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Introduction to Western Civilization and Literature 2nd Year Teacher in Charge Dr F.Doukha
Handout: 01 THE RENAISSANCE

The Renaissance and Reformation

I/ The Renaissance
Power and Culture in Renaissance Italy
Introduction
Why Italy?
Classical and Worldly Values
The Renaissance Revolutionizes Art
The Northern Renaissance
The Elizabethan Age
The Legacy of the Renaissance

Introduction
During the late Middle Ages, Europe suffered from
both war and plague. Those who survived wanted to celebrate life and the
human spirit. They began to question institutions of the Middle Ages, which had
been unable to prevent war or to relieve suffering brought by the plague. Some
people questioned the Church, which taught Christians to endure suffering while
they awaited their rewards in heaven. In northern Italy, writers and artists began
to express this new spirit and to experiment with different styles. These men and
women would greatly change how Europeans saw themselves and their world.
Why Italy?
This movement that started in Italy caused an explosion of creativity in
art, writing, and thought that lasted approximately from 1300 to 1600. Historians
call this period the Renaissance. The term means rebirth, and in
this context, it refers to a revival of art and learning. The educated men and
women of Italy hoped to bring back to life the culture of classical Greece and
Rome. Yet
in striving to revive the past, the people of the Renaissance created something
new. The contributions made during this period led to innovative styles of art
and literature. They also led to new values, such as the importance of the
individual.

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Introduction to Western Civilization and Literature 2nd Year Teacher in Charge Dr F.Doukha
Handout: 01 THE RENAISSANCE

The Renaissance eventually spread from northern Italy to the rest of

Europe.
Italy had three advantages that made it the birthplace of the Renaissance:
thriving cities, a wealthy merchant class, and the classical heritage of
Greece and Rome.

1. City-States Overseas trade, spurred by the Crusades, had led to the growth of
large city-states in northern Italy. The region also had many sizable towns. Thus,
northern Italy was urban while the rest of Europe was still mostly rural. Since
cities are often places where people exchange ideas, they were an ideal breeding
ground for an intellectual revolution.
2. Merchants and the Medici A wealthy merchant class developed in each
Italian city-state. Because city-states like Milan and Florence were relatively
small, a high percentage of citizens could be intensely involved in political life.
Merchants dominated politics. Unlike nobles, merchants
did not inherit social rank. To succeed in business, they used
their wits. As a result, many successful merchants believed
they deserved power and wealth because of their individual
merit. This belief in individual achievement became impor-
tant during the Renaissance.
Since the late 1200s, the city-state of Florence had a
republican form of government. But during the Renaissance,
Florence came under the rule of one powerful banking fam-
ily, the Medici. The Medici family bank
had branch offices throughout Italy and in the major cities of
Europe. Cosimo de Medici was the wealthiest European of
his time. In 1434, he won control of Florence’s government.
He did not seek political office for himself, but influenced
members of the ruling council by giving them loans. For 30
years, he was dictator of Florence.
3. Looking to Greece and Rome Renaissance : scholars wanted to return to the
learning of the Greeks and
Romans. They achieved this in several ways. First, the artists
and scholars of Italy drew inspiration from the ruins of Rome
that surrounded them. Second, Western scholars studied
ancient Latin manuscripts that had been preserved in monasteries. Third,
Christian

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Introduction to Western Civilization and Literature 2nd Year Teacher in Charge Dr F.Doukha
Handout: 01 THE RENAISSANCE

