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Renaissance Patronage
Art patronage during the Italian Renaissance came from a
variety of sources, public and private, religious and secular,
much as it does today. But this was not always so. In the
Middle Ages, times were hard for rich and poor alike.
Europe saw the collapse of the feudal system. As a result
of this societal restructuring, peasants who had previously
worked the fields under the protection of their feudal lords
left the countryside, migrating to the towns and city centers
in pursuit of more lucrative ways to earn a living.

As people flocked to population centers, the Black Death

followed,wiping out a large percentage of the inhabitants of
these crowded areas.Because people were struggling just
to survive, patronage of the arts was given little thought
during this time. When the plague finally subsided, however,there emerged a new, thriving middle
class of merchants and businessmen, men who had both wealth and leisure time. Some of this
newly developed wealth was channeled into the arts during the Early Renaissance.

People in this merchant class developed an interest in education, especially in reading and
mathematics—the language of contracts. They also developed an interest in the pursuit of pleasure,
such as music, literature, and fine art. Some aristocratic families still remained, such as those in
Ferrara and Mantua who maintained great courts. A new nobility arose from the middle class,
though,and competed with the old aristocracy to patronize the arts, particularly in Florence.

Most prominent among the new nobility in Florence were the Medici,a family that earned its fortune
in the banking industry. The Medici and other Florentine families of note used their enormous wealth
to maintain lavish lifestyles, create beauty both public and private, and provide extravagant
entertainment for the masses.

In Venice, art patronage was largely controlled by the scuolas, or confraternities, as well as by
religious and social organizations. The church was also an important patron of the arts. No matter
where the money came from, creative individuals like painters, architects, musicians, and writers all
benefited substantially from art patronage during the Italian Renaissance.

1) The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. present a brief history of patronage from the Middle Ages to the present
B. identify various forms of patronage in the Italian Renaissance
C. define patronage as it existed during the Italian Renaissance
D. trace the rise of patronage that supported the Italian Renaissance
E. explain how patronage affected the arts during the Italian Renaissance

2) As used in paragraph 1, which is the best definition for lucrative?

 A. wealthy
B. nearby
C. profitable
D. structured
E. agricultural

3) Based on information in the passage, it can be inferred that in the period following the Black
Death, art patronage reflected the

A. yearning to be entertained
B. onset of a new social structure
C. disappearance of the old nobility
D. need to support the arts
E. desire to establish museums and theatres

4) As the phrase is used in paragraph 3, it can be inferred that the “language of contracts” was most
likely required to

A. engage in bartering
B. communicate with non-Italian countries
C. comprehend legal representation
D. formalize wills
E. perform commercial transactions

5) According to the passage, which of the following benefitted from art patronage during the Italian
Renaissance?

I. artists
II. the public
III. the church

A. I only
B. II only
C. I and II only
D. II and III only
E. I, II, and III

6) Based on information in the passage, it can be inferred that which of the following would not likely
have come about as a result of patronage?

A. a statue of a nude for a private garden

B. a carved pulpit for a church
 C. a duet composed for violins
D. a banquet for visiting dignitaries
E. a mural for a villa entrance hall

7) How do modern artists make a living? Do they have patrons similar to the ones from medieval
times? Do you think it was easier to be an artist then or now? Explain your ideas.
 Answers and Explanations

1) D
Core Standard: Integration of Knowledge

An author’s purpose is directly related to the content of a passage. In paragraph 1, the author
introduces the topic of art patronage during the Italian Renaissance and states that such patronage
did not always exist. In paragraph 2, the author identifies factors that contributed to the rise of a new
middle class that had money to spend on patronage. In paragraph 3, the author notes the
competition between the new middle class and the old aristocracy to patronize the arts. In paragraph
4, the author characterizes art patronage in Florence during the Italian Renaissance. In the final
paragraph, the author characterizes art patronage in Venice during the Italian Renaissance.
Because the passage describes how patronage came to exist during the Italian Renaissance, we
can determine that the primary purpose is to trace the rise of patronage that supported the Italian
Renaissance. Therefore (D) is correct.

Although the passage does present a brief history of patronage, the scope is limited to the Italian
Renaissance. The author mentions both the Middle Ages and the present, but the focus is primarily
on the period of the Italian Renaissance. We learn hardly anything about patronage either before or
after this period. This means (A) is incorrect.

While the author does identify various forms of patronage during the Italian Renaissance in
paragraphs 4 and 5, the remainder of the passage is devoted to the factors that allowed this
patronage to develop. Because it is too narrow in scope, (B) is incorrect.

The author does not define patronage but instead assumes the reader understands the term. This
eliminates (C).

