Um I Uh

http://totallyhistory.com/art­history/famous­artists/ http://www.learner.org/interactives/renaissance/middleages.html (bubonic plague) http://www.mrdowling.com/704renaissance.html (Renaissance definition) Renaissance topics
~Artists
~Inventions maybs
~Effects of the Renaissance Cover: title “The Renaissance
Pg. 1: About the Renaissance
Pg. 2 The Impact of Classical Antiquities on Renaissance Art
The word “renaissance” (rebirth) refers not only to the sudden and widespread flourishing of literature and the arts in fifteenth­century Italy but also to the revival of antique culture as a vital force at that time. Long the subject of antiquarian curiosity, ancient artifacts now became sources of potent creativity, firing artists with inspiration and a desire to emulate the achievements of the past. In the remains of ancient Rome,
Renaissance artists found stimulating images and ideas that spurred fresh invention. Few Greek or Roman paintings had yet come to light, but an array of more durable three­dimensional objects—such as coins, medals, statuary, and gems—furnished a vast lexicon of classical forms and motifs for direct quotation or imaginative adaptation. These artifacts also assisted artists in piecing together plausible reconstructions of ancient Rome. Drawing on their own fertile imaginations to fill gaps in the fragmentary record of antiquity, artists developed inventive interpolations of ancient artifacts and literary texts, which in turn spawned entirely new modes of painting and sculpture. Ultimately, the achievements of Renaissance artists rivaled, rather than reproduced, the accomplishments of the ancient past, adding a brilliant modern chapter to the history of the classical tradition.

Renaissance is French for “rebirth.” Historians consider the Renaissance to be the beginning of modern history. The Renaissance began in Northern Italy, then spread throughout Europe. Italian cities such as
Naples, Venice, and Genoa became centers of trade between Europe and the Middle East.

ARTISTS http://www.biographyonline.net/people/famous/renaissance.html Leonardo Da Vinci (1452­1519) was the supreme renaissance painter, scientist, inventor, and polymath.
He is one of the greatest thinkers, artists, and philosophers. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest minds the world has ever produced. He was interested in everything from music to art to science. Da

Vinci was an immense creative at the start of the Renaissance period. His many great works of art include The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Michelangelo Buonarotti (1475­1564) was a Renaissance sculptor, painter, and architect. He is often thought of embodying the spirit of the Renaissance. His greatest works include the statue of David, The
Pieta, and his painting of the Sistine Chapel.
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free”
“The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection” Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino) (1483­1520) was an Italian painter who was one of the members of the high Renaissance trinity. He was noted for his clarity of form and ability to convey grandeur, beauty and perfection. Raphael was asked by Pope Julius II to work on rooms in the Vatican at the same time
Michelangelo worked on the Sistine Chapel. He was known for the perfection and grace of his classical interpretations. His other pieces include the Crocefissione, The School of Athens He also became acquainted with Da
Vinci and Michelangelo (with whom he fell out with on numerous occasions)
He died on April 6, 1570, only aged 37. Yet, he left behind a considerable legacy and was celebrated even during his lifetime. Thousands of people attended his funeral. Donatello was the greatest Florentine sculptor before Michelangelo. Scientists
Galileo was born in Florence, Italy on 1564 to a poor yet noble family. It was in astronomy that Galileo became famous for his views. He also courted the opposition of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Galileo came to the same conclusions as Copernicus, that the sun was the center of the universe and not the
Earth. By inventing the world’s first telescope, he was able to make many explorations. His discoveries include ­That Saturn had a beautiful cloud of rings
­The moon was not flat but had mountains and craters
­Jupiter had many moons that orbited Jupiter rather than the sun Despite being censured by the church, he continued his work until he died in 1642. He was blind by the time he passed away. Niccolo Machivelli http://www.biography.com/people/niccol%C3%B2­machiavelli­9392446#awesm=~oG9hrjUhI6BIcs http://www.egs.edu/library/niccolo­machiavelli/biography/ GENERAL EFFECTS OF THE RENAISSANCE

