Renaissance

Definition and Overview

• Renaissance: A period in European civilization following the Middle Ages.
• Characterized by a renewed interest in Classical scholarship and values.
• Witnessed significant events such as:
  • Discovery and exploration of new continents.
  • Shift from the Ptolemaic to the Copernican system in astronomy.
  • Decline of the feudal system and rise of commerce.
  • Inventions such as paper, printing, mariner's compass, and gunpowder.
• Seen as a revival of Classical learning and wisdom after cultural stagnation.

Origins and Rise of Humanism

• Middle Ages: Term coined in the 15th century, marking a period between Classical antiquity and the Renaissance.
• Humanism: Key intellectual movement of the Renaissance, began in Italy.
  • Initiated by secular men of letters, distinct from medieval scholar-clerics.
  • Key figures: Dante, Petrarch, Giannozzo Manetti, Leonardo Bruni, Marsilio Ficino, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Lorenzo Valla, and Coluccio Salutati.
  • Boosted by the fall of Constantinople in 1453, bringing Greek scholarship to Italy.
• Features of Humanism:
  • Focus on human nature and its achievements.
  • Syncretism: Unity of truths across philosophical and theological schools.
  • Emphasis on human dignity and mastery over nature.
  • Encouraged free inquiry, criticism, and a new confidence in human thought.
• Spread north aided by the printing press, leading figures like Desiderius Erasmus.

Artistic Developments and Florence

• Art regarded as a branch of knowledge, exploring nature and humanity.
• Artists like Leonardo da Vinci considered it a science.
• Key artists: Masaccio, Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Donatello, Michelangelo, Brunelleschi.
• Florence as a critical center due to civic pride, with support from wealthy families like the Medici.
• Proto-renaissance period influenced by Franciscan radicalism, figures like Giotto and Dante.
• The Black Death and civil wars temporarily halted this progress until the 15th century.
• Key developments:
  • Linear and aerial perspective.
  • Scientific naturalism.
  • Use of oil glazes in Northern Renaissance art.
• Notable works: The Portinari Altarpiece by Hugo van der Goes, showcasing Northern Renaissance techniques.