...Italian Renaissance v. Northern Renaissance Christopher Garrett University of Phoenix Renaissance comes from the Latin renasci, which means to be born, or rebirth or revival (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2014). The Renaissance was an era that influenced countries for over 200 years, and transformed culture and religion. Starting toward the end of the 13th century, the renaissance was an integral part of developing countries in both north Europe and Italy. These renaissance periods are the Italian and the Northern renaissance. Even though both renaissances had similarities and made an impact within European countries, they both had differences as well that made them each unique. The Italian Renaissance began at the end of the 13th century and lasted until the beginning of the 1600’s. This period could be considered the transition period between the Middle ages and medieval period to modern Europe. During the Italian Renaissance, humanists labeled the “rebirth” as the Dark Ages. The Italian Renaissance focused more on the common man and everyday realities of life, which heavily influenced the culture and art (Beougher, 2010). The Northern Renaissance was influenced by Italian Renaissance; however, the northern movement carried different characteristics and strengths and affected European countries outside of Italy. During the Northern Renaissance, the north held onto the Gothic art and architecture. The north also had fewer centers of free commerce, unlike in Italy...
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...History The Renaissance-1 Textbook: pg. 338 to mid 343 16 January 2014 1. Why did the Renaissance first begin in Italy? The Renaissance first began in Italy because Italy had better resources. Anyone was able to go to Italy in search for a fresh start while bringing new ideas people never questioned. 2. Why was Florence at the heart of the Italian Renaissance? Florence was at the heart of the Italian Renaissance because it was started from Florence, and it was one of the wealthiest cities with significant power. The Medici family helped Florence become a cultural center for meetings or discussions about art. 3. What role did the Medici family play in the Renaissance Florence? The Medici family showed special interests for arts and literature, so they financed numerous art creations and get-togethers for the benefit of Florence. 4. Regarding humanism: -What are the characteristics of humanism? How is it different from medieval scholasticism? from nominalism? The characteristics of humanism include learning, anatomy, realism, reason, nature, youth, individualism, and perspective. Scholasticism was more orientated towards philosophers or theologians and it failed to offer moral guidance, however, humanism was about direct sources such as the bible or Latin/Greek classics. Nominalism is considered to believe that abstract or general terms are real, while humanism prefers human views. -Why is Petrarch considered to be the "Father of Humanism"? Petrarch...
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...Leslie C. Lee HIEU 205 June 23, 2014 Italian and Northern Humanism During the age known as the Renaissance, humanism was a thriving force within Europe. Humanism had a profound impact on how man viewed the role of education and intellectualism within society. Renaissance humanism has been defined as simply a curriculum based upon the study of Greco-Roman classics that affected the culture and man’s point of view. Renaissance humanism was ultimately divided into two branches which came to be known as Civic humanism and Christian humanism which defined differences between Italian humanists and Northern humanists. Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472) and Desiderius Erasmus (1469-1536) and their ideals exemplify what separated the two. The contrast between Italian humanism and Northern humanism can be simply stated as one led man away from God, the other drew man closer to God. Education was crucial a factor in the ideals of both Italian and Northern humanists. Classical scholarship was the heart of Italian humanism while Christian scholarship was the chosen education of Northern humanists. The classical Latin language of Cicero was an important part of both scholarship curriculums and both Alberti and Erasmus were fluent in Latin. The differences between scholarships were the exclusion or inclusion of Christian classics. Italian humanists unlike Northern humanists held the idea that the classic Latin language should be the chosen language of the elite. It was a common practice...
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...Renaissance Comparison Essay Candyce Kettler Hum/205 Jill Hunt August 29, 2010 We top Italian society's rebirth from the medieval period with the changes that occurred during the Italian Renaissance. Civilization was changing and what we consider the modern world was about to begin. The renaissance doings that happened in Europe outside of Italy is called the Northern European Renaissance. Italy's humanist ideas and values moved out of Italy and throughout Europe, which spurred on the Northern European Renaissance. The Renaissance period began in the early 14th Century and lasted until the late 16th Century. “Renaissance” comes from the French word that means “rebirth.” This time period is named and studied because of its unique art, literature, and music. It is also known as society's modern age. Early in the 14th Century, Italian scholars started to study the ancient cultures that preceded them, like those of Greece and the Roman Empire. This scholarly interest would lead to the Italian Renaissance. Italy and Europe was ready for change after the harrowing destruction of the Black Plague in the Middle Ages. Florence, Italy, was the home of the start of the Renaissance. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, culture, politics, and the arts had only been in decline. Petrarch advocated learning about Italy's Latin and Roman history. The Pope and the royalty liked this idea, so other scholars begun to study in the same vein. These scholars valued the accomplishments...
