Renaissance Test
Raphael
(1483-1520) Italian Renaissance painter; he painted frescos, his most famous being The School of Athens.
City-state
A city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state.
Secularism
A doctrine that rejects religion and religious considerations.
Secular
Non-religious
Petrarch
(1304-1374) Father of the Renaissance. He believed the first two centuries of the Roman Empire to represent the peak in the development of human civilization.
Erasmus
(1466?-1536) Dutch Humanist and friend of Sir Thomas More. One of the most intellectual men in Europe and widely respected. Believed the problems in the Catholic Church could be fixed; did not support the idea of a Reformation. Wrote Praise of Folly.
Niccolo Machiavelli
(1469-1527) Wrote The Prince which contained a secular method of ruling a country. "End justifies the means."
Michelangelo
(1475-1564) An Italian sculptor, painter, poet, engineer, and architect. Famous works include the mural on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and the sculpture of the biblical character David.
Peter Brueghel the Elder
(1520-1569) A painter who focused and was influenced most by the lives of ordinary people (The Peasant Dance, Peasant Wedding)
William Shakespeare
(1564 - 1616) English poet and playwright considered one of the greatest writers of the English language; works include Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet.
Papal States
- Territories in the Italian peninsula under the popes ruling - The pope started gaining a lot of power and started wars and signed treaties - The pope was one of Italy's most secular rulers
Johannes Gutenberg
A German goldsmith, inventor, printer, and publisher who introduced printing to Europe with the introduction of the printing press
The Last Supper
A Passover meal which was the last meal taken by Christ with his apostles, the night before his Passion. Through this meal, Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist and the priesthood. Painted by Leonardo da Vinci
Humanism
A Renaissance intellectual movement in which thinkers studied classical texts and focused on human potential and achievements; focused on human ideas rather than religious.
Sistine Chapel
A chapel adjoining Saint Peter's Basilica, noted for the frescoes of biblical subjects painted by Michelangelo on its walls and ceilings. The Creation is one of the notable subjects of the ceiling paintings, and the judgment day is depicted on the rear wall of the chapel.
Communes
A community of people sharing living spaces, interests, values, beliefs, and often property, possessions, and resources in common. The people also share common work, income, or assets.
Last Judgement
A fresco by the Italian Renaissance painter Michelangelo covering the whole altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. Depiction of the Second Coming of Christ and the final and eternal judgment by God of all humanity.
The Arnolfini Wedding Portrait and his Bride
A man and a woman hold hands in an interior setting, with a window behind him and a bed behind her in natural symbolism of fifteenth century marital roles - while husbands went out to engage in business, wives concerned themselves with domestic duties. Things such as the dress, chandelier, and headpiece symbolize wealth. By Jan van Eyck
Albrecht Durer
A painter, printmaker, and writer. His paintings and engravings (woodcutting) show the Northern interest in detail and Renaissance efforts to represent the bodies of humans and animals accurately.
Mona Lisa
A painting by Leonardo da Vinci of a woman with a mysterious smile. It is now of the most readily recognized paintings in the world.
What is the Renaissance?
A period of time following the Middle Ages that was known as a "rebirth" beginning in Italy. The biggest influences of the Renaissance included political, economic, artistic, and educational ideas.
Patron/Patronage
A person who provides financial support for the arts
Individualism
A social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control.
Leonardo da Vinci
Am Italian Renaissance artist, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, and scientist. Known for the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper
Thomas More
An English humanist that contributed to the world today by revealing the complexities of man. He wrote Utopia, a book that represented a revolutionary view of society.
Baldassare Castiglione
An Italian author who wrote the book The Courtier in 1528. He described the ideal Renaissance man and woman.
Venice
An Italian trading city on the Adriatic Sea, agreed to help the Byzantines' effort to regain the lands in return for trading privileges in Constantinople, important for trade because of its waterways
Giotto
An artist who led the way into realism; his treatment of the human body and face replaced the formal stiffness and artificiality that had long characterized the representation of the human body
The Harvesters
An oil painting on wood. Depicts the harvest time, in the months of July and August or late summer. Painted by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
Filipo Brunelleschi
Architect who was supported by the Medici's to create a dome; Il Duomo, studied the Pantheon in Rome.
Humanities
Branches of knowledge concerned with human beings and their culture: philosophy, literature, and the fine arts, as distinguished from the sciences
What are the differences between Medieval and Renaissance outlook?
During the Middle Ages, a lot revolved around the Church, unlike the Renaissance. The Renaissance was also an intellectual and cultural period of time while the Medieval period was darker. Art also differs between these periods of time while Renaissance art was more classical/displayed humanism and Medieval art was more gothic. Literature and technology also separates this time period. The printing press was one of the most remarkable inventions of the renaissance, while parchment paper was used in the Medieval period. It is also important to note that vernacular was used in Renaissance writing while Greek and Latin were still used in the Medieval period.
