Renaissance Flashcards
What do s the word renaissance mean in French?
Re-birth
What period do history covers the renaissance?
1400-1600 approx.
The renaissance is a period in history where there was said to be great change. What were these changes?
Rediscovery of classical learning which led to:
- cultural flowering
- Changes in how people thought about the world
- Changes in their relationship with the world
During the renaissance period new techniques were pioneered in lots of areas. Give some examples.
- Architecture
- Sculpture
- Music
- Writing
- Philosophy
Name two things that renaissance led to
- Reformation
2. Changed the face of European Civilisation
What was the reformation that renaissance helped to lead.
A division in Christianity created by Martin Luther. The division was Roman Catholics and Protestants.
How did the renaissance help to led the reformation?
The renaissance encouraged people to look at the world with fresh eyes and question why things were done in a set way.
This was very true of religion where it was not clear why people agreed to pay 10% of their farm income, pay for christenings and burials, worship saints, have highly decorated churches and pay for indulgences.
Name the 5 major city states of Renaissance Italy.
Milán Florence Papal States Republic of Venice Kingdom of Naples
Name 2 major causes of the renaissance?
- Increased trade
- Better education
- Humanism
- Invention of the printing press
Where did the increased trade occur?
- In Europe (especially with Byzantium/Constantinopole)
2. Opening of new avenues of exploration e.g discovery of America; trade routes with China and India.
Why did the increased trade cause the renaissance?
The increased trade developed a wealthy class of merchants in Italy with money to spend.
What sorts of things did the wealthy merchants spend their money on?
Lavish building projects
Artwork
Sculptures
How were Italian city states ruled during the Renaissance?
They were ruled by a council rather than a king.
Who would compete for política dominance of a city state?
Rich families would compete for dominance of a city state.
What were rich families known as in Italy?
Signori
What was the relationship between different city states in Italy?
They competed with each other for political dominance.
When cities are run by councils in Italy, what form of politics is this called?
Republican form of politics
Give an example of one way in which Italian city states competed with each other during the renaissance?
They would sponsor artists
What was the advantage of the city state sponsoring artists?
- Led to a greater interest in art but the people in the city state
- Led to success and wealth for the city state (known as the patron)
- Led to success and wealth for the artist
Why did an interest in education grow in the city states during the Renaissance period?
Because republican governments needed more educated men than the previous feudal monarchy who needed soldiers.
The medieval method of education was replaced as an interest in education grew. What was the old medieval method of education called?
Scholasticism
What is humanism?
Interest in books and art that was NOT all about Christianity
What re-discovery did the humanists make during the renaissance period?
Learning and texts from the ancient Greeks and Romans
Why did the capture of Constantinople by the Turks increase learning from texts and thus humanism?
Scholars from Constantinople escaped to Italy with ancient texts which then were read by the people in the city states.
Where were the ancient text kept to make them accessible?
In the rich libraries that were created during this time
What did humanists believe?
Humanists believed that man was limitless in his capacity for development.
How did humanists believe than man comprehended the world?
Using reason and intellect rather than religious teachings and wisdom.
How did the non-religious interests develop and why was this a danger to the Catholic Church?
The non-religious interest spread to art, paintings and politics.
This was dangerous to the church as people began thinking about their world outside the teachings of tyre Roman Catholic Church.
There also arose a network of European scholars, why did this help the renaissance?
Creation of universities of the time where new ideas were shared which led to changes in teaching and education
Who invented the printing press in 1439?
Gutenberg
How did the printing press help the Renaissance?
Enabled new ideas to spread more quickly and WIDELY
Who brought the printing press to London, England?
William Caxton 1476
Name 3 renaissance men.
- Raphael
- Michelangelo
- Leonardo Da Vinci
- Baise Pascaly
- Francis Bacon
- Thomas Hobbes
Any three of the above would be fine
Give definition of a renaissance man.
Born out of the humanist idea that man is limitless in his capacity to for development, whether it is physical, social or artistic.
What was an renaissance man see to be by others?
Someone who was accomplished in many different areas an was brave, witty, courteous, civilised and learned.
What were the key achievements (paintings) of Raphael?
- Resurrection of Christ 1499-1509
- St Sebastian 1501-1502
- Holy family (Madonna with beardless Joseph) 1500-1505
- Madonna del Granduca 1505
- Madonna Terranuova 1504-1505
- The Madonna of the pinks 1506
- La Disputa 1509-1510
- The school of Athens 1509-1510
- St Margaret slaying the dragon 1518
Give some biographical detail on Raphael.
Born 1483 Died 1520 Died from fever Not married but briefly engaged to Maria Bibbiena and had a long relationship with Margharita Luti He lived in Urbina, Rome He was a painter and an architect
Name three additional interesting facts about Raphael
- He was given the wrong cure to his fever
- He learned to paint from his father
- He was a rival to Michelangelo
Why did Michelangelo and Raphael not get on?
Michelangelo felt that Raphael copied his works without his permission
Who were the great artistic masters of the Renaissance period?
Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci forms the traditional trinity of great masters of that period.
Give some bibliographic details of Michelangelo.
Born 1475
Died 1564
6 brothers
Died from nephrolithiasis (kidney stones)
Born in Tuscany
Lived most of his life in Bologna, Florence and Rome
He was a sculptor, painter, architect and poet
Name three interesting facts about Michelangelo
He has a stepfather, Roberto Bandinelli
He painted himself into one of the scenes in the Sistine Chapel!
The David was sculpted out of a single block of marble that was going to be thrown away!
List some of a Michelangelo’s key achievements
Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel 1508-1512
Sculpture of David - 1504
A number of Pietas, which were sculptures - 1530- death
The Last Judgement (painting covering the whole alter wall of the Sistine Chapel)- 1541
The creation of Adam - one of the painted ceiling panels in the Sistine Chapel - 1512
Doniondo - 1508
Give some biographical details of Leonardo Da Vinci
Born 1452
Died 1519
Died due to a stroke (block of blood flow in the brain)
He lived in Florence, Vinci, Amboise, Milan
He had 21 siblings
He was a painter, engineer, mathematician, musician, naturalist, philosopher, architect, sculptor.
What were Da Vinci’s key works?
Mona Lisa (painting) 1517 The Last Supper (painting) 1490 Salvador Mundial (painting) 1500 The Vitruvius man - pencil drawing of the size proportions of the human body - 1490 Lady with an Ermine (painting) 1489-90
Give three interesting facts about Leonardo Da Vinci
He was self taught
Vegetarian
Many historians and scholars regard Leonardo as the “Universal Genius” or “Renaissance Man”, an individual of “unquenchable curiosity” and “feverishly inventive imagination”,and he is widely considered one of the most diversely talented individuals ever to have lived.
