The Renaissance
I.
Defining the Renaissance
A.
An ideal more than an era--1300s to 1600s
B.
literally "rebirth" of ancient culture
C.
spirit of humanism
1. focus
on human creativity, knowledge and improvement
2. recovery
of ancient culture (back to the future)
3. travel
and exploration
II.
Humanism: cultivating human excellence
A. Renaissance Italy
1.
economic and social development
2.
political competition
B.
The Renaissance Man: knowledge is power
1.
Example from art: Bronzino's Young Man
2.
Baldesar Castiglione's Book of the Courtier (1528)
a.
Liberal arts are the foundation of personal goodness and effectiveness
b.
marvels of art
III. Humanism and Art
A.
Two Hundred Years of Madonnas
B.
Artistic innovations
1.
Focus on the human world
2.
Use of ancient models
3.
Observation of nature
a.
importance of light
b.
accuracy of form and space
c.
depicting three-dimensional space
4.
Emphasis on personality and emotion
5.
Narrative drama
C.
Masters of the High Renaissance
1.
Leonardo Da Vinci
a.
depicting �the intention of man�s soul�
b.
Last Supper
(1498)
2.
Raphael
a.
bringing humanism to life
b.
School of
Athens (1510)
3.
Michelangelo
a. striving
for the eternal and ideal
b.
David