scholars in Constantinople fled to Rome with Greek manuscripts when the Turks
conquered Constantinople in 1453.
Classical and Worldly Values
As scholars studied these manuscripts, they became more influenced by classical
ideas. These ideas helped them to develop a new outlook on life and art.
The study of classical texts led to humanism, an
intellectual movement that focused on human potential and achievements.
Instead of trying to make classical texts agree with Christian teaching as
medieval scholars had, humanists studied them to understand ancient Greek
values. Humanists
influenced artists and architects to carry on classical traditions. Also, humanists
popularized the study of subjects common to classical education, such as
history, literature, and philosophy. These subjects are called the humanities.
Worldly Pleasures In the Middle Ages, some people had demonstrated their
piety by wearing rough clothing and eating plain foods. However, humanists
suggested that a person might enjoy life without offending God. In Renaissance
Italy, the
wealthy enjoyed material luxuries, good music, and fine foods.
Most people remained devout Catholics. However, the basic spirit of
Renaissance society was secular worldly rather than spiritual and concerned
with the here and now. Even church leaders became more worldly. Some lived
in beautiful mansions, threw lavish banquets, and wore expensive clothes.
The Renaissance Man Renaissance writers introduced the idea that all educated
people were expected to create art. In fact, the ideal individual strove to master
almost every area of study. A man who excelled in many fields was praised as a
“universal man.” Later ages called such people “Renaissance men.”
Baldassare Castiglione wrote a book called The Courtier
(1528) that taught how to become such a person. A young man should be charm-
ing, witty, and well educated in the classics. He should dance, sing, play music,
and write poetry. In addition, he should be a skilled rider, wrestler, and
swordsman.
The Renaissance Woman According to The Courtier, upper-class women also
should know the classics and be charming. Yet they were not expected to seek
fame. They were expected to inspire art but rarely to create it. Upper-class
Renaissance women were better educated than medieval women. However, most
Renaissance women had little influence in politics.

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Introduction to Western Civilization and Literature 2nd Year Teacher in Charge Dr F.Doukha
Handout: 01 THE RENAISSANCE

The Renaissance Revolutionizes Art

As the Renaissance advanced, artistic styles changed. Medieval artists had
used religious subjects to convey a spiritual ideal. Renaissance artists often
portrayed religious subjects, but they used a realistic style copied from classical
models. Greek and Roman subjects also became popular. Renaissance painters
used the
technique of perspective, which shows three dimensions on a flat surface.
Realistic Painting and Sculpture Following the new emphasis on individuals,
painters began to paint prominent citizens. These realistic portraits revealed
what was distinctive about each person. In addition, artists such as the sculptor,
poet, architect, and painter Michelangelo Buonarroti used a
realistic style when depicting the human body.
Donatello also made sculpture more realistic by carving
natural postures and expressions that reveal personality. He revived a classical
form in his statue of David, a boy who, according to the Bible, became a great
king. Donatello’s statue was created in the late 1460s. It was the first European
sculpture of a large, free-standing nude since ancient times.
Renaissance Man Leonardo da Vinciwas a painter, sculptor, inventor, and
scientist. A true “Renaissance man,” he was interested in how things worked. He
studied how a muscle moves and how veins are arranged in a leaf. He filled his
notebooks with observations and sketches. Then he incorporated his
findings in his art. Among his many masterpieces, Leonardo painted
one of the best-known portraits in the world, the Mona Lisa.The woman in the
portrait seems so real that many writers have tried to explain the thoughts behind
her smile. Leonardo also produced a famous religious painting, The Last Supper.
It shows the personalities of Jesus’ disciples through facial expressions.
Raphael Advances Realism Raphael was younger than Michelangelo and
Leonardo. He learned from studying their works.
One of Raphael’s favourite subjects was the Madonna
and child. Raphael often portrayed their expressions
as gentle and calm. He was famous for his use of
perspective. In his greatest achievement, Raphael filled the
walls of Pope Julius II’s library with paintings. One
of these, School of Athens, conveys the
classical influence on the Renaissance. Raphael
painted famous Renaissance figures, such as
Michelangelo, Leonardo, and himself, as classical
philosophers and their students.

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Introduction to Western Civilization and Literature 2nd Year Teacher in Charge Dr F.Doukha
Handout: 01 THE RENAISSANCE

Renaissance Writers Change Literature

Renaissance writers produced works that reflected their time, but they also used
techniques that writers rely on today. Some followed the example of the
medieval writer Dante. He wrote in the vernacular, his native language, instead
of Latin.
Dante’s native language was Italian. In addition, Renaissance writers wrote
either for self-expression or to portray the individuality of their subjects. In these
ways, writers of the Renaissance began trends that modern writers still follow.
The Northern Renaissance
The work of such artists as Leonardo da Vinci,
Michelangelo, and Raphael showed the Renaissance spirit. All three artists
demonstrated an interest in classical culture, a curiosity about the world, and a
belief in human potential. Humanist writers expanded ideas about individuality.
These ideas impressed scholars, students, and merchants who visited Italy. By
the late 1400s, Renaissance ideas had spread to Northern Europe—especially
England, France, Germany, and Flanders (now part of France and the
Netherlands).
As Renaissance ideas spread out of Italy, they mingled with northern traditions.
As a result, the northern Renaissance developed its own character. For
example, the artists were especially interested in realism.

