The Renaissance Flashcards
Why did the Renaissance begin in Italy?
- Italy was the center of the Roman Empire. Italians were inspired by the Greek an Roman art , architecture and literature
- Italy had many rich merchants who could afford to become patrons to the artists. This led to wonderful works of art being produced
- Italian merchants traded with the East. This put them in contact with the Chinese and Arabs who gave them new ideas
What is the difference between Medieval art and Renaissance art?
MEDIEVAL: -No life/emotion -Painted with egg yolk and powdered colours on wood -No depth or perspective -Religious themes -Dark colours RENAISSANCE: -Life like bodies -Painted with oil colours -Great variation in colour -Painted on canvas -Used perspective -Sfumato -Use of shadows -Scenes of nature
Who were the Medici family?
The wealthiest family in Florence
Who was Lorenzo de Medici?
The ruler of Florence. he was a patron to artists such as Michelangelo, Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci
When did Lorenzo de Medici die?
1492 aged 43
Where and when was Michelangelo born?
Near Florence in 1475
A cardinal paid Michelangelo to make a statue. What was this made from, what is it called, and what does it depict?
Made from white marble and shows Mary holding Jesus after his death. It is called the Pieta
Name two famous sculptures made by Michelangelo
Pieta
David
Where and when was Albrect Dürer born?
Borm in Nuremberg, Germany in 1471
Name two engravings made by Dürer
The Knight, Death and the Devil
Praying Hands
Name three paintings by Albrect Dürer
Piece of Turf
The Young Hare
Self Portrait at the Age of Twenty-SIx
When did Dürer die?
Died in 1528 aged 56
Where and when was da Vinci born?
Born in Vinci, near Florence, in 1452
What painting did Leonardo da Vinci help Verrocchio paint?
The Baptism of Christ
When did da Vinci die?
1519
Who invented the moveable type printing press?
Johannes Gutenberg
What was the first book printed on Gutenberg’s printing press?
Gutenberg’s Bible
What was the importance of the printing press?
- Helped spread new ideas quickly
- More people leaned to read and write
- Books became cheaper
In the Middle ages, what language were most manuscripts written in?
Latin
During the Renaissance, what language was most literature written in?
The vernacular
Who was Erasmus?
One of the most famous Renaissance writers. He was a Dutch humanist who criticized the Catholic Church
Where and when was William Shakespeare born?
Stratford-on-Avon in 1564
Name three tragedy plays written by Shakespeare
Hamlet
Macbeth
Romeo and Juliet
Name a comedy written by Shakespeare
Midsummer’s Night Dream
Name a historical play written by Shakespeare
Richard III
Julius Ceasar
How many sonnets did William Shakespeare write?
150
What did Andreas Vesalius do?
Produced accurate information about the human skeleton
What did William Harvey do?
Discovered the heart is a pump, pumping blood through the body
Who was Nicholas Copernicus and what did he discover?
Renaissance scientist who worked out that the sun was the center of the solar system
What did Galileo prove?
Proved ‘the law of the falling bodies’ - objects fall at the same rate regardless of there weight
What did Galileo improve the design of? What did he discover with this improvement?
The telescope. With this he proved:
- Saturn is surrounded by rings
- The surface of the moon has craters
- Jupiter has four moons
What was Galileo’s book called?
Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems
What were the effects of the Renaissance?
- The invention of the printing press led to new ideas being spread quickly and to the development of education. Many historians claim that this led to the Reformation
- The Renaissance led to people asking questions
- It encouraged exploration of the world
