Renaissance Art and Ideas Quiz

The Renaissance

• The Renaissance was a period of cultural awakening in Europe, considered a "rebirth" of classical knowledge.
• It began in Italy around 1350.
• Europe was recovering from the Dark Ages and the plague just before the Renaissance. Agriculture productivity was rising and people were healthier.
• However, people had lost faith in the church and began to put more focus on human beings.
• This led to secularism, a shift away from life in the church and a focus on material objects and enjoying life.

Causes of the Renaissance

• The Crusades created lasting trade links to Asia and the Middle East.
• Trade flourished with the Mamluks, the Ottomans, and the Safavids.
• Merchants grew wealthy in trading ports like Genoa, Pisa, and Venice.

The Fall of Constantinople

• The fall of Constantinople (the Byzantine Empire) contributed to the Renaissance.
• Byzantine scholars fled to Italy, bringing with them Greco-Roman knowledge and culture.

Beginnings in Italy

• Florence became the banking center of Europe.
• The Greco-Roman knowledge and culture were preserved by the Byzantines.
• Byzantine scholars fled to Italy after the fall of Constantinople.

Patrons

• Patrons were wealthy individuals who sponsored artists and commissioned works.
• The Medici family were prominent and influential patrons in Europe.

New Ideas

• Humanism emphasized the individual rather than the larger group.
• Secularism focused on worldly themes instead of religious ones.

Impact of Money and New Ideas

• Advancements in art, literature, and philosophy.

Impact of the Renaissance

• Spread to Northern Europe.
• Sparked interest in art, exploration and technology.
• Paved the way for the Reformation.
• Marked the birth of the "modern world."

Renaissance Art

• The Renaissance brought new artistic techniques, like perspective (which gave paintings depth), realistic proportions, light and shadows, and realistic colors.
• Medieval Art tended to be flat and lacked perspective, realistic proportions, and color variation.

Leonardo da Vinci

• Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was considered the ultimate Renaissance man.
• He was a painter, scientist, inventor, sculptor, and engineer.
• Famous works include Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and anatomical studies.

Michelangelo

• Michelangelo (1475-1564) was a highly-regarded painter, sculptor, and architect.
• His famous works include the Sistine Chapel ceiling, David, and the Pieta.

Raphael

• Raphael (1483-1520) spent several years studying in Florence, but mostly worked in Rome.
• He painted famous works like The School of Athens and Wedding of the Virgin, showing Renaissance themes.

Botticelli

• Botticelli (1445-1510) was a Renaissance artist known primarily for portraits and mythological subjects.
• The Birth of Venus is his most famous work.

Writers

• Dante (1265-1321) authored The Divine Comedy, an imaginative vision of the afterlife. He was one of the first writers to use a three-line rhyme scheme (terza rima).
• Petrarch (1304-1374) was a scholar and poet considered the "Father of Humanism", travelling Europe and collecting classical writings. He believed in the beauty and study of nature.
• Erasmus (1466-1536) was a Northern Renaissance scholar, influential in the Protestant Reformation, and wrote the satirical "Praise of Folly", attacking religious superstition.
• Machiavelli (1469-1527) authored The Prince, a handbook on politics and ruling. He supported absolute power and argued that the ends justify the means, often justifying violence and treachery in retaining power.