RENAISSANCE
RENAISSANCE
• 1300-1600
• ‘rebirth’ of Greek and Roman culture
• Art
• Literature
• Language
• Philosophy
RENAISSANCE V. MIDDLE AGES
RENAISSANCE
• Art for individual glory, fame
• Portraits, Autobiographies
• Rome/Greek learning
• Homer, Plato, Aristotle,
Humanist-learning everyone
should know
• Worldly Learning
• Exotic food, fabric
• Love life not offensive to God
MIDDLE AGES
• Art for God
• Learning was not important
• Everything done to show
respect for God
• Live poorly
• Wear rough clothing
• Eat simply
HUMANISM
• Humanism—intellectual movement focused
on human achievements
• Studied classical texts, history, literature,
philosophy
• No limit to man’s potential
• Religion does not have to agree with science
and art
• Renaissance society was secular, worldly
• Wealthy enjoyed fine food, homes, clothes
CITY STATES
•Florence
•Venice
•Milan
•Genoa
•Exchange in ideas
•Most of Italy was still rural
MERCHANTS AND PATRONS
• Merchants (businesspeople) who were the wealthiest and
most powerful class in each city-state.
• Earned money from industries like banking
• Used money to support and encourage the arts
• Patrons- individuals, families, or organizations that
financially support the arts.
• De Medici Family
• Roman Catholic Church
• Wealthy individuals
• Because they pay, they have control over what is created
DE MEDICI FAMILY
• Most famous merchants and patrons
• Allowed for artists to focus on art without
worrying about money
• Supported art, architecture, and science
• Famous artists they supported include
Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello,
Leonardo da Vinci, and Galileo Galilei
ART
• Artistic Styles Change
• Artists use realistic style copied
from classical art, often to portray
religious subjects
• Painters use perspective, a way to
show three dimensions on a canvas
• Realistic Painting and Sculpture
• The biblical David is a favorite subject
among sculptors
CHARACTERISTICS OF ART
Paintings
Sculpture
• Vivid Color
• VERY detailed
• Dramatic
• Lifelike
• Appearance of 3-dimensions
• Realistic
• Both Secular and Religious
subject matter, however this is
the first time secular even is an
option
• usually fully or partially
nude to show details of
the human body
• Dramatic
MICHAELANGELO
• The Pieta- Jesus after crucifixion laying in his mother, Mary’s, lap
• David- 13 feet tall, considered to be virtually perfect
• Sistine Chapel- Took 4 years. 141’ x 43’. 9 scenes from the Bible
containing 300 people. Includes the Creation of Adam.
LEONARDO DA VINCI
•The Last
Supper
•Mona
Lisa
RAPHAEL
• School of Athens- includes depictions of Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Pythagoras. In the
library at the Vatican
• Sistine Madonna- Depicts various moods. Most famous are the angels at the bottom
• Pope Julius II- Became model for Pope portraits in the future
• The Transfiguration- Largest canvas painting, one of the last before his death
MACHIAVELLI
• ‘The Prince’
• How one ought to rule
• Better to be feared than loved
• Considered a masterpiece
• Political Philosophy
• Written in Italian vernacular opposed to Latin
NORTHERN RENAISSANCE
• Refers to Renaissance outside of Italy
• France- Many Italians moved to France including da Vinci.
French architecture changed as well from gothic castles
to beautiful chateaus
• Dutch- painting style and philosophy of humanism
• German- printing press created by Johannes
Gutenberg, later the Reformation (spoiler). Printing
press allows for quick and cheap book production=
spread of books, ideas, learning spreads quickly
NORTHERN RENAISSANCE
• England- one of the last to have a renaissance- After Hundred
Years War ends, cities begin to grow rapidly
• Elizabethan Era- 1558-1603, the Golden Age
• Peace and prosperity
• Shakespeare- wrote many sonnets and plays about nobility as
well as common people. Famous works include Hamlet, Othello,
Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, Taming of the Shrew, and A Midsummer
Night’s Dream. He is one of the greatest writers of the English
language and is credited with adding over 3,000 words to the
language.
