Renaissance, Reformation, and New Technologies

Cultural Changes

• Trade with the East and ancient manuscript rediscovery spurred new European ideas on culture and art
• The time was known as the Renaissance, meaning rebirth

Religious and Ethical Shifts

• Martin Luther initiated reform within the Catholic Church
• The Reformation led to the establishment of non-Catholic churches

Revolutionary Technologies

• The printing press enabled faster and cheaper book and pamphlet production
• New tech spread Renaissance and Reformation ideas rapidly

Jan van Eyck's "The Madonna of Chancellor Rolin"

• Commissioned to determine its value in illustrating the Renaissance

Renaissance traits in Painting

• Classical art evident in the columns
• Perspective used to show distant objects smaller
• Use of oil paints for a new invention
• Religion continues to be important showing Jesus and Mary
• Individuals are important, as shown by attire of Chancellor Rolin
• Beauty seen in details like floor design and landscape

Renaissance Origins

• The late Middle Ages was characterized by war and plague, leading survivors to celebrate life and the human spirit
• Renaissance people began questioning the church due to the inability to prevent war or suffering
• The Renaissance was a rebirth and revival of art and ideals from the classical Greece and Roman empires
• The movement began in northern Italy, writers and artists experimented with different styles that greatly changed the way Europeans saw themselves and their world

Italian Advantages

• Thriving cities, a wealthy merchant class, and the classical heritage of Greece and Rome aided the Renaissance movement
• Overseas trade growth spurred from the Crusades grew Italian city-states
• Northern Italy's urban environment bred intellectual revolution
• Bubonic plague caused high death tolls, changing the economy
• Economic changes: reduced labor made it more valuable, but decreased business, so changed focus to art

Social Mobility

• Merchants dominated politics, not nobles who typically inherited social rank
• Successful merchants believed their individual merit entitled them to power and wealth
• This era saw an increased importance being given to individual achievement

Florence & The Medici

• Since the late 1200s Florence had a republican government
• Florence came under the rule of the Medici banking family
• The Medici bank held offices throughout Italy and Europe
• Cosimo de Medici: the wealthiest European, controlled Florence's government via loans, becoming dictator for 30 years
• Lorenzo de Medici: Cosimo's grandson, ruled Florence as a dictator but maintained aspects of an elected government

Revival of Greece and Rome

• Renaissance scholars wanted to return to the art and literature of the Greeks and Romans
• Renaissance art and literature was influenced by the ruins of Rome, ancient Latin manuscripts from monasteries, and Greek manuscripts brought by Christian scholars fleeing Constantinople after it was conquered by the Turks

Classical and Worldly Values

• Scholars studied Greek and Roman texts, adopting humanism and focusing on achievements and human potential
• Humanists influenced classical traditions in art and architecture
• Common subjects: history, literature, and philosophy were now humanities

Enjoyment

• Challenging Medieval ideals of plain foods and rough clothing, humanists promoted enjoying life without offending God
• Wealthy individuals enjoyed luxuries, fine foods, and music
• Although most people remained devout, Renaissance society became more secular and focused on the here and now

Patrons of the Arts

• Church leaders beautified Rome and other cities
• Patrons financially supported artists to demonstrate their own importance
• Renaissance writers like Baldassare Castiglione (The Courtier) suggested that educated people create art

The Ideal Man

• Ideal individual or "Renaissance Man," should master almost every area of study
• Men should be charming, witty and educated in the classics
• Also skilled riders, wrestlers, swordsmen etc..

