individual or person at court than the average Englishman (Kosir).