Chapter 15 section 1

Cornell notes.
Renaissance and Reformation
The Italian
Renaissance
In Italy the growth of wealthy trading cities
and new ways of thinking helped lead to a
rebirth of the arts and learning. This Era
became known as the Renaissance.
A Vision of God:
Michelangelo spent four years high above
(60ft) the ground painting the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel.


God Created Adam = Book of Genesis.
Painted vivid scenes of events + people from
Bible monumental = to be seen from far
below.
The Beginning of the
Renaissance:
Michelangelos painting = beautiful + very
different from art of Middle Ages.
Art = only one of ways European society
changed since Middle Ages.
Changes in Society:
The Black Death + Starvation + Warfare =
overtook Europe about 1300 led to
changes of 1300s.
Decrease in Population = allowed farmers
to produce food surplus.
Food prices declined = allowed people
money to spend on other things.
Demand for agriculture goods increased =
areas of Europe began specializing in
products suited for their environment.
Example = England wool; Germany
grains.
As specialization increased = regions traded
for products they did not produce.
The Rise of City-States:
Urban areas also began to specialize
Italy especially.
Present Day Italy = divided into several
large city-states North. + Papal States
and various kingdoms South.

Northern City States = Venice + Milan +
Florence centers of Commerce = Roman
Catholic Church + Nobles + Merchants +
Artisans Dominated Society.
Merchants = bankers or traders.
Artisans = practiced crafts (goldsmith)
Arts = painting + sculptures + architecture
nobles display wealth.

Venice = economy + reputation TRADE.
Shipbuilding prospered sailors traveled
to Near East = Venetian merchants became
wealthiest in world.
$ used to build unique city = work of art.
Milan = economy AGRICULTURE + SILK +
WEAPONS
Florence = economy + reputation
BANKING + CLOTH.
Monarchs looked to Florentine bankers for
funds for wars.
Merchants refined raw wool into fine cloth
sold abroad.
Renaissance Ideas:
Economy + Social Structure Changed
New Ideas appeared.
Ideas = renewed interest + developments in
art + literature + science + learning
Renaissance = re-Birth
Renaissance = arose in Italy in Rome! =
partly because Italian cities were thriving +
had increased trade + wealthy merchant
classes.
Renaissance Era of renewed interest and remarkable
development in Art, Literature, Science,
and Learning.

Causes = Increased Trade with Asia + Other
regions due to the Crusades Growth of
large, wealthy city states in Italy
Renewed interest in Classical Learning of
Greece + Rome Rich Powerful merchants
became patrons of the arts Increased
desire for scientific + technical knowledge
desire to beautify cities.
Inspiration from the
Ancients:
Venetian trade ships carried goods for
trade + Greek Scholars seeking refuge in
Italy from Ottomans.

Scholars brought works by ancient writers
Italians thought to be lost.
Began reading Arabic translations of
original texts + searching libraries
Began thinking more like the classical
thinkers = believing in the human capacity
to create + achieve.
Humanism:
The interest in ancient Greek and Roman
Culture drove scholars = characteristics
of good education.
Churchs scholastic education = gave away
to the classics: rhetoric, grammar, poetry,
history, Latin, Greek = Humanities.
Humanism intellectual movement focused on study of
worldly subjects such as poetry, philosophy,
human potential, and achievements.
Humanism = contrast to church teachings
individuality + achievement
unimportant.

Humanists believed human mind almost
limitless potential.
Some believe Renaissance begins

Dante Alighieri = Florentine poet of Late
Middle Ages his work contains info on
humanist focus on human nature.
Most people believe Renaissance begins

Giovanni Boccaccio (boKAHcheeoh) +
Francesco Petrarch wrote literature in
Vernacular = in past writing done in formal
Latin.
Rediscovered ancient texts on anatomy +
geography + astronomy.
Advances also made in medicine
(Leonardos studies on human anatomy)

Secular Writers:
The church no longer served as source of
stability + peace
People turned to humanism = looking for
comfort + guidance.
Focus was secular or worldly rather than
spiritual focus.

Humanists believed individual achievement
+ education fully expressed only if people
used their talents + abilities in service of
their cities.
Influenced ideal of Renaissance Man =
universal man accomplished in classics
+ man of action; able to respond to all
situations.