RENAISSANCE LEGACY
CHANGES IN SOCIETY
• Printing press makes
information easily and widely
available
CHANGES IN ART
• Influenced by classical Greece and
Rome
• People become literate
• Realistic portrayals of individuals
and nature
• Maps and charts= new discoveries
• Art is both secular and religious
• Rights and laws are written downknown to everyone
• Writers use vernacular
• Governing bodies (including the • Art praises individual achievement
Church) come into question
REFORMATION
EARLY REFORMERS
• John Wycliffe (1324-1384)
• Was against Papal authority and the Catholic Church
being institutionalized
• Felt ministers should be humble, not have authority
• Followers called Lollards (derogatory term)
• Translated the Bible to English- few people could read, he
felt everyone should be able to read the Bible
• In 1415 he was declared a heretic
• His views were precursors to the Reformation
EARLY REFORMERS
•Jan Huss (1369-1415)
•Supporter of Wycliffe
•Also against the authority of the
Catholic Church
•Excommunicated and later
burned at the stake
CAUSES OF THE REFORMATION
Church Authority Challenged
• Secularism, individualism of Renaissance challenge Church authority
• Rulers challenge Church’s power
• Printing press spreads secular ideas
• Northern merchants resent paying church taxes
Criticisms of the Catholic Church
• Corrupt leaders, extravagant popes
• Poorly educated priests
MARTIN LUTHER
Luther’s Teachings
• People can win salvation by faith in
God
• Christian teachings must be
based on the Bible, not the pope
and Church traditions
• All people with faith are equal,
can interpret Bible without
priests
MARTIN LUTHER
The 95 Theses
• Martin Luther protests Friar Johann Tetzel’s selling of
indulgences
• Indulgence—a pardon releasing a person from penalty for
a sin
• In 1517 Luther posts his 95 Theses attacking “pardonmerchants”
• Luther’s theses circulate throughout Germany
• Luther’s posting of the 95 Theses launches the
Reformation—a movement for religious reform
• Reformation rejects pope’s authority
POPES RESPONSE TO LUTHER
• Pope Leo X issues decree threatening to excommunicate
Luther (1520)
• Luther’s rights of Church membership are taken away
• Luther refuses to take back his statements and is
excommunicated
The Emperor’s Opposition
• Charles V is Holy Roman Emperor
• Edict of Worms (1521), declaring Luther a heretic
• Luther and followers begin a separate religious group—
Lutherans
PEASANTS REVOLT
• Inspired by Reformation, German peasants seek end to the social, political, and economic conditions
(1524)
• Revolted against the upper classes—burned castles and monasteries
• Looked to Luther for support- he did not believe in violent social revolution
• This assertion increased political support for his religious movement
• In May 1525, the German princes put down the revolt in a bloody confrontation, about 100,000 people
die
Germany at War
• Some princes side with Luther, become known as Protestants
• Charles V fails to return rebellious princes to Catholic Church
• Peace of Augsburg (1555)—each prince can decide religion of his state
JOHN CALVIN
• John Calvin writes Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536):
• we are sinful by nature and cannot earn salvation
• God chooses who will be saved— predestination
• Calvinism—religion based on Calvin’s teachings
Calvin Leads the Reformation in Switzerland
• Calvin says ideal government is theocracy—rule by religious
leaders
• Geneva becomes a strict Protestant theocracy led by Calvin
Example- only art form allowed it music- vocal
only- no instruments
CALVINISM
Calvinism Spreads
• John Knox brings Calvinism to Scotland, followers are
Presbyterians
• Church governed by laymen called presbyters, or elders
• Calvin’s followers in France called Huguenots
• Catholics massacre Huguenots in Paris (1572)
• King of France swayed by his mother- convinced him there
would be an uprising
• Once the killing began it was virtually impossible to stop
• Paris killing= 3,000
• France killing total= 70,000
REFORMATION IN
ENGLAND
HENRY VIII
• Henry VIII - Tudor family dynasty- Catholic
• Henry VIII married Catherine of AragonCatholic- gave him a daughter- Mary
• Needs a son to carry on the family name (heir)
• Wants to annul marriage to Catherine in
order to marry Anne Boleyn – Protestant
• Henry asked Pope to end first marriage,
Pope refuses
• Divorce was against the Catholic Church
HENRY VIII
• Act of Supremacy- Removes power of Pope
over England
• Creates his own church- Church of EnglandAnglican Church- with Henry VIII as the
leader
• All tithes payed to the crown
• Monasteries closed, all money and land
returned to the crown
• Thomas Moore, one of his advisors, is beheaded
for siding with the Pope over the King
HENRY VIII WIVES
• Catherine of Aragon- Mother of Mary.
Divorced
• Anne Boleyn- Mother of Elizabeth.
Beheaded- Tower of London, false
charges.
• Jane Seymour- Mother of Edward. Dies
days after child birth. Edward always
sick, dies at a young age.
• Anne of Cleaves- Divorced
• Catherine Howard- Executed
• Catherine Parr- Widowed (outlived
Henry VIII)
HENRY VIII CHILDREN
• Edward VI- Protestant
• Dies at 9 years old
• Mary- Catholic
• Orders persecution of Protestants who refuse
to become Catholic again
• Earns her title of Bloody Mary
• Dies
• Elizabeth I- Protestant
• Parliament approves Church of England
• Golden Age
CATHOLIC REFORMATION
• Catholic Church decides to meet to make changes to regain
strength within their church
• Council of Trent
• Things that remained the same:
• Things that would change:
• Only Church could explain the Bible
• Indulgences would no longer be sold
• Faith and good works= salvation
• More disciplined clergymen
• Pope highest authority
• Church ritual to remain in Catholic faith
• Pope could not marry
• Seminaries to train clergy
• Jesuits to serve and spread the Church’s
teachings
LEGACY OF REFORMATION
Religious and Social Effects of the Reformation
• End of religious unity throughout Europe- Catholic Church is unified; Protestant
denominations grow
• Catholics and Protestants create schools throughout Europe= literacy important,
more people want to learn to read the Bible themselves
• Status of women does not improve
Political Effects of the Reformation
• Catholic Church’s power lessens, power of monarchs and states grow- decline of
Theocracy
• Theocracy- government controlled by religious leaders
• Reformation’s questioning of beliefs brings intellectual ferment
• Late 18th century sees a new intellectual movement—the Enlightenment