Artistic Ideas Spread

In 1494, a French king claimed the throne of Naples in southern Italy and
launched an invasion through northern Italy. As the war dragged on, many
Italian artists and
writers left for a safer life in Northern Europe. They brought with them the
styles and techniques of the Italian Renaissance. In addition, Northern European
artists who studied in Italy carried Renaissance ideas back to their homelands.
Northern Writers Try to Reform Society

Italian humanists were very interested in reviving classical languages and

classical texts. When the Italian humanist ideas reached the north, people used
them to examine the traditional teachings of the Church. The northern humanists
were critical of the failure of the Christian Church to inspire people to live a

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Introduction to Western Civilization and Literature 2nd Year Teacher in Charge Dr F.Doukha
Handout: 01 THE RENAISSANCE

Christian life.
This criticism produced a new movement known as Christian humanism. The
focus of Christian humanism was the reform of society. Of particular importance
to humanists was education. The humanists promoted the education of women
and founded schools attended by both boys and girls.
Christian Humanists The best known of the Christian humanists were
Desiderius Erasmus of Holland and Thomas More of
England. The two were close friends.
In 1509, Erasmus wrote his most famous work, The Praise of Folly. This book
poked fun at greedy merchants, heartsick lovers, quarrelsome scholars, and
pompous priests. Erasmus believed in a Christianity of the heart, not one of
ceremonies or rules. He thought that in order to improve society, all people
should study the Bible.
Thomas More tried to show a better model of society. In 1516, he wrote the
book Utopia. In Greek, utopia means “no place.” In English it has come to mean
an ideal place as depicted in More’s book. The book is about an imaginary land
where greed, corruption, and war have been weeded out.

The Elizabethan Age

The Renaissance spread to England in the mid-1500s. The period was known as
the Elizabethan Age, after Queen Elizabeth I. Elizabeth reigned from 1558 to
1603. She was well educated and spoke French, Italian, Latin, and Greek. She
also wrote
poetry and music. As queen she did much to support the development of English
art and literature.
The most famous writer of the Elizabethan Age
was William Shakespeare. Many people regard him as the greatest playwright of
all time. Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, a small town
about90 miles northwest of London. By 1592 he was living in London and
writing poems and plays, and soon he would be performing at the Globe
Theater. Like many Renaissance writers, Shakespeare revered the classics and
drew on
them for inspiration and plots. His works display a masterful command of the
English language and a deep understanding of human beings. He revealed the
souls of men and women through scenes of dramatic conflict. Many of these
plays examine human flaws.

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Introduction to Western Civilization and Literature 2nd Year Teacher in Charge Dr F.Doukha
Handout: 01 THE RENAISSANCE

Shakespeare’s most famous plays include the tragedies Macbeth, Hamlet,

Othello, Romeo and Juliet, and King Lear, and the comedies A Midsummer
Night’s Dream.
The Legacy of the Renaissance
The European Renaissance was a period of great artistic and social change. It
marked a break with the medieval-period ideals focused around the Church. The
Renaissance belief in the dignity of the individual played a key role in the
gradual rise of democratic ideas. Furthermore, the impact of the movable-type
printing press was tremendous. Some historians have suggested that its effects
were even
more dramatic than the arrival of personal computers in the 20th century. Below
is a summary of the changes that resulted from the Renaissance.
1. Changes in the Arts
• Art drew on techniques and styles of classical Greece and Rome.
• Paintings and sculptures portrayed individuals and nature in more realistic
and lifelike ways.
• Artists created works that were secular as well as those that were religious.
• Writers began to use vernacular languages to express their ideas.
• The arts praised individual achievement.
2. Changes in Society
• Printing changed society by making more information available and
inexpensive enough for society at large.
• A greater availability of books prompted an increased desire for learning and
a rise in literacy throughout Europe.
• Published accounts of new discoveries, maps, and charts led to further
discoveries in a variety of fields.
• Published legal proceedings made the laws clear so that people were more
likely to understand their rights.
• Christian humanists’ attempts to reform society changed views about how
life should be lived.
• People began to question political structures and religious practices.
Renaissance ideas continued to influence European thought—including
religious thought.