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The Northern Renaissance. 1. What factors led to the beginning of the Renaissance in northern Europe? a. the northern population began to recover from the plague.
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1. What factors led to the beginning of the Renaissance in northern Europe? a. the northern population began to recover from the plague. b. Hundred Years’ War finally ended, cities were growing rapidly, city merchants were becoming wealthy enough to become “patrons” as well as educated in Humanist pursuits.
Renaissance Ideas Spread to Northern Europe Monarchs in England and in France (such as Francis I who hired Italian architects to build his palace at Fontainebleau) supported the arts and introduced Renaissance styles to northern Europe.
The tone of the Northern Renaissance, however, is different from what was seen in Italy. • While wealthy merchants and rich, independent city-states led the way in Italy, this was not the case in the north. • Due in part to the plague and the Hundred Years’ War, northern Europe had strong centralised power structures in the form of monarchies. They didn’t have city-states. • Thus, it was mainly the kings and some nobles who were responsible for the Renaissance’s spread there, not wealthy patron families. • It’s also more religious there. • While the Italian Renaissance was not strictly secular, it was more so than the Northern flavour.
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael showed great Renaissance spirit. Many visited Italy and took Renaissance ideas back to England, France, Germany, and Flanders • Northern Renaissance Began: • Plague, 100 Years’ War, fast growing cities helped start it • Northern humanists interested in religion instead of secular • Wanted social reform based on Christian values • Artistic Ideas Spread • 1494 war in Italy, many left Italy for Europe, brought ideas • Van Eyck uses oil based paints for real details
France’s King François I, 1515-1547. • Francis became known as the Father and Restorer of Letters. He was a Humanist. • The two previous French kings had warred with (and therefore interacted with) Italy, but Francis was the first one to really embrace the new ideas.
He sponsored a lot of art, & even tempted Leonardo da Vinci to France. • It was near the end of da Vinci’s life and he wasn’t that productive, but he brought his work with him – including the Mona Lisa, which is why France has it and not Italy. • He was a great reader, a good poet, and greatly expanded the royal library. He even opened it up to all scholars. • He promoted architecture- undertook a building programme in France.
Art • Art followed the Italian techniques and used a lot of perspective and realism. • Some of the bigger names are as follows: • 1. Durer : self-portraits (22, 26, & 28)
Albrecht Durer – produced woodcuts & engravings whose realism influenced other northern artists. His works: religious subject matter, but showed classical mythology & realistic landscapes. Right: “Knight, Death, and the Devil” -engraving by Albrecht Durer PP Design of T. Loessin; Akins High School
Pieter Bruegel the Elder – Painted mostly scenes of everyday life – focused on realism & individual characteristics. Produced paintings that taught morals, illustrated proverbs, & strongly protested Spanish rule over his country.
Jan van Eyck – developed new creative techniques to achieve most realistic detail with oil-based paints, applying several layers to create variety of colors & 3-D appearance to clothing / jewelry. “Wedding Portrait
Details from Madonna with Canon van der Paele . 1436. Oil on panel 122 x 157 cm. Het Groeninge Museum, Brugge
Northern Writers Try to Reform Society • Wanted faith to become more spiritual not ceremonial • Human emotions, not godly actions • Erasmus-The Praise of Folly-comedy on church matters • Thomas Moore-Utopia-no more greed, war, crime, corruption • Shakespeare- used classics to tell (new?) • tales
Literature • Writing also humanist influenced, but like with the rest, with a Christian bent, giving rise to Christian Humanism. • Human freedom and individualism are compatible with Christianity. • Human existence isn’t valued merely in itself. “It is the chief point of happiness when a man is willing to be what he is - not what others would have him be.” ~ Erasmus, 1527.
Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus – a Christian humanist, wrote The Praise of Folly which poked fun at people’s human flaws such as greedy merchants, arrogant priests, etc. He believed mankind could improve society by reading the Bible & that Christianity was about “the heart” & not a bunch of “rules and ceremonies” done in Church.
Erasmus (continued) He was from the Dutch region of Holland & received many honours in his lifetime. He was often critical of the “mindless” rituals Christians performed during church services & their ignorance about the actual Bible itself.
Erasmus (continued) “Don't stand, titter, totter, first standing upon one Foot, and then upon another, nor playing with your Fingers, biting your Lip, scratching your Head, or picking your Ears: Let your Cloaths be put on tight and neat, that your whole Dress, Air, Motion and Habit, may bespeak a modest and bashful Temper.”
An illustration Albrecht Durer did of someone he admired in his own lifetime – the Dutch Humanist, Erasmus. PP Design of T. Loessin; Akins High School
Northern Writers Try to Reform Society Sir Thomas More , English Humanist wrote: Utopia A book about a perfect society. Utopia is Greek for “no place” –his sense of humor is evident as this perfect society he gives this name to clearly did not exist. Believed men and women live in harmony. No private property, no one is lazy, all people are educated and the justice system is used to end crime instead of executing criminals.
Thomas More –concerned about society’s problems. More served as Speaker in the House of Commons and Lord Chancellor during the reign of King Henry VIII of England. When Henry began his plan to separate the Church of England from the Catholic Pope, More defended Catholicism and the struggle with his king would lead eventually to his trial for treason and his beheading in 1535 at the Tower of London. The events are dramatised in a classic film entitled “A Man for All Seasons.” Statue of More in Chelsea, London PP Design of T. Loessin; Akins High School
Chinese, Gutenberg and Printing Spreads Renaissance Ideas • Chinese invented block printing • High demand for knowledge and ideas • 1440 Gutenberg reinvented block printing for European (small # of letters) • 1450 Gutenberg invented the printing press • First book ever printed was the Bible : Gutenberg Bible • Revolutionised European society-Previously, literary works had to be transcribed by hand, usually by monks. It was tedious, time-consuming work and made books very expensive.
Many copies could be made, books became cheap. In 1500, already 9-10 million books printed Rise in number of people being able to read No more Latin books, now local languages (vernacular) Now people could interpret Bible themselves, begin to question the Church.
The press actually derived from a modified olive press. • Its advantage was the durable types used and the ability to easily move around the letters. • One of the first projects Gutenberg undertook was printing 200 copies of the Bible with 42 lines per page. Some were on vellum. • There are currently 11 complete copies on vellum and 48 relatively intact copies on paper. They can be sold for millions (but aren’t sold that often).
It is said that other great historical events such as the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s, the Scientific Age of Enlightenment of the 1600s, & the French Revolution in the 1700s would likely have not been such transforming forces had it not been for the invention of the printing press. WHY?
Astronomy • Copernicus (1473-1543) begins the Scientific Revolution
Medicine and the Occult • Medicine began to emerge • Many alchemists were early chemists
