The Renaissance in the North
Chapter 1 Section 2
The Renaissance
In The North
Renaissance flowering in Italy Northern
Europe still recovering from Black Death.
(1400s A.D.) Northern Cities grew
economically wealth needed to develop
own Renaissance.
Renaissance Era of renewed interest and remarkable
development in Art, Literature, Science,
and Learning.
The Printing
Revolution
(1455 A.D.) Johann Gutenberg = utilized
movable type + printing press mass
production.
Printed first complete edition of Bible
using movable type.
Printing revolution transformed Europe
= before only few thousand books existed in
Europe.
Monks mostly copied books by hand = very
slow by (1500 A.D.) 15-20 million
volumes produced on printing press.
Books became cheaper + easier to produce
more readily available books = literacy
increased.
Readers = access to broad range of
knowledge exposed Europeans to new
ideas + places.
Northern
Renaissance
Artists
Northern Renaissance = began in Flanders
prosperous region in Northern France +
Belgium + Netherlands.
Spread = Flanders Spain + France +
Germany + England.
Flemish Painters:
(1400s A.D.) Jan Van Eyck = one of most
important Flemish Painters.
Portrayed townspeople + religious scenes
Rich + Realistic details.
(1500s A.D.) Pieter Brueghel = vibrant
colors + scenes of peasant life + common
people.
Paintings showed scenes from everyday
peasant life + very different from
mythological scenes of Italian paintings.
(1600s A.D.) Peter Paul Rubens = blended
realistic tradition + artistic freedom.
Samson & Delilah
Scholar + Humanist wide knowledge of
mythology + bible + classical history =
enormous painting portrayed these themes.
Durer: Leonardo of the
North:
(1494 A.D.) Albrecht Durer = German
Painter pioneer in spreading Renaissance
ideas to northern Europe.
Own methods influenced Italian artists.
Self Portrait
Applied painting techniques learned in Italy
to engraving + perfected process.
Engraving art form in which an artist etches a design
on a metal plate with acid + uses the plate
to make multiple prints.
Many of Durers engravings + paintings =
religious upheaval powerful Renaissance
theme.
Northern
Humanists and
Writers
Northern Humanists + writers = helped
spread Renaissance ideas.
Stressed education + classical learning
hoping for religious + moral reform = many
began writing in vernacular.
Vernacular everyday language of ordinary people.
Vernacular = appealed to middle class
northern towns + cities.
Erasmus: Making
Humanism Popular
(1466 A.D.) Disiderius Erasmus = Dutch
Humanist + Priest + Scholar wrote texts
on variety of subjects.
Used knowledge of classical languages
produced New Greek edition of Bible.
Called for translation of Bible into
Vernacular + disturbed by corruption of
Church called for reform.
Friend of Sir Thomas More.
Sir Thomas Mores
Ideal Society:
Thomas More = English Humanist
pressed for social reform.
Wrote Utopia = describes an ideal society
men + women live in peace + harmony.
No one = idle. All = educated; Justice = ends
crime rather than eliminate criminal.
Utopia word to describe any ideal society, often
with implication that such a society is
impractical.
Rabelaiss Comic
Masterpiece:
Francois Rabelais (Rab uh lay) = French
Humanist monk + physician + Greek
scholar + author.
Deeply religious + doubts about organized
church.
Wrote Gargantua and Pantagruel =
chronicles the adventures of two gentle
giants.
Novel = comic tale of travel + war uses
characters opinions on religion +
education.
Shakespeare Writes
For All Time:
(1590-1613 A.D.) William Shakespeare =
English poet + playwright wrote 37 plays
still performed today.
Some believe Shakespeare = greatest
playwright of all time.
Genius = expressed universal themes in
everyday realistic settings.
Explores complexity of individual +
importance of the classics.
Characters speak in language
understandable to common people.
Shakespeares words = vastly enriched
English Language 1,700 new words
appeared in his works.
Performed 20 of his plays = Globe Theater
audience surrounded stage on 3 sides.