EUROPEAN RENAISSANCE

AND THE REFORMATION

 A time of creativity and change.

Renaissance means rebirth
Rebirth of art, literature, and science

after the Middle Ages.

 It was the Middle Ages

Most people lived on manors

under

feudalism
Most people were serfs
Most people could not read or write

 There was no money economy

Art revolved around the church

 Crusades

caused an increase in

trade
Money gained importance

 Bubonic

Plague caused a decline in

the population.
Labor became scarce.
Serfs could demand more rights,
including the right to be paid for their
labor.
Serfs could also leave the manor in
search of better opportunities.
Many moved to cities in search of a
better life.

 Commercial

Revolution created a
money economy

 Merchants

became wealthy and had

extra money to spend
Much of the extra money was spent
on art

 During

the Middle Ages, art and

literature focused on religious
themes and life after death.

 During

the
Renaissance,
thinkers began to
focus on life in the
present.
Renaissance
thinkers
developed a new
way of thinking
called Humanism.

What word do you see in humanism?

HUMAN!
This should help you remember what
it means.

new way of thinking that humans

could achieve things on their own
without God.

The

idea that humans are powerful and

that their achievements should be
celebrated.

 Art

was supported by
wealthy merchants
Artists rejected
medieval art and
returned to Greek
and Roman styles
(*rebirth*)
Art reflected
humanist concerns
Realistic
Painted every day
people and events

Michelangelo:
painted the Sistine
Chapel

Leonardo da Vinci:
Mona Lisa,
sketches of
anatomy

 During

the Middle Ages, books were

written in Latin and few could read
them.
During the Renaissance, books were
written in everyday language
(English, Spanish, French) so more
people could read.
This reflected humanism
Everyday language=vernacular

Chinese inventor Bi -Sheng invented a movable

type but it was impractical.
Johan Gutenberg invented the printing press in
1440 in Germany.
This was used to produce bibles, books and
music. pamphlets.

Shakespeare: Wrote
about the joys and
sorrows of human
life.

Machiavelli:
Wrote about the
best way for
leaders to rule
Believed it was
better to be feared
than loved
Believed the ends
justify the means

 Women

usually wrote about personal

subjects, not politics.
Vittoria Colonna helped publish The
Courtier.

Thomas More wrote a book entitled

Utopia looking for a perfect world full of
peace loving people in a land where
greed, corruption, war and crime had been
weeded out.

 The

Renaissance began in Italy.

 Italian

city-states were centers of

trade
Merchants in these cities were
wealthy
They had extra money to spend on
the arts

 The

artists supported by the wealthy

men, drew on the classic remains of
the ancient Greek and Roman
influences that surrounded the cities
of Italy.

Religious tradition focused on church ideas such a

sacrifice and living in ordinary ways, focusing on
being righteous.
The humanist in Italy enjoyed material luxuries,
fine music, and tasty foods.
Secularism-worldly and concerned with the here
and now.
Some church leaders became worldly by living in
beautiful mansions, had lavish banquets and wore
fine clothing.
Even popes of the Roman Catholic church became
patrons of the arts, by buying a great deal of art to
beautify the churches.

Medieval artists used religious items to

paint, whereas the artists of the
renaissance started painting individuals
(portraits)
The technique of perspective has three
dimensions on a flat surface. Invented by
architect: Brunelleschi

Showing images in the true form that they

appear in rather than trying to change them for
perfect images.
Michelangelo painted realistic images and
Donatello sculpted to show natural postures and
personality.

Michelangelo-Sistine Chapel
Athens

Raphael- School of

 Music

during the Middle Ages was

mostly sacred and used only for worship.
Gregorian chants (Middle Ages) were
one melody, unaccompanied singing
(monophonic) of praise; usually sung by
monks & priests during worship.
Music became secular (non-sacred)
during the Renaissance and polyphony
(more than one melodic line) was
invented (School of Notre Dame);
madrigals were developed.

Criticisms of the Catholic Church

Corrupt leaders, extravagant popes
Poorly educated priests

Henry VIII Wants

a Son
Henry

has only
daughter, needs male
heir to rule England.
Henry wants a
divorce; Pope refuses
to annul
invalidate- first
marriage to Catherine
of
Aragon of Spain.

The Reformation
Parliament
Parliament

passes
laws ending popes
power in England.
Henry remarries,
becomes official head
of Englands Church.
Thomas More
refuses to go against
Catholic Church and is
beheaded by Henry.

 Thomas

More spoke out against

Henry VIII in 1534 and was arrested
and executed.
The Act of Supremacy stated that
Englands citizens must renounce the
Popes authority and to accept Henry
as the official leader of the Church of
England or Anglican Church.
Henry died in 1547

The period from 1558-1603 is when Elizabeth

1st ruled England.
As Queen, she was a major patron of the arts
in supporting poetry and music as well as
literature.

Category

Middle Ages

Renaissance

Materials
Used

Frescos: Paint in wet plaster

mosaics, tempera paint on
wood, illustrated
manuscripts

Oil on canvas, marble sculpture

Category

Middle Ages

Renaissance

Colors

Dark: Brown, Gray,

Gold, Muted Colors

Brighter: Reds, Blues

Category

Middle Ages

Renaissance

Body Positioning

Unnatural, straight on,

contorted

Natural, positions on
all axial

Category

Middle Ages

Renaissance

Emotion of Subjects

Blank Faces
Difficult to read

Clear Emotions

Category

Middle Ages

Renaissance

Dimension

Flat, few shadows

Vanishing points give

perspective, use of
shading

 Period

in Europe after the Middle

Ages
A *rebirth* of learning, art, and
science
Rise of humanism
Many famous artists and writers
reflected humanism in their work