Gendered Expectations

• Women should know classics and be charming, but not seek fame
• Renaissance women were better educated than medieval women, with little influence in politics
• Isabella d’Este, from the ruling family of Ferrara, brought artists to her court/ built art collection, skilled politician, and defended Mantua

Renaissance Art

• Patrons like Isabella d’Este supported Northern Italian artists resulting in advancements in artistic styles
• Medieval art used religious elements for a spiritual ideal, Renaissance artists often portrayed religious subjects using a realistic style copied from classical models
• Renaissance painters employed the technique of perspective, which showed three dimensions on a flat surface
• Popular new models include Greek and Roman

Developments

• Realistic Portraiture: realistic portraits revealing individual uniqueness
• Increased realism in sculpture, portraying natural expression
• Donatello revived classical form in his sculpture of David

Leonardo da Vinci

• A painter, sculptor, inventor, and scientist, and an archetypal "Renaissance man"
• He had an an interest in how things worked (studied muscle movement, veins etc)
• Notable works: Mona Lisa and The Last Supper

Raphael

• Was younger than Michelangelo and Leonardo, learning from them and studying their techniques
• He typically painted with gentle expressions
• Notables works include paintings within Pope Julius II's library and School of Athens

Women Painters

• Society generally restricted women's roles, though a few Italian women became notable painters
• Sofonisba Anguissola was the first woman artist to gain an international reputation
• Artemisia Gentileschi trained with her father and painted strong heroic women

Developments in Writing

• Renaissance Writers: developed Italian vernacular and themes self-expression and individuality from the medieval writer Dante
• Petrarch: the father of Renaissance humanism, wrote in Italian and Latin

The Decameron

• Boccaccio wrote about a series of realistic stories
• His stories are said to have come from a group of people waiting out the plague

Political Theory

• Machiavelli: authored The Prince, which studied imperfect human nature and ways rules can gain and keep power
• Discouraged traits of the general public as selfish and fickle

Patronage

• Women writers who found work usually contributed personal writing which helped produce The Courtier
• Colonna's poems expressed personal emotions

Assessment terms

• Renaissance: rebirth of classical culture in Europe during 1300-1600
• Humanism: focus on human potential and achievement
• Secular: worldly rather than spiritual
• Patron: supporter of the arts
• Perspective: Showing 3-dimensional qualities on a flat surface
• Vernacular: native language

The Northern Renaissance

• Italian Renaissance ideas spread to Northern Europe in the 1400s It led to realism, social reform, and influences blended with different cultural traditions

Northern Renaissance factors

• After decline due to the Bubonic Plague, Northern Europe population began growing in 1450
• The Hundred Years' War ended in 1453 leading to rapid city growth Urban merchants became wealthy enough for art sponsorship

Rulers of the arts

• Monarchs of England and France often sponsored the arts, like Francis I who hired Italian artists to rebuild his castle
• Italian and Northern Rennaissance artistic traditions combined

German Painters

• Albrecht Dürer studied in Italy and produced woodcuts and engravings portraying religious subjects, myths, and landscapes
• Hans Holbein the Younger specialized in photographic portraits, working for King Henry VIII.

Flemish Painters

• Wealthy families helped Flanders become northern artistic center Jan van Eyck utilized oil-based paints in realistic detail, spreading the painting trend across the art world
• Pieter Bruegel depicted everyday peasant life, capturing rich colors and a feeling of vitality

Christian Humanism

• Combined humanism with Christian teachings to reform society
• Focus on education and schools for both sexes

Christian Humanists

• Notable scholars of the group: Desiderius Erasmus who wrote "The Praise of Folly" which poked fun at merchants and lovers. and Thomas More who penned "Utopia" which looked towards an ideal society
• Erasmus believed in the heart
• More was about social ideas: little need for money, emphasis on education and a general care for society

Women's roles

• Families usually only sent sons to school, but some women spoke up
• Christine de Pizan was one of the first to use the French language as a primary writing tool
• She commonly defended objections towards women

England and Queen Elizabeth I

• Renaissance spread to England in the mid-1500s also known as the Elizebethan Age
• Elizabeth was well educated speaking many languages and supported the development of English literature and the arts

Prominence

• English writer William Shakespeare revered and drew upon the classics of plays

Development of Printing

• China invented and used block-printed pages leading to increased European knowledge
• Johann Gutenberg improved the printing process to mass produce texts
• Gutenberg Bible was the first full-sized book with movable type which resulted in thousands of copies

