THE RENAISSANCE

The Renaissance Period: (14th - 17th Centuries)

1. Meaning rebirth or revival --- historical period of approximately 300 years marked by a revival in art,
literature, and learning.
2. The period served as a bridge or transition between medieval and modern Western Europe.
Distinctive Feature
1. It began with the rediscovery of Greco-Roman Civilization which had been neglected during the
Middle Ages.
2. It emphasized reason, a questioning attitude, experimentation, and free inquiry.
This is contrasted with the medieval concern with faith, authority, and tradition.
3. It glorified the individual and approved worldly pleasures, viewing life as worthwhile for its own sake,
not chiefly as a preparation for the life to come (salvation).
4. Focused attention upon secular society rather than the medieval preoccupation with the Church and
religious affairs.
5. Featured great achievements in literature, art, and science.
Origin of the Renaissance in Italy:
1. It had been the center of Greco-Roman Culture, Italy contained sculpture, buildings, roads, and
manuscripts that excited curiosity about classical civilization.
2. Located on the Mediterranean, Italy had absorbed stimulating new ideas from the more advanced
Byzantine and Moslem Worlds.
3. Benefiting from the revival of trade that resulted from the Crusades, Italy had wealthy influential
people who became patrons (supporters) of literature, art, and science.
Leading Patrons:
a. Certain Popes in Rome.
b. The Sforza family in Milan.
c. The Medici family in Florence.
FLORENCE: PREEMINENT RENAISSANCE CITY
1. 15th Century: Florence came under the control (rule) of the Medici family.
* Originally a merchant family who amassed a fortune in the wool trade and then expanded into banking.
2. The Medici's (especially Lorenzo the Magnificent, 1469- 1492) became outstanding patrons of
Renaissance Art.
3. Florence attracted people of talent from elsewhere in Italy, and the city acquired many priceless works
of art.
The Renaissance Spreads
1. In the 15th Century, Renaissance ideas began to spread from Italy to France, the German states,
Holland, and England.
2. The spread of these ideas resulted from religious, military, and commercial contacts.
3. Many northern scholars also traveled to Italy to absorb Italian art and learning.

Characteristics of Renaissance Art:

1. Influenced by the artistic achievements of Classical Greece and Rome. Particularly in sculpture and
architecture--- Renaissance artists often imitated classical works.
2. Renaissance painting emphasized realism, attention to detail, and a desire for perfection.
3. Early Renaissance painters dealt with religious themes but with a lifelike approach.
Later Renaissance painters also employed a realistic style and continued to recreate Biblical themes. In
Addition: they also depicted worldly subjects, landscapes, portraits, and scenes of everyday life.
ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE RENAISSANCE
Italian
1. Giotto (1266?-1337)
a. A painter and architect born near Florence.
b. Portrayed religious themes in many frescos (wall paintings)--------- he also designed the Cathedral of
Florence with its famous bell tower known as Giotto's Tower.
2. Ghiberti (1378-1455)
A Florentine who sculpted a series of exquisite biblical scenes for the bronze doors of the baptistry in
Florence.
3. Donatello (1386?-1466)
A Florentine sculptor best known for his life size statue of St. George.
4. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
a. He worked in Florence, Milan, and Rome.
b. He was a skilled painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist.
c. In military engineering - he improved the method of loading cannons and devised equipment for
scaling walls.
d. He devised the possibility of a parachute and a flying machine.
e. In painting he is best known for his Self Portrait, The Last Supper, and the Mona Lisa.
5. Michelangelo (1475-1564)
a. He worked in Florence and Rome; he was talented as a painter, sculptor, poet, and architect.
b. Famed for the biblical scenes he painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
c. As a sculptor - he is best known for his Pieta, David, and Moses.
d. Michelangelo also designed the dome of St.
Peter's Basilica in Rome.
6. Titian (1477-1576)
A painter associated with Venice and known for his portraits of famous people and his scenes from
mythology and the Bible, such as the Assumption of the Virgin.
7. Raphael (1483-1520)
a. Worked in both Florence and Rome.
b. Known for the Frescos he painted in the Papal Library at Rome.
Spanish
1. El Greco (1547-1614) A Greek who settled in Spain, painted religious
scenes such as the Assumption, portraits of church officials, and the famous landscape, View of Toledo.
2. Velasquez (1599-1660)
a. Official painter to the court of King Philip IV of Spain; also did many paintings of royalty.
b. He commemorated a Spanish victory against the Dutch in his Surrender of Breda.
Dutch
1. Hals (1580-1666) Painted portraits of ordinary people and scenes of
everyday life. He is famous for his Laughing Cavalier.
2. Rembrandt (1606-1669)
a. Considered the greatest painter of Northern Europe.
b. Portrayed everyday life and common people in his paintings.
Notable Works: The Night Watch, The anatomy Lesson, and Aristotle
Contemplating the Bust of Homer.
Flemish
Rubens (1577-1640) -- depicted action in religious and historical paintings. The Adoration of the Magi