The Renaissance

What is the Renaissance?

• Cultural Movement that took place from the 14th-17th century
• Time of renewal -- recovering from the Dark Age in Europe
• "Rebirth" of classical knowledge into the modern world
• Secularism, Rationality, Individualism

Italian Renaissance

• Italy: starting point of the Renaissance
• Secular Movement: Human values over religious values
• Focused on the arts, music, and literature
• Realistic and secular styles & Classical over Gothic architecture
• Idealized Greek and Roman cutlture

Italian Renaissance

• Commercial and shipping techniques--foundation for Western expansion 
• Commercial and shipping techniques--spread throughout the Mediterranean
• Encouragement in innovation and discovery 
• Influenced humanities, science, math, navigation
• Encouraged civic responsibility in the citizens 

Italian Artists & Works

• Masaccio & Leonardo da Vinci : 3-dimensions on 2-dimensional surfaces
• Donatello & Michelangelo Buonarotti: natural poses & works of human muscle
• Filippo Brunelleschi: Cathedral of Florence
• Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam: 1st edition of the Greek New Testament

Renaissance Art

• Combination of religious and non-religious
• Interest in nature and in anatomy
• Bodies are shown to be in movement--either clothed or nude
• Face expressed what the people were thinking
• Symmetrical

Northern Renaissance

• Northern Europe
• Increase in cultural exchange
• Had printed materials, which helped with the spread of ideas 
• Centralization of political power--nation-states, not Italian city-states
• Merged with the humanists ideas with Christianity

Humanism

• Cultural and educational reform
• Study of classical culture with the study of the church and religion
• Emphasis on indivisualism

Literature

• Johannes Gutenberg: produced the 1st book--The Bible--with the movable type
• Start of the printing revolution
• Increase in literacy
• Francesco Petrarch: Assembled Greek and Roman writings/ "Sonnets to Laura"
• William Shakespeare: Expanded the dramatic potential