Renaissance

Chapter # 11: Topics

 What was the Renaissance?
 Concepts about Renaissance
 Causes of the Renaissance
 Where did the Renaissance begin?
 Characteristics of the Renaissance
 The Reformation
 Causes of the Reformation
 Northern Renaissance
 Renaissance Man
 What was the Renaissance?
 Period following the middle ages (1450-1550)
 “Rebirth” of classical Greece and Rome
 “Rebirth” in arts, learning, trade in Europe beginning in the 1300
 Recovery from disasters of plague, political instability, decline of
church power
 Transition of Europe from agricultural to urban society
So, what was it?
A. Spread of new political, social, artistic ideas
B. New social system developing in Europe (middle class)
C. Interest in “classics” from Greece and Rome
D. Explored human experience
E. Emphasis on individual ability
F. Growing secular (non-religious), worldly, viewpoint
 Renaissance Man- person capable of many achievements
(Leonardo da Vinci painter, sculptor, architect, inventor,
mathematician)
 Concepts about Renaissance
 The term Renaissance is derived from the French
word meaning rebirth or reawakening. The
cultural rebirth that occurred in Europe from
roughly the fourteenth through the middle of the
seventeenth centuries, based on the rediscovery of
the literature of Greece and Rome.
 The Renaissance is a period from the 14th to 17th
century, considered the bridge between the Middle
Ages and Modern history. It started as cultural
movement in Italy in the Late Medieval period and
later spread to the rest of Europe. The Renaissance
was a time of great beauty and art.
 The Renaissance
 The Renaissance gave birth to the modern era, in
that it was in this era that human beings first began
to think of themselves as individuals. In the early
Middle Ages, people had been happy to see
themselves simply as parts of a greater whole– for
example, as members of a great family, trade guide,
nation or Church. This communal consciousness of
the Middle Ages gradually gave way to the
individual consciousness of the Renaissance.
 The Renaissance was important because it ushered
in many changes, particularly in European art and
culture. The Renaissance is generally understood to
be the art, literature and culture accumulated in 14th
to 16th centuries.
 Causes of the Renaissance
 Decline of Feudalism
-Church disrespected
-Nobility in chaos
-Growth of Middle class through trade
 Impact of the Crusades
 Decline in the influence of Church
 Wealth and Prosperity
 Invention of Printing press and paper
 Fall of Constantinople
-Greek scholars flied to Italy
 Education
 Role of Progressive Rulers and Nobles
 Geographical Voyages
 Factors that Contributed to the Beginning of
the Renaissance
 Trade and Commerce increased
 Cities grew larger and wealthier
 Newly wealthy merchants and bankers supported the
growth of the arts and learning.
 The Renaissance was an age of recovery from the
disasters of the 14th century, such as the plague, political
and a decline of Church power.
 Recovery went hand-in-hand with a rebirth of interest in
ancient culture (e.g., ancient Greece and Rome)
 A new view of human beings emerged as people in the
Italian Renaissance began to emphasize individual ability.
 Where did the Renaissance begin?
 Renaissance began in Italy
 Italy was made up many small, powerful city states- Venice, Florence,
Milan
Why Italy?
A. Center of old Roman Empire, close to classic civilizations
B. Catholic Church and wealthy merchants were patrons (supporters) of
the arts
C. Center of trade with other regions
1. Provided wealth
2. Exchange of ideas
3. Urban trading cities
4. Center of banking
D. Secular movement
 People lost their faith in the church and began to put more focus on
human beings and material possessions
 Characteristics of the Renaissance
 In order to understand Renaissance literature we
need to take a little time to look at the Renaissance
itself. The word Renaissance means ‘rebirth’. The
world was emerging from the Middle or Dark ages.
The movement actually began in Italy and spread to
England and the English Renaissance occurred from
1500 to1688.
One key Characteristic of the Renaissance was the
idea of the divine right of kings to rule. Another was
the development of humanistic ideas, such as the
dignity of man. It was a time of scientific inquiry
and exploration. This was also the time of the
Protestant Reformation, and the invention of the
printing press.
 The Renaissance in Literature
 Now we look at Characteristics of Renaissance
literature. The Renaissance was a time of great
literacy change. Writer and poets looked back to the
poems and texts of Ancient Greece and Rome.
Renaissance literature dealt much more with human
Characteristics and behaviours, shifting away from
the religious and metaphysical subjects of earlier
Medieval books, poems and plays. With the invention
of the printing press in the 1440, information
suddenly became much more accessible to the general
public, which had a huge impact on the field of
education. Renaissance writers were John Milton,
William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Edmund
Spenser, Philip Sidney and Ben Jonson.
 The Renaissance in Art
 Unlike the artistic styles of the earlier Middle
Ages, which placed more importance on
symbolism than reality, Renaissance art was
more life-like and contained perspective.
Painters began to depict the human form with
increasing accuracy, which was enabled by a
better understanding of human anatomy. This
anatomical knowledge was gained from
advances made in the field of medicine during
the Renaissance period. Much of this new
knowledge can be attributed to the pioneering
Renaissance figure, Leonardo da Vinci.
 The Renaissance in Music
 Science also played a part in the creation of
music. Musicians learned how the pitch
changes by lengthening or shortening the size
of the string on stringed instruments. Once
again, symmetry became a part of the music
they created. Musicians studied the Greek
drama and tried to create music that would go
with the words of their stories. This was the
beginning of opera, where music and theater are
combined.
 The Renaissance in Science
 Science and engineering were other fields
that experienced major changes during the
Renaissance. Many new and exciting
discoveries were made, mainly in the areas
of anatomy, astronomy and physics.
Breakthroughs in engineering also paved the
way for many of the world’s most significant
inventions, such as telescopes, clocks and
spectacles. Pioneering Renaissance scientists
and inventors included Galileo Galilei and
Leonardo da Vinci.
 The Renaissance in Philosophy
 Philosophical trends also changed during the
Renaissance. New ways of thinking, sparked by
a philosophy known as humanism, altered the
way in which people thought about human
beings and the universe. During medieval times,
the Catholic Church had been the major force
influencing people’s thoughts and beliefs on
these matters. Unlike the Catholic faith,
however, humanism did not promote the notion
that humans are naturally sinful and it also
placed a lot of emphasis on finding reason.
 The Renaissance in Philosophy
 With the spread of humanistic thought, the
medieval emphasis on spirituality was gradually
replaced by a focus on the more physical
Characteristics of humans. The field of study
now referred to as the humanities (history, social
science, the arts, literature and languages) is
derived from the term humanism. The
philosophical changes which occurred during the
Renaissance also paved the way for another shift
in thinking that was experienced in Europe at the
turn of the Modern Age. This later revolution
was known as the Enlightenment.
 Renaissance in Northern Europe
The Renaissance in northern Europe (outside Italy):
 There was increased cultural exchange between European
countries.
 Economic, social recovery happened during 1400.
 Began Belgium (Flanders), northern France, Netherlands, in
urban areas that were involved in the cloth trade.
 Renaissance developed its own character.
 Invention of printing press 1455;
• Johann Gutenberg printed Bible using moveable type printing
press.
• Books easier, cheaper to produce, more people gained access to
knowledge, ideas.
• Rise in literacy across Europe and published new discoveries .
 Centralization of political power made the northern Renaissance
distinct from the Italian Renaissance (e.g., nation-states instead of
Italian city-states).
I. The Renaissance was
the period that followed
(brought Europe out of)
the Middle Ages. It was
a time of renewed
interest in things of this
world.
A. Human beings and their
conditions
B. Education, art, literature
and science
C. Approximately 1300-1600
II. The Renaissance started in
Italy where wealth from
trade supported art
learning.
A. Here also modern Capitalism
was born. Private individuals
or companies, not the
government, owned business.
The main goal is profit.