In the final paragraph, the author states that artists “benefited substantially from art patronage during
the Italian Renaissance,” but this is the only mention of how patronage affected the arts. The author
does not specifically explain how patronage affected the arts in this period. This means (E) is
incorrect.

2) C
Core Standard: Craft and Structure

lucrative (adjective): profitable; producing a profit.

In paragraph 1, the author writes, “As a result of this societal restructuring, peasants who had
previously worked the fields under the protection of their feudal lords left the countryside, migrating
to the towns and city centers in pursuit of more lucrative ways to earn a living.” Since lucrative
describes a way to earn a living, or to make money, we can infer that former peasants were
searching for ways to earn more money or make a higher profit. This means that profitable is a good
definition for lucrative. Therefore (C) is correct.
Wealthy means having a lot of money. Lucrative describes a way to earn a living, but a job itself
cannot be wealthy. Only people or organizations that actually possess money can be considered
wealthy. A job can, however, be profitable. This means (A) is incorrect.

Nearby means neighboring or close. Since the former peasants had to migrate and travel, these new
ways to earn a living were not closer than their jobs in the fields. This eliminates (B).

Structured means very organized or orderly. The passage does not provide information to suggest
whether these new ways to earn a living were more or less orderly than the old jobs in the fields.
This means (D) is incorrect.

Agricultural means related to farming and the land. Since the peasants were leaving jobs where they
worked in the fields and moving into towns and cities, we can infer that these new ways to earn a
living were not more agricultural than the old jobs in the fields. This makes (E) incorrect.

3) B
Core Standard: Integration of Knowledge

In paragraph 2, the author states, “When the plague finally subsided, however, there emerged a
new, thriving middle class of merchants and businessmen, men who had both wealth and leisure
time. Some of this newly developed wealth was channeled into the arts during the Early
Renaissance.” This tells us that in the period following the Black Death, art patronage reflected the
onset of a new social structure. Therefore (B) is correct.

The author does not mention a yearning to be entertained among people in the period following the
Black Death, so (A) is incorrect.

Although a new middle class developed, the old nobility did not entirely disappear, as the author tells
us in paragraph 3. This eliminates (C).

The author does not mention the need to support the arts, so (D) is incorrect.

The author does not mention museums or theatres, so (E) is incorrect.

4) E
Core Standard: Integration of Knowledge

In paragraph 3, the author states, “People in this merchant class developed an interest in education,
especially in reading and mathematics—the language of contracts.” In the previous paragraph, the
author defines “this merchant class” as a group made up of merchants and businessmen. Based on
this information, it can be inferred that the merchants who dealt in goods and services used written
contracts. For this reason it was particularly important that they were educated so they could read
the contracts and understand the calculations. This tells us that the language of contracts was most
likely required to perform commercial transactions. Therefore (E) is correct.

Since bartering is a method of trading goods and services rather than paying for them with money, it
was not likely a way for merchants and businessmen to make money. We know from the passage
that these merchants and businessmen did make money, as they used it to support the arts. This
means (A) is incorrect.

Non-Italian countries are not mentioned in the passage. We can infer that the “language of
contracts” refers to being literate and understanding math, not necessarily to speaking Italian. This
eliminates (B).

The reader cannot infer anything about the existence of legal representation, or lawyers, during this
time period, so (C) is incorrect.

The reader cannot infer anything about the existence of wills during this time period, so (D) is
incorrect.

5) C
Core Standard: Key Ideas and Details

In the final paragraph, the author writes: “Creative individuals like painters, architects, musicians,
and writers benefited substantially from art patronage during the Italian Renaissance.” This means
that patronage benefitted artists of all kinds. This supports option (I).

In paragraph 4, the author writes: “The Medici and other Florentine families of note used their
enormous wealth…to provide extravagant entertainment for the masses.” Since the masses is
another word for the general public, we can understand that the art patronage of these families
benefitted the public by providing entertainment. This supports option (II).

In the final paragraph, the author names the church as “an important patron of the arts.” This means
that the church was involved in patronage of the arts. However, the author does not mention any
benefit to the church. This eliminates option (III).

Therefore (C) is correct.

6) D
Core Standard: Integration of Knowledge

Based on information in the passage, we can infer that patronage supported the arts. The
preparation of a meal at a banquet for visiting dignitaries is not considered a work of art, and
therefore it would not likely have been a result of patronage. This means (D) is correct.

All of the other choices contain works of art, whether sculpture, carvings, music, or paintings. Since
these works of art all could have been a result of patronage, choices (A), (B), (C), and (E) are
incorrect.