The outcome

• Italian Renaissance toppled due to the effects of computers during the 20th-century
• Renaissance in the Arts: art focused on classical styles, portraiture, naturalism, secularity, vernacular language, and individual achievement
• Printing changed society by making information available and affordable Learning and literacy encouraged by the availability of written resources New discoveries spurred across fields along with increased legality Reform attempts changed life views and challenged the political structures and practices
• Renaissance ideas influenced thought into its more religious aspects

Terms

• Utopia- book about a perfect place and society penned by Thomas More
• William Shakespeare: the most famous writer of the Elizabethan age

Overview

• The Roman Catholic church influenced Western and Northern Europe by the Middle Ages and led to criticisms
• Questionable traits and immoral actions

Lutheranism

• Influenced by men in the 1300's such as John Wycliff and Jan Hus, the critiques reached a boiling point and more action was pursued
• Church Reform was the central reason as prompted by Martin Luther

Martin Luther

• Luther's parents encouraged to be a lawyer and ended up becoming a monk
• Studied and taught at the University of Wittenberg
• He was troubled by certain practices such, Tetzel's "pardon-merchants" for St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome, and wrote 95 These attacking such practices

Luther's beliefs

• Only by faith in God can reach forgiveness of sins
• Every person in any role of life is as equally important in the yes of God and the church
• Church beliefs and practices based on The Bible

Reforming the Church

• Luther created a great deal of quick traction due to such strong beliefs
• It became an affront to the churches and religious figures, Pope Leo X attacked Luther's beliefs citing force
• He exommunicated, and Luther later responded, throwing the decree into the bonfires

Edict of Worms

• Luther was summoned to the meeting in Worms to account for his actions and beliefs
• Charles V issued an imperial order and declared Luther an outlawed heretic

Effects of Actions

• Many people began to put such beliefs into practice with Luther, however, these later changed
• Luther translated new textaments into German
• Some peasants soon revolted at the thought of Christian freedom, and resulted in over 100,000 deaths
• The "Protestants" term would eventually be used to signal the non-Christian religions in the churches as well

Protestant Values

• Religious beliefs vary heavily Each church has different beliefs that are often very similar, if not exactly alike

Henry VIII's conflict

• Needed a son for the line of succession and started his own
• Used politics and the actions of his people to go against the pope and Church

Religious Terms

• Indulgence, which forgives sins, as well as Lutheran, Protestant, Peace of Augsburg, and Annul
• Henry sought change by dissolving the pope by force, but later annulled the law

Anglican Church

• Took the moderate beliefs and aspects from both Christianity
• Moderate and accepted approach, some did and did not prefer the Church

Effects of ideas

• Some wanted more Church beliefs and a change
• People such as Queen Mary of Scots and Phillip II used different views with the Catholic church and government

Reformation

• Protestants followed Martin Luther, and Queen Elizabeth returned to keep Protestantism the state region

The basics

• 1560 - Many Protestants and Catholics divided each other
• Religious reform also began with Huldrych Zwingli who had similar beliefs to Luther
• Calvin brought other beliefs

Calvinism

• Calvinism was about God and human nature
• A theocracy ran different lands and government controls
• Calvinism gave the Geneva name to the city Knox wanted work within Calvin and the Catholic organization

Protestant Reformation aspects

• A growing sense that the Bible is the truth
• The Anabaptists that are baptized and have strong control and views on their beliefs and actions
• The Protestant and Catholics persecuted this group for beliefs

Reformation roles

• Women played big roles in the Reformation due to Kings and religious order Protestant ideas increased for many to join and give knowledge throughout

Explore Europe's cultural changes through trade and rediscovering ancient manuscripts. Learn about the Renaissance, the Reformation led by Martin Luther, and revolutionary technologies like the printing press and Jan van Eyck's "The Madonna of Chancellor Rolin."