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...What Were the Characteristics of the Renaissance? In very simple terms, the Italian Renaissance re-established Western art according to the principles of classical Greek art, especially Greek sculpture and painting, which provided much of the basis for the Grand Tour, and which remained unchallenged until Pablo Picasso and Cubism. From the early 14th century, in their search for a new set of artistic values and a response to the courtly International Gothic style, Italian artists and thinkers became inspired by the ideas and forms of ancient Greece and Rome. This was perfectly in tune with their desire to create a universal, even noble, form of art which could express the new and more confident mood of the times. Renaissance Philosophy of Humanism Above all, Renaissance art was driven by the new notion of "Humanism," a philosophy which had been the foundation for many of the achievements (eg. democracy) of pagan ancient Greece. Humanism downplayed religious and secular dogma and instead attached the greatest importance to the dignity and worth of the individual. Effect of Humanism on Art In the visual arts, humanism stood for (1) the emergence of the individual figure, in place of stereotyped, or symbolic figures. (2) Greater realism and consequent attention to detail, as reflected in the development of linear perspective and the increasing realism of human faces and bodies; this new approach helps to explain why classical sculpture was so revered, and why Byzantine art...
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...The Italian Renaissance marked the beginning of a rebirth in culture and ideas. Art was focused around interest in nature, humanism, individualism, and sometimes religion. Even though these new ideas were already present in the late medieval period, they boomed during the Italian Renaissance. During this era, artists determined how to arrange figures realistically in 3D landscapes. Sculptures were often detailed and beautiful figures that were incredibly realistic. Overall, Italian Renaissance art was beautiful, bright, and something nobody had ever seen before. Raphael is one of the most famous painters in all of history. The School of Athens is known as the most famous work by Raphael. In this fresco, Raphael creates a assembly...
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...Developing Europe into a powerhouse, the Renaissance marked complete cultural transition of Europe out of the Middle Ages and identified a societal change of values and ideas reflected in the art and literature of the time period; the “rebirth” in Southern Europe, however, differed from Northern Europe. As both the North and South had access to newly printed materials courtesy the printing press, they did share commonality of thought- both supplied predominant Christian artistic themes, had an artistic ‘center’, and provided systems of guilds and patrons. The Southern, or Italian, Renaissance began during the 14th century and “inevitably, trade and commerce brought Italian ideas northward, where they influenced the artistic traditions” beginning the 16th century Northern Renaissance (Benton and DiYanni 53). The South focused on a return to the concept of humanism and revival of idealist, classic Greek and Roman values, but the North focused on the common man and daily realities of life. Centered around Florence then later Rome, aided by the patronage of the Medici family in the Early Renaissance and Popes in the High Renaissance, and inspired by Greek and Roman mythology, the Southern Renaissance movement emphasized humans (their capacities, values and worth). Italian artists made the viewer delve into the inner working of the human mind and their subject matter primarily consisted of gods and goddesses displayed with symmetry, balance, and linear perspective. Known for his goddess...
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...philosophy swept through Europe during the turn of the 14th century. The Renaissance as we call this movement changed the society and culture of Europe. The replacement of medieval ideas with the birth of modern principles changed the whole landscape of Europe and even the world as these ideas would gradually spread to other parts of the globe. It was particularly the Italian Renaissance which instigated these changes. It was when handful of humanists sparked off of what would be the one of the most remarkable revolutions. The Catholic Church started to shift away from being the center of the universe and began to be replaced by ideals such as secularism and individualism; a concept unheard of over the last 1000 years. This Renaissance movement were fueled by the people of Florence more so than any other nation. It was Florence which was the center of Renaissance and where it started off. With the discovery of ancient Roman and Greek manuscripts and art, the prosperous city of Florence soon became a mecca of culture and great achievements. It was in early stages of the Renaissance when the son of a goldsmith, Sandro Botticelli created his most famous works; Primavera and The Birth of Venus. After his death, Botticelli’s masterpieces and his artworks’ importance were obscured and underestimated for nearly 400 years before scholars grasped the importance of his work; primarily Primavera and The Birth of Venus and how it played a vital role in the Renaissance movement. Sandro Botticelli...
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...Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian philosopher, writer, diplomat, historian and a Politician, who lived during the ‘renaissance era’ in Italy. He had been born in Florence on May 3, 1469. He was the eldest son of his family. His family was rich and had owned large tracts of land in the rolling. But Machiavelli was not such rich man. He described himself as a “without gainful employment”(King, 2007, p3). To many, Machiavelli is seen as an ‘evil person’, who is widely known for his maxims of politics, where he believes that for one to be considered as a strong rule, he must possess the necessary guts and bravado to rule with an iron fist, and be harsh to his subjects (King, 2007). His philosophy on politics and how...
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...Introduction The Renaissance period covers the 200 years between 1400 and 1600; although exact dates are still argued by many specialists. The word “renaissance” literally means “rebirth” and is the French translation of the Italian “rinascita”. The Renaissance style is primarily composed of a revival of the classical forms developed originally by the ancient Greeks and Romans and of the deepened concern for secular life – interest in humanism and assertion of the importance of the individual. In art history, the Renaissance period corresponds to the start of the great Western age of discovery and exploration. At the time, there was great desire to study all aspects of nature and the world. During the Renaissance, artists became independent personalities. They were no longer considered as mere artisans as they have been in the medieval times. Artists tried to find new solutions to formal and visual problems. Many of them devoted to scientific experimentations. During this time, a lot of mathematical and linear outlooks were developed. This resulted to proportionality and rationality in every aspect of painting and sculpture. Paintings became a window to the natural world and it was the painters’ job to depict this world in their art. Artists at the time dedicated themselves to the rendition of landscape. In addition, artists also developed aerial perspective --- an angle where wherein objects become less distinctive and less sharply colored as the eye moves away. Painters during the Renaissance...
