Unit 7a Italian Renaissance

A time of:

• Artistic creativity & innovation

• Political, cultural, social & economic change

• Renewed interest in the Classical World (Greece & Rome)

• Secularism

• Classics

• Humanism

Remember "SCHool"

​Begins in Florence, around 1350 (give or take).
Will incorporate the Counter-Reformation (the Catholic Church's response to the Reformation)

​​Italian Renaissance

Spreads to Northern Europe by around 1450, lasts until around 1600.
Sort of includes the Reformation, though the two movements have VERY different ideas.

​​Northern Renaissance

Powerful city-states like Florence & Venice give rise to Kings, Lords, or Nobles who have both power AND money;
they use it to support art & artists

Italy is Fractured

Remember, in the Middle Ages, Italy was THE center of trade, banking, & commerce (Florin)
Powerful city states like Milan, Venice, Florence, and Rome became wealthy

Why Italy?

secularism (n) 1. the principle of separation of the state from religious institutions. 2. indifference to or rejection or exclusion of religion and religious considerations.

As more thinkers learn more about the natural world, religion holds fewer answers

New understanding of the world

The same anger that would later fuel the Reformation in the North led to secularism in the Italy

Frustration w/Church

...begin to reflect human concerns, human struggles in the world (even those of ordinary folk!), and to value human life and experience. Religion begins to separate from government.

Art & Literature

Don't mistake secularism with denouncing religion! People just start to think differently about religion and its role in their lives.

BUT: people are STILL deeply religious!

classicism(n) 1. the principles or style embodied in the literature, art, or architecture of ancient Greece and Rome 2. classical scholarship, including the study of Greek, Latin, and classical works

People think medieval artists were not able to draw realistically. That is false; it was a creative choice. In the Ren. artists took inspiration from Greek & Roman realism

Realism

While many works were being written or translated into vernacular (common language), more secular writers looked to Latin works and/or wrote in Classical Latin

Language

As secularism and the influence of Classical thinkers expanded, emphasis on two ideas grew: the importance of reason, and the value of human excellence (areté)

Philosophy

With the push against religion, the reasons for shame or modesty seemed more abstract, leaving room for a more positive idea of the human body

Secularism

It was commonly believed that the mind, body, and soul each had to be developed for a person to live a life of arete, so physical excellence was a virtue to be celebrated

Areté

And that leads us to...



Humanism

humanism (n) 1. an outlook that puts importance on human rather than divine matters. 2. a belief that stresses the value of human beings 3. philosophy that emphasizes common human needs, and seeks rational (rather than divine) solutions to human problems.

Humanism posits that humans have incredible potential, and that a good society is one that helps all people reach their potential

Human potential

Rather than the dominant doctrine of the sinfulness of humans, humanism believes humans are inherently good, and that it is circumstances that lead to evil (like poverty, injustice, hardship)

Human goodness

Humanism believes in the value of human reason, and values rationality over faith. Instead of praying to solve a problem, a humanist would look for a solution with reason

Human reason

We know little about individual artists before the Renaissance. Now, artists are known for their work, and work is signed by the artist.
Why? (hint: think about those wealthy nobles...)

Art is signed!

The Renaissance really starts in Florence.
-Dante, Petrarch, Brunelleschi, Machiavelli
A Republic where a very wealthy middle class of merchants and guilds held most of the power
a

Florence

Of those families, the Medicis were some of the most powerful figures in all of Europe

The de Medici

Cosimo, the leader of the de Medici family, gained control over Florence's government in 1434.
From then, the Medicis ruled Florence for 300 years, and were vital patrons of art, science, and culture

Cosimo de Medici

Cosimo's grandson, brilliant if unattractive, would become even more influential, ruling Florence as a prince. He, too, was a great patron of the arts

Lorenzo de Medici (aka Lorenzo the Magnificent)

Niccolo Machiavelli was a Florentine politician and writer. When Lorenzo de Medici took over Florence, Machiavelli was devastated. He was a strong supporter of the Republic (a form of democracy).

Machiavelli & Lorenzo

Making the best of a bad situation, he wrote a guide for how the Prince should rule. Some have called his advice cruel, immoral, and tyrannical. Others have noted that his practical and clear-eyed approach is in fact, quite ethical.

The Prince

Verocchio, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Fra Angelico, Donatello and countless others

Patronage

• Wealthy upper class supported the arts

• Patronage = to support the arts (heard of Patreon?)

• Wealthy patrons or even cities bought art to show prestige

• The Catholic Church was a major patron of arts, AND science, learning, etc.

Dominican Friar, fanatically devout, preacher, and in his own eyes, a reformer and prophet. He was passionately opposed to everything the Italian Renaissance stood for.

Not everyone loved this stuff!Enter: Girolamo Savonarola

Convinced people to bring out and burn art, books, musical instruments, cosmetics, clothes, playing cards, etc.

Hint: The ones buring books and art are, historially NEVER the good guys.

"Bonfire of the
vanities" (1497)

People got tired of his antics, decided art, books, music, etc. were actually good, and turned on Savonarola.

He was arrested, charged with heresy, and burned in the same plaza in which he'd burned so many treaures.

Didn't last long (shocking, right?)

These changes were not JUST cultural or political. They were reflected in the art of the time.

Possible in part because of new discoveries in anatomy, many of them made by studying cadavers, or dead human bodies.

Realism

Much of Renaissance art & architecture reflects Roman themes, images, and styles. Even the buildings and clothing shown in paintings are Roman in style.

Roman Style

Realism also grew from the use of these to make a painting look like it had real depth, something we take for granted.

Perspective, Light & Shading

What do you notice here?

Michelangelo: The Peita

​Michelangelo: Sistine Chapel

What do you notice here?

DaVinci: Madonna

DaVinci
Anatomy Sketch