European Renaissance and Reformation, 1300–1600

European Renaissance and Reformation, 1300–1600

• The period from 1300 to 1600 in Europe, marked by cultural and religious changes
• Characterized by new ideas about art, culture, and religion
• Includes the Renaissance and the Reformation

Interaction and New Ideas

• Trade with the East and rediscovery of ancient manuscripts led to new European ideas
• The introduction of printing press allowed for faster and cheaper book and pamphlet production
• The new technology helped spread the revolutionary ideas of the Renaissance and Reformation

Renaissance

• A period called the Renaissance, meaning "rebirth"
• Originating due to increased trade with the East and rediscovery of ancient manuscripts

Martin Luther and the Reformation

• Discontent with practices of the Roman Catholic Church led Martin Luther to initiate change
• Martin Luther's movement to reform practices in the Catholic Church that he believed were wrong referred to as the Reformation

Renaissance Art: Rolin Painting

• Painting by Jan van Eyck, portrait of Chancellor Rolin
• Classical elements in the columns
• Use of perspective and oil paints
• Importance of religion shown through infant Jesus and Mary
• Emphasis on individuals, fur-trimmed robe indicating status
• Details added for beauty

Causes and Characteristics of the Renaissance

• Took place in Italy, movement lasted from approximately 1300 to 1600
• Renaissance meaning rebirth, as revival of art and learning
• Educated Italians hoped to revive culture of classical Greece and Rome, led to something new
• Italian advantages were thriving cities, a wealthy merchant class, and classical heritage of Greece and Rome
• Crusades spurred overseas trade which led to growth of Italy's northern city-states
• Northern Italy was urban and cities became ideal for intellectual revolution - Bubonic plague in the 1300s, killed up to 60% of the population - Created economic changes as survivors could demand higher wages

Renaissance Figures

• Belief in individual achievement became vital in the Renaissance
• Merchants dominated politics because they did not inherit authority, and used wits
• Medici family ruled Florence and Cosimo de Medici controlled Florence's government, influencing council members and his grandson Lorenzo also ruling
• Renaissance scholars wanted to return to the learning of the Greeks and Romans
• Scholars inspired by ruins of Rome and studied ancient Latin manuscripts, as Constantinople scholars fled to Rome with Greek texts in 1453
• Classics led scholars to humanism, an intellectual movement focused on human potential and achievements, humanities like history, literature, and philosophy
• People could enjoy worldly pleasures , and enjoy material luxuries, without offending God, Renaissance became worldly rather than spiritual and focused on here and now

Renaissance Men and Women

• Renaissance writers thought all educated people should create art, and idea individual known as a "universal man", excelling at any study e.g. Baldassare Castiglione's "The Courtier" - Young men should be charming, witty, educated, dance, sing, play music, and write poetry. - A young man should also be a be skilled rider, wrestler, and swordsman
• Upper-class women should know classics and be charming, inspire not create art
• Some women like Isabella d’Este ruled, brought artists to the court, building artworks, and being skilled in politics - Defended Mantua and won release after her husband was taken captive with many Renaissance artists present

Renaissance Art

• Artists used a realistic style from classical models in art, and classical ideas - Used technique of perspective to show three dimensions, also portrayed religious/Greek/Roman subjects
• Artists painted citizens to mark them and their characters, including painter/sculptor/architect/poet Michelangelo "Buonarroti" for human body/ Donatello for carving postures and expressions
• Leonardo da Vinci: painter, sculptor, inventor, scientist, studied workings, wrote backwards - Raphael: expressed calm and gentle scenes, filled Julius II's library such classical figures Michelangelo/ Leonardo - Anguissola & Gentileschi: Artists who made a mark, painting portraits and heroic images -Sofonisba Anguissola was first artist with international reputation

Renaissance Literature

• Writers reflected time and used present writing techniques like medieval writer Dante Alighieri "vernacular," native tongue - Petrarch: Influential in Renaissance humanism, written in Italian and Latin, sonnets/poems about his ideal Laura - Boccaccio: Writer of the Decameron in Florence, stories of people in rural place avoiding plague

Renaissance Politics

• The Prince (1513) Niccolo Machiavelli - the imperfect conduct of humans, political guide - Rulers to keep power regardless to enemies, must be strong and shrewd as fox - Leaders may be craftly to gain trust, must be feared more than loved

Renaissance Women

• Vittoria Colonna gained fame writing personal subjects and exchanged poems, sonnets with Michelangelo while others like Marguerite of Navarre supported Church reform

Renaissance - Global Patterns

• Several Renaissances at the time: Tang and Song dynasties in china- great artistic and technological accomplishments

Renaissance - The Northern Renaissance

• Renaissance ideas that expressed the northern tradition, human dignity brought some northern humanists to create social reform

Northern Renaissance

• Began spreading out into Europe in 1400s after Italian cities by northern Italy - Population increases during the time - Cities grew after 100 yrs war
• Monarchs sponsored the arts such as King Frances 1-invited Da Vinci and hired for architecture - Spread traditions throughout out other traditions

Northern Renaissance German Painters

• Albrecht Durer: Studied in Italy and created works of woodcuts and engravings, showing religious subjects which influence German art-
• Hanz Holbein: Specialized painting photographic details and portraits painted
• Jan Van Eyck help in Flanders that displayed realistic details to show ones personality
• Pieter Bruegel: Skillful with details using colors and balance

Reformation

• Martin Luther influenced writers examined classic thoughts that led the society to form the new christian humanism to change the world
• Desiderius Erasmus and Thomas More best Christians with "The Praise of Folly".

Renaissance writers/Thinkers

• Wrote Utopia, Greek for no place/ showed greek life and was translated in many different languages

Women Writers

• Christine De Pizan: Educated to be a write. wrote about reasons men would argue

The Elizabethan Age

• Shakespeare- influenced writings and worked to be display better communication, wrote poems, and drew inspiration for works and a deep understanding of human beings, Romeo & Julliet

Printing Spreads Renaissance Ideas

• Chinese invented block printing, Gutenberg created printing process after block printing. - Process: Printers produced thousand copies into a single works - Cheaper books started to produce

Legacy of the Renaissance

• Brought change by break with Medieval period which leads to belief in dignity during democratic ideas - Led to better works of art from Rome and Greece and portraying lifelike work.

Legacy of the Renaissance

• Brought change by break with Medieval period which leads to belief in dignity during democratic ideas - Led to better works of art from Rome and Greece and portraying lifelike work.
• Printing now made available and inexpensive towards societies such as accounts of the new and the humanities

Legacy of the Renaissance & Northern Renaissance

• Began in the 1400 in Northern region of Europe as writers examined and readdressed
• Art brought and expressed from Italian and Northern European and writers examine and create art.
• Spread to England in 15

Explore the European Renaissance and Reformation period from 1300 to 1600, marked by cultural and religious changes that led to new ideas about art, culture, and religion. The period was influenced by trade with the East, rediscovery of ancient manuscripts, and the invention of the printing press.