B. Republican government arose

in most cities, Citizens
participated.
III. Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527), in The Prince
(1513) said, basically, one must do whatever one
must do to get and stay in power. If it works, it is
the “right” things to do. Forget ideals; lie, cheat,
even murder if you must. A stable state is needed.
IV. Humanism, a system of
thought and action
concerned with human interests
and values, was the dominant
movement of the Renaissance.
A. Human beings have
dignity and intelligence
B. They (we) can change the
world and make it a better
place for all.
Some concepts of humanism:
 Pursuit of individualism
• Recognition that humans
are creative
• Appreciation of art as a
product of man.
 Basic culture needed for all.
 Life could be enjoyable.
 Love of the classical past.
 The Reformation
 The Reformation (also known as the
Protestant Reformation) was a European
Christian movement that began as an effort to
reform the Catholic Church and led to the
establishment of Protestant Christian religions.
It began in 1517 when the German monk
Martin Luther nailed his letter Ninety Five
Theses to a church door in Wittenberg,
Saxony. This document criticized the selling of
indulgences, which allowed individuals to pay
for their sins and buying and selling of church
offices. Criticism of the church spread rapidly,
leading to many years of religious wars
throughout Europe. These conflicts came to a
conclusion in 1648 with the signing of the
Treaty of Westphalia, which among other
results, established the right of many European
states to determine their own religion.
 Causes of the Reformation
 Rise of wealth based economy
• Merchants resented paying taxes to the Church, king jealous
of Church wealth
 Declining power of church
• Leaders had become corrupt
 Kings becoming more powerful and challenged Church
authority
 Questions about supremacy of church raised by Christian
Humanists (Erasmus)
• Society was changing and people were searching for answers
 An example of a reformation is a drug addict giving up drugs.
An example of a reformation is the religious movement that
changed some of the practices in the Roman Catholic Church
and formed the Protestant churches.
 Renaissance Man

 Broad knowledge
about many things
in different fields
 Deep knowledge of
skill in one area
 Able to link areas
and create new
knowledge
 What are the indexes of modernity?
 Pressures for increased democracy
 Loosening of old customs
 Questioning of ancestral religions; increased
secularization
 Demands for individual liberation
 Expectation of a higher standard of living
 Drive for more equality (gender, race, class, religious,
nationalities)
 Elaborate means of transportation and communication
 Advanced science, medicine, hygiene, agriculture
 Sophisticated means for fighting or negotiating peace
 Complex networks of finance and trade
Some brilliant people lived during this
time!
 Leanardo da Vinci (1452-1519), painted (Mona
Lisa), studied geology, chemistry and anatomy,
designed buildings, canals and weapons and
sketched engines and flying machines.
 Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536), a priest who wrote
books, The Praise of Folly 1509, condemned ignorance
and superstition. He believed education could lead to
more perfect societies.
Raphael (1483-1520) Titian (1485-1576)
More art can be viewed
at the Louvre Museum
 William Shakespeare, wrote Shakespeare’s Hamlet
plays showing humans as in
“To be or not to be….”
God’s image, but part of this
world as well.
Edward III (1312-1377) Edward IV (1442-1483)
Plantagenet York
Edward V (1470-1483) Edward VI (1537-1553)
York Tudor
Richard II (1367-14000) Richard III (1452-1485)
Plantagenet York
Henry IV (1367-1413) Henry V (1387-1422) Henry VI (1421-1471)
Lancaster Lancaster Lancaster
Henry VII (1457-1509) Henry VIII (1491-1547)
Tudor Tudor
Lady Jane Grey (1537-1554) Mary I (1516-1558) Elizabeth I (1533-1603)
9-day reign Tudor Tudor
Thank You…..