Crash Course European History: The Renaissance

Intro

• Declining European population due to disease and war (14th century)
• Labor became more valuable, changing societal organization
• Emergence of Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) and his critique of 14th-century life
• Petrarch named the era the "middle ages" and helped usher in the Renaissance

Petrarch's Influence

• Renaissance seen as a revival of classical antiquity's bright light
• Petrarch inspired by Plato, Cicero, and other ancient writers
• Leonardo Bruni: Petrarch highlighted ancient elegance
• Medieval world and Renaissance co-existed
• Scholars revived ancient texts (Plato, Cicero) and knowledge from Islamic world
• Humanism focus: Worldly and human concerns

Humanism and the Humanities

• New thought based on old/ancient ways
• Study of humanities (grammar, rhetoric, logic)
• Rise of sciences: theology, philosophy, law, medicine
• Focus on human logic, rhetoric, and correct language usage (Latin)
• Importance of Latin for education and elite status
• Example: Lauro Quirini (studied humanities, then commerce)

Italian City-States: Heart of the Renaissance

• Artists, composers, writers, scholars thrived in prosperous cities
• Urban merchants and manufacturers fueled commerce and idea exchange
• Patronage system supported Renaissance thinkers and artists
• Banking institutions funded civic events, cathedrals, and masterworks in classical style
• Bankers financed artists (Botticelli, Michelangelo)

Paradoxes and Influence

• Artworks combined paganism and Christianity
• Profit-oriented bankers funded Church projects
• Humanistic education boosted economic and artistic growth
• Florence as the headquarters of the humanist revival

Thought Bubble - Renaissance Art

1. Artists followed and advanced ancient styles
2. Focus on human dignity and realistic details
3. Botticelli: Realistic depictions of people
4. Michelangelo’s “David”: human characteristics
5. Anatomical accuracy in sculptures and paintings
6. Human form rendering (dissected cadavers for accuracy)
7. Nature glorified in art (Birth of Venus)

Florentine History and Politics

• Prosperity mixed with economic shocks, class divisions, corporate rivalries, political crises
• Florence as an unstable Republic
• Guild members chosen for the Signoria, but the system was often rigged
• Frequent coups and changes in government
• Influential families like the Medicis
• Medici patronage: Significant impact on art and culture
• Niccolo Machiavelli: Analyzed political turmoil

Broader Renaissance Impact

• Renaissance thinking had limited impact on average people
• Translation of ancient works into vernacular languages
• Most peasants remained unaffected by humanism (illiteracy)
• Debates on women's experience in the Renaissance
• Women’s intellectual worth often discounted
• Rise of Pater Familias concept

Conclusion

• Tremendous intellectual and cultural developments in Italian city-states
• Renaissance thinking still resonates today
• Reflection on the relevance of Renaissance ideas in modern times