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...The Renaissance: Artists and Concepts The Italian Renaissance occurred from 1330 to 1550 on the heels of the Middle Ages in Italy and is described as one of the most influential times in art history. It brought about new ideas about art, science, and government. Feudalism which had been fiercely popular during the Middle Ages was beginning to trickle out of popularity while concepts such as humanism and Neo-Platonism started taking hold. The Renaissance is divided into the Early Renaissance which lasted from 1330 to 1450 and the High Renaissance which continued from 1450 to 1550. Many legendary artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Botticelli acquired their claim to fame during this time period. The Early Renaissance which began in 1330 introduced the concepts of Neo-Platonism and humanism. Neo-Platonism sought to reconcile humanism with Christianity, to blend the teachings of Plato and other ancient philosophers with the teachings of the Church. Humanism strove to portray lifelike human forms with correct proportions and realistic clothing and expressions. Artists developed new techniques to give paintings a more three-dimensional, life-like quality, and commonly studied human and animal anatomy in efforts to better understand their subjects. Sandro Botticelli is probably the best known and most influential painter from the Early Renaissance, although his works remained relatively unknown until several centuries later. The concept of Neo-Platonism and humanism can both...
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...Renaissance and Discovery (pg 317-349) 1) Jacob Burckhardt’s interpretation of the Renaissance in the 14th and 15th century, was that through the revival of ancient learning, new secular and scientific values began to supplant traditional religious beliefs. Some scholars believe that Burckhardt’s description was too modernizing and accused him of overlooking the continuity of the Renaissance and the Middle ages. His critics especially stress the still strongly Christian character of Renaissance humanism. 2) The term of Renaissance in fifteenth and sixteenth- century Italy meant “re-birth” or “revival”. In the 14th century many Italian scholars believed that the arts had been declining in quality for 1,000 years. They admired the art and writing of the Classical Age (400 B.C.-A.D. 400), the time of the Greek and Roman empires. To revive the glory and grandeur of the ancient past, these scholars eagerly studied classical literature, architecture, and sculpture. 3) Renaissance humanism is simply the focusing on the individual and learning. Before the Renaissance, people of Europe focused on the city-states and the knowledge they had attained before not worrying what new knowledge was out there. Then came the Renaissance and brought focus to those things. 4) The Renaissance was a break from the Middle Ages because it brought new ideas and new ways of thinking into society, but without the Middle Ages (medieval civilization), the Renaissance wouldn’t have...
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...Kathleen Talentino Professor Dr. Duff Sutherland HIST 106 December 4, 2006 Research Essay The Honest Courtesan during the Italian Renaissance The honest courtesan, also known as “cortigiana oneste” in Italy, contributed to the development of the intellectual and cultural revolution of the Italian Renaissance. This was during a time which the status of women struggled against that of their male counterparts. During this revolution, upper class women had less power politically and socially than women of the medieval era, and were confined to the opinion that their attention should be focused on domestic affairs. The honest courtesans were ambitious women who possessed all of the qualities of the male courtier, and maintained their sexual equality. The contributions of this elite group of women were in the areas of philosophical thought; historically through art and literature, and in development of the structure and function of human society. During the Renaissance, Italy experienced many revolutionary ideas, one of them known as Humanism. Humanism birthed the popularity of classical studies among the Italian elite of scholars, artists, writers and architects. This group of elite men were the forefathers of popular contemporary thought, and had the freedom to move in directions economically, socially, politically, emotionally, intellectually, and morally.[1] This idea changed life in Italy by individuals always striving to realize their human potential.[2]...
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...Europeans began to take an interest in and focusing more on learning and gaining achievement. Developing new ways of thinking, education, and expanding trade. The coming of humanism. When the European society wants to gain more knowledge of life from classical Rome and Greece teachings. Scholars studied texts. This was known as humanism. Humanism was developed to create a well-rounded civilization. To have the people think for themselves. When humanism began to be a part of life in the 1200s the people introduced themselves into learning. As cities grew in Europe. During the middle ages, societies began humanizing and developing an interest in education. This was when books became popular and more efficient to life after the invention of...
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...During 1500-1600 the church had many roles in the lives of the people and in the government. The church ran everything which made it very powerful and controlling. Since the church was so powerful and controlling, people had faith in it and were willing to devote time and money to the church. Throughout the Renaissance the power of the church began to decline rapidly. Although the role of the church changed throughout the Renaissance it was the base to everything in this time period, such as art, literature, poetry, and government, etc. Since the role of the church changed during the Renaissance everything the church was involved in also changed. Art was being controlled by the church during and before the Italian Renaissance. Every piece...
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