Italian Renaissance

What were four effects of the Plague?

● Increased social mobility
● Higher wages and more freedoms for the working class
● Cheaper land
● More food per person

How would you describe art from the Middle Ages?

I personally would describe art in the Middle Ages as old style, more
traditional strokes and the same styles throughout the time. Art during the
renaissance has a lot of religious concepts and the mood of the art is negative
and very dark and saddening. All art pieces tend to have at least one person
in it, and these people’s body’s tend to be covered and their eyes tend to be
closed.

What is a renaissance and why did it occur?

A renaissance means a rebirth, and happened between the 14th and 19th
centuries. It happened because the higher wages due to the deaths from the
plague led to extra money, and this money was spent on material luxuries, fine
music, and tasty foods which means that leisure funding became a lot more
common with a lot of expenses for pleasure and unnecessary luxuries. Art, a
luxury at the time, became popular since there was more money to spend on
luxuries, so becoming an artist became a stable job.

Why did the Renaissance start in Italy?

At the time, France and England were fighting in a war (The Hundred Years’
War)

Italy had three advantages. Its cities were thriving, there was a wealthy
merchant class, and it had a lot of classical heritage.
Explain the significance of having a thriving city-state and a wealthy
merchant class.

Trade from overseas led to development in city-states -> large city-states.

Northern Italy became urban due to the overseas trade and development in
city-states while the rest of Europe was still rural

Cities are where people exchange ideas since there is a big population ->
which results in an intellectual revolution and development of ideas for
technology and politics, etc.

Merchants became very wealthy and the most powerful class and they
dominated politics without inheriting property.

Why was the Medici family so important in Italy?

The Medici family ruled Florence between the 13th to 17th centuries, one of
the biggest cities in Italy. The family produced three popes. THey became
members of the French and English royalty, they are patrons of some of the
most famous works of Renaissance art, and helped spur the Italian
Renaissance.

How did a classical heritage impact development within Italy?

The people of Rome enjoyed looking at the ruins of Rome and the history of
the plafce they lived in; Scholars looked down on art and literature from the
Middle Ages.

People wanted to return to the learning of the history of the Greeks and the
Romans.

What is humanism?

Humanism the learning of human potential and achievements; In Humanism,

people studied classical texts to understand ancient Greek values; Humanism
influenced artists and architects to carry on classical traditions; Humanism
popularized the study of subjects in classical education like history, literature,
and philosophy which are humanities.
Why is Leonardo da Vinci seen as a Renaissance man?

Leonardo da Vinci was considered a renaissance man as he excelled in many

fields of study. He was a painter who painted many famous pieces, and an
inventor of different scientific inventions.

How did the Renaissance revolutionize art?

Art tended to contain people in it who are shown anatomically correct, and
realistic styles of real images. These pieces tended to contain

What new techniques became popular?

Realistic sculptures became popular with natural posters and expressions - as

realistic as possible.

3D Art was introduced for an addition of realism

Name the three pieces of Italian Art (different artists):

● Mona Lisa - Leonardo da Vinci
● Sistine Chapel - Michelangelo
● Marriage of the Virgin - Raphael

What was new about Renaissance literature?

Renaissance literature was written in the native/vernacular language, rather

than Latin.

Name the three authors and state their significance:

● Francesco Petrarch
○ He was the earliest and one of the most influential
humanists
○ He knew and wrote in both Italian and Latin
○ He wrote poems which were 14-lines called sonnets in
Italian
○ He wrote letters to friends in Latin
● Boccaccio
○ Boccaccio was best known for Decameron, a series of
realistic stories which were off-color.
 ○ The stories were told by young people who were waiting in
villas to avoid the plague
○ He presents foolishness of his characters and all humans
with sarcasm
● Niccolò Machiavelli
○ Wrote “The Prince” which is a political guidebook
○ Examines how a ruler can gain power and keep it in spite of
his enemies
○ A prince must be as a strong as a lion and as shrewd as a
fox
○ Not concerned with what is morally right, but what is
politically effective.