Printing Revolution
Europe was greatly impacted when books became readily available because people were exposed to new ideas; widespread distribution of printed materials (like the 95 theses and Bibles written in common vernacular) marked by the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg
François Rabelais
Former monk. French humanist, wrote the comic masterpieces Gargantua and Pantagruel, stories contained gross humor.
Why did the Renaissance begin in Italy?
Italy's geographic position made it wealthy from trade; Italy concentrated on wealth, power, and intellect in the Church
David
Michelangelo created figurative works that focused on balance, harmony, and the ideal form. David showcases these artistic sensibilities through his lifelike, asymmetrical posture and his realistic and highly detailed anatomy
Christian Humanists
Northern humanists who interpreted Italian ideas about and attitudes toward classical antiquity and humanism in terms of their own religious traditions.
Jan van Eyck
One of the early innovators of what became known as Early Netherlandish painting, and one of the most significant representatives of Early Northern Renaissance art. He focused on landscapes and everyday life
Adoration of the Magi
Painted by Leonardo da Vinci, it relates to the story of the birth of baby Jesus with Mary and the three wise men at the stable
How did new ideas in the Italian and Northern Renaissance shape race, class, and gender norms?
Race - Renaissance ideas about "race" were related to those about ethnicity and "blood." - Renaissance people did make distinctions based on skin color. -Beginning in the fifteenth century, sizable numbers of black slaves entered Europe. -African slaves served in a variety of positions. - Fifteenth-century Europeans knew little about Africans and their cultures. Class - During the Renaissance the inherited hierarchy of social orders was interwoven with a more fluid hierarchy based on wealth. - Social status was also linked with considerations of honor. - Cities had the most complex and dynamic social hierarchies. Gender Wealthy Women - Increased access to education - Lost status compared to women in Middle Ages - Had to make themselves pleasing to the man - Women were to remain chaste (virgin) until marriage Peasant and lower class women - Status did not change compared to Middle Ages - Marriage - European Family Pattern - Based on economics not love - Average age was less than 20 - Increased abandonment - Divorce was limited but available in certain areas (divorce was non-existent in Middle Ages) - Rape was not considered a serious crime - More prostitution than in Middle Ages
School of Athens
Represents all the greatest mathematicians, philosophers and scientists from classical antiquity gathered together sharing their ideas and learning from each other. These figures all lived at different times, but here they are gathered together under one roof. A fresco painted by Raphael.
Painting of an Ideal City
Represents the values in a well-ordered society, with architecture standing as a metaphor for good government. The illusion of space is achieved using a mathematical perspective system developed in Florence. The artist is unknown
Medici Family
Ruled Florence during the Renaissance, became wealthy from banking, spent a lot of money on art, controlled Florence for about 3 centuries
What are the differences between the Italian and Northern Renaissance?
The Italian Renaissance focused on Roman ideas and Humanism. The Northern Renaissance was motivated by Christianity and combined Humanism and religion. The two were also different in terms of art. The Italian Renaissance portrayed their ideas through painting and architecture, and the subjects included religious scenes with a focus on proportionality, linear perspective, and showcasing the human. The subject of Northern Renaissance art was more secular (non-religious, example- a dinner feast).
Il Duomo
The famous cathedral dome built by Filipo Brunelleschi that dominates the skyline in Florence. It helped set the tone of the Italian Renaissance and it was especially important because of unique features that inspired artists and engineers across Europe.
How did art reflect Renaissance ideals?
The ideas of humanism, realism, and classicism are reflected in Renaissance art. Renaissance art focused on the individual and the human body and reflect classical influence. Artists emphasized classical subjects and the human body while incorporating new techniques in order to portray subjects more realistically. Art also reflected the ideas of power and patronage which were important elements of the Renaissance.
Why did the Northern Renaissance start later?
The invention of the printing press caused the Northern Renaissance to start later since it took longer for ideas to spread.
Vernacular
The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region.
What were the characteristics and goals of the new monarchs?
The new monarchs (France, England, Spain) - Had harsh techniques - Took away power from nobles and gave it to middle class - Had harsh punishments - Lots of taxes - They wanted power and did whatever they had to do to keep power
New Monarchies
The reestablished states of Spain, England and France after the Hundred Years' War
Flanders
Where the northern renaissance began, center of trade for Northern Europe, had rich industrial and banking cities
Florence
Where the renaissance originated, center of trade, wealthy merchants, important writers and artists are from Florence or studied there
How did literature reflect Renaissance ideas?
Writers wrote in vernacular rather than Latin (this displayed more diversity). Literature was secular and displayed humanist ideas.