Baldassare Castiglione (cassteel YOHnay)
wrote The Courtier 1528 describes
how the perfect Renaissance gentleman
and gentlewoman should act.
Includes fictional conversation between a
duke + guests discussing how courtiers +
court ladies should behave:
Speak of serious subjects + amusing ones
Have knowledge of Latin + Greek
Well acquainted with poetry + history
Be able to write prose + poetry
Merchants used book as guide to behavior
hoped if acted as courtiers it would raise
their status.

Niccolo Machiavelli a Florentine writer +
political philosopher + statesmen who
experienced violent politics = wrote
opinions on how governments should rule
in The Prince.
Advice =
Appears to encourage harsh treatment of
citizens + rival states describing men as
ungrateful liars and deceivers.
Advised rulers to separate morals from
politics.
Power + Ruthlessness are more useful than
idealism for rulers.
Insists rulers must do whatever is
necessary to maintain political power even
if deemed cruel without a state will
cease to exist.
The ends justifies the means = deviates
from accepted views idea that the state
was entity of itself = separate from ruler
became foundation for later political
philosophies.
Science of the
Renaissance:
Humanists searched archives = Arab
translations of classical texts discovered
scientific information.
Most focused on human sciences = history
+ geography + politics.
New ideas about natural world = beginning
to be explored avenue of inquiry
challenges the churchs teachings about
the world.
Astronomers began challenging that the
Earth was not the center of the universe (as
Church taught).

Nicholas Copernicus = Polish Astronomer
suggested the Sun sat at the center of
the universe = orbited by planets + stars.

Galileo Galilei = Italian Astronomer
wrote Earth orbited the Sun = placed under
house arrest by church officials.
Renaissance Art:
Leonardo woman with ermine 1490.
See realistic emotion
Displayed change in attitude competing
for paid assignments for fame.
Subject matter = beyond religious scenes
real people + places in natural world.
Key characteristics:
Realistic portrayals
Use of Perspective
Influence of Greece and Rome
Beauty/Balance/Harmony
Value of Individual.
Renaissance = Art + Architecture enter the
MODERN ERA reflecting modern
interest in competition + achievement.
Art reflected humanist spirit even more
than politics.
Medieval artists = symbolic + idealized
religious themes Renaissance artists
depicted things observed in nature.
Patrons of the arts:
Medieval art created by anonymous artists
worked for church.
Renaissance art was created by known
artists worked for whoever paid them
the most.
Buyers of art = Patrons wealthy
individuals + government officials + or
church.
Wealthy individuals displayed power
through purchase of artworks.

Florence = the Medici wealthy +
powerful family who ruled the city.
Medici gave huge sums of $ to artists +
intellectuals + musicians.

Lorenzo de Medici well educated poet =
supported most talented artists.
Styles and Techniques:
Artists wanted to paint natural world as
realistically as possible.
Studied perspective = could represent three
dimensional objects on flat surfaces.
Painters experimented using color to
depict shapes + textures.
Artists began painting and sculpting scenes
from Greek + Roman myths.
Religious paintings focused on human
personality of figures = significance.
Buildings also began reflecting humanist
revival of Greek + Roman culture

Churches + palaces + public buildings
incorporated columns + domes.
Leonardo da Vinci:

Born in Vinci = moved to Florence (15)
Served as Duke in Milan + continued
painting advised on architecture +
weaponry.
Spent time in Florence + Milan + Rome
Genius = highly talented painter + writer +
inventor + architect + engineer +
mathematician + musician + philosopher.
Know: The Last Supper + Mona Lisa
(mysterious smile

20,000+ pages with ideas = armored tank +
flying machine + sketches of human
anatomy + designed first machine gun.
Michelangelo:

One of most accomplished sculptors.
Considered himself the son of Florence
Born in Caprese = father was official
supported by the Medici family.

Art career became tied up with political
power struggles after Lorenzo de Medici
died in 1492.
Pieta (age 24) = Mary holding son Jesus
after death communicated themes of
grief, love, acceptance, immortality.
David = 13 foot marble statue represents
human form + has great energy and depth
of expression.

As a Painter = most famous work ceiling
of Sistine Chapel = scenes from Old
Testament.
Raphael:

Renowned painter + accomplished
architect.
Most famous work = School of Athens

Fresco of Plato and Aristotle surrounded by
philosophers from past + present
admired by humanists.

Also painted the Madonna = mother of
Jesus.
Woman with Veil
Bramante:
Renaissance architecture reached height
through his work.
Chosen architect of Rome designed St.
Peters Basilica influenced smaller churches.