­ The Renaissance brought in new conceptions of life and the world
The Renaissance effected in the Christian West an intellectual and moral revolution so profound and so far­reaching in its consequences that it may well be likened to that produced in the ancient world by the

incoming of Christianity. The New Learning was indeed a New Gospel. Like Christianity, the Renaissance revealed to men another world, another state of existence; for such was the real significance, to the men of the revival, of the discovery of the civilization of classical antiquity. Through this discovery they learned that this earthly life is worth living for its own sake; that this life and its pleasures need not l)e contemned and sacrificed in order to make sure of eternal life in another world; and that man may think and investigate and satisfy his thirst to know without endangering the welfare of his soul.
[The longings and the superstitious fears of men in the age of transition between medieval and modern times is well epitomized in the tradition of Dr. Faustus. " That legend," says Symonds, " tells us what the men upon the eve of the Revival longed for, and what they dreaded, when they turned their minds toward the past. The secret of enjoyment and the source of strength possessed by the ancients allured them; but they believed that they could only recover this lost treasure by the suicide of the soul. So great was the temptation that Faustus paid the price. After imbibing all the knowledge of the age, he sold himself to the devil, in order that his thirst for experience might be quenched, his grasp upon the world be strengthened, and the ennui of his activity be soothed. His first use of his dearly­bought power was to make blind Homer sing to him. Amphion tunes his harp in concert with Mephistopheles. Alexander rises from the dead at his behest, with all his legionaries; and Helen is given to him for a bride. Faustus is therefore a parable of the impotent yearnings of the spirit in the Middle Ages,­­its passionate aspiration, its conscience stricken desire, its fettered curiosity amid the cramping limits of impotent knowledge and irrational dogmatisms."­­Revival of Learning, p. 53 (ed. 1855).]
These discoveries made by the men of the Renaissance gave a vast impulse to the progress of the human race. They inspired humanity with a new spirit, a spirit destined in time to make things new in all realms,­­in the realm of religion, of politics, of literature, of art, of science, of invention, of industry. Some of these changes and revolutions we shall briefly indicate in the remaining sections of this chapter. To follow them out more in detail in all the territories of human activity and achievement will be our aim in later chapters, where we propose to trace the course of the historical development through the centuries of the Modern Age,­­the great age opened by the Renaissance. ­ It restored the broken unity of History
When Christianity entered the ancient Graeco­Roman world war declared itself at once between the new religion and classical culture, especially between it and Hellenism. The Church, soon triumphant over paganism, rejected the bequest of antiquity. Some of the elements of that heritage were, it is true, appropriated by the men of the mediaeval time and thus came to enrich the new Christian culture; but, as a whole, it was cast aside as pagan, and neglected. Thus was the unity of the historical development broken.
Now, through the liberal tendencies and generous enthusiasms of the Renaissance there was effected a reconciliation between Christianity and classical civilization. There took place a fusion of their qualities and elements. The broken unity of history was restored. The cleft between the ancient and the modern world was closed. The severed branch was reunited to the old trunk.
The importance for universal history of this restoration of its broken unity, of this recovery by the Modern
Age of the long neglected culture of antiquity, can hardly be overestimated; for that culture had in its keeping not only the best the human race had thought and felt in the period of the highest reach of its powers, but also the precious scientific stores accumulated by all the ancient peoples. What the recovery and appropriation of all this meant for the world is suggested by ex­President Woolsey in these words: "
The old civilization contained treasures of permanent value which the world could not spare, which the

world will never be able or willing to spare. These were taken up into the stream of life, and proved true aids to the progress of a culture which is gathering in one the beauty and truth of all the ages." ­ It reformed education
The humanistic revival revolutionized education. During the Middle Ages the Latin language had degenerated for the most part, into a barbarous jargon, while the Greek had been forgotten and the
Aristotelian philosophy perverted. As to Plato, he was practically unknown to the mediaeval thinkers. Now humanism restored to the world the pure classical Latin, rediscovered the Greek language, and recovered for civilization the once­rejected heritage of the ancient classics, including the Platonic philosophy, which was to be a quickening and uplifting force in modern thought.
The schools and universities did not escape the influences of this humanistic revival. Chairs in both the
Greek and Latin languages and literatures were now established, not only in the new universities which arose under the inspiration of the New Learning, but also in the old ones. The scholastic method of instruction, of which we spoke in a preceding chapter, was gradually superseded by this so­called classical system of education, which dominated the schools and universities of the world down to the incoming of the scientific studies of the present day. ­ It aided the development of Vernacular Literatures
The classical revival gave to the world the treasures of two great literatures. And in giving to the scholars of Europe the masterpieces of the ancient authors, it gave to them, besides much fresh material, the most faultless models of literary taste and judgment that the world has ever produced. The influence of these in correcting the extravagances of the mediaeval imagination and in creating correct literary ideals can be distinctly traced in the native literatures of Italy, France, Spain, and England.
It is sometimes maintained indeed that the attention given to the ancient classics, and the preferred use by so many authors during the later mediaeval and the earlier modern period of the Latin as a literary language, retarded the normal development of the vernacular literatures of the European peoples. [Some of the very best literary work of the period was done in Latin, as witness the Colloquies by Erasmus and the Utopia by More.] As to Italy, it is true that the national literature which had started into life with such promise with Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio was for almost a century neglected; but in transalpine
Europe, apart from Germany, where for a period Latin did almost supplant the vernacular, the revived study of the classics did not produce the disastrous effects observed in Italy. On the contrary, as we have just said, the effect of humanism upon the great literatures of Europe, aside from the exceptions noticed, was to enrich, to chasten, and to refine them. ­ It called into existence the Sciences of Archaeology and Historical Criticism
Many sciences were in germ in the Renaissance.' As to the science of archaeology, which possesses such a special interest for the historical student, it may be truly said that it had its birth in the classical revival.
We have already noticed the new feeling for the remains of antiquity that stirred in the souls of the men of the Renaissance .
The ruins of Rome were naturally the first object of the reverent curiosity and archaeological zeal of the
Italian scholars. From the fifteenth century down to the present day the interest in the monuments and relics of past ages and civilization has steadily widened and deepened and has led to remarkable discoveries, not only on classical ground, but also in Hebrew, Assyrian, and Egyptian territories,

discoveries which, by carrying the story of the human race back into a past immensely remote, have given an entirely new beginning to history.
What is true of the science of archaeology is equally true of the science of historical criticism. We have seen that the spirit which awoke in the Renaissance was a questioning, critical spirit, one very different from the credulous mediaeval spirit, which was ready to accept any picturesque tradition or marvelous tale without inquiry as to its source or credibility. It was this spirit that stirred in Petrarch. We find him comparing and criticizing the classical authors and following only those whom he has reason to believe to be trustworthy.
But the true founder of the science of historical criticism was Laurentius Valla (1407­1457). His greatest achievement as a critic was the demonstration, on philological and historical grounds, of the unauthentic character of the celebrated Donation of Constantine. He also called in question the authority of Livy and proved the spurious character of the alleged ­correspondence between Seneca and the Apostle Paul.
The achievements of Valla ushered in the day of historical criticism. Here began that critical sifting and valuation of our historical sources which has resulted in the discrediting of a thousand myths and legends once regarded as unimpeachable historical material, and in the consequent reconstruction of Oriental, classical, and mediaeval history. ­ It gave an impulse to Religious Reform
The humanistic movement, as we have already noticed, when it crossed the Alps assumed among the northern peoples a new character. It was the Hebrew past rather than the Graeco­Roman past which stirred the interest of the scholars of the North. The Bible, which the printing presses were now multiplying in the original Hebrew and Greek as well as in the vernacular languages, became the subject
Of enthusiastic study and of fresh interpretation. Consequently what was in the South a restoration of classical literature and art became in the more serious and less sensuous North a revival of primitive
Christianity, of the ethical and religious elements of the Hebrew­Christian past. The humanist became the reformer. Reuchlin, Erasmus, and the other humanists of the North were the true precursors of the great religious revolution of the sixteenth century. The Plague
The Bubonic plague (The Black Death) devastated one half of Europe’s population during the Middle
Ages and Early Renaissance (1350­1450)
The Plague, which was almost always fatal, spread the most rapidly in cities, where people were always near each other. The only way to avoid the disease was to leave the country, but it cost money so it was unfortunately only available to the wealthy.
The Plague also affected the economy, because it decreased the population. That population decrease led to an economic depression. Merchants and tradespeople had fewer people they could sell their wares to.
The products accumulated, and merchants and traders suffered a loss of income. Economic hardship spread throughout the community and affected those who dealt with merchants. Bankers, suppliers, and shippers also lost revenue.
As incidence of the plague decreased in the late fifteenth century, populations swelled, creating a new demand for goods and services. A new middle class began to emerge as bankers, merchants, and tradespeople once again had a market for their goods and services.

How the plague affected the renaissance http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art31353.asp
Those lucky enough to survive the plague soon found themselves better off both financially and socially.
The wealth of the cities was now spread amongst fewer people by virtue of inheritance and, in some cases, looting. Additionally, the reduction in population resulted in more food availability per person, more available land and lowered land prices. As more land came available for pasturing animals there was increase in the consumption of both meat and dairy products and an increase in the amount of these products available for sale and export. The pandemic hit the bastion of the Christian church especially hard. Not only were the clergy unable, in the eyes of their congregants, to gain God's favor and thereby end the plague, but the monasteries were almost completely depleted because their service to the poor and sick during that time resulted in a huge loss of life amongst those in religious communities. At the end of the plague time, the Church suffered such a shortage of clergy that they began allowing almost any man to become ordained. This led the people at large to hold the Church in lesser esteem than they had previously. And finally, increased wealth per capita allowed many who had previously existed in the peasant class to climb the social ladder and begin to populate a much larger middle class who could afford to spend some of their greater wealth patronizing the arts. The city of Florence, which is estimated to have lost at least half of its population in the first year of the pandemic, became very fertile ground for this type of social development. How the Renaissance influenced Modern America http://www.articlemyriad.com/influence­renaissance­modern­american­society/ The Renaissance had a profound influence on the course of the development of modern American society, culture, and, since it is a natural extension of both, artistic expression. The Renaissance influence in
America brought about a new focus on humanism and as a result, a subsequent turning away from the dominant ideals put forth by the church. Although religion was still of the greatest influence throughout the period of the Renaissance, the dawning recognition of human potential and scientific inquiry shaped the course of Western history and does still influence contemporary American culture today. Principles of realism, particularly as they appeared in terms of art and literature have remained vital in all aspects of
American society and figures such as Boccaccio, da Vinci, Machiavelli, and others live on and influence the way we view our world today.

Before the Renaissance, writers generally tended to focus on issues of a religious nature. Countless texts instructed readers about how to live a pious life and discussed Christian heroes. The Renaissance brought about influence to new writers who sought to break with this tradition and present a more realistic version of life. Several authors from the Renaissance period had a significant effect on contemporary American

society, especially in terms of either literary style and meaning as well as political thought. By introducing a new realism, they allowed the common person to enjoy tales and this tradition has continued in today’s society. One such figure, Giovanni Boccaccio, author of “The Decameron” among other important works, made contributions to what we now understand as realism in terms of literary characterization and setting.
Boccaccio deviated from the Renaissance norms of creating lofty characters who dealt with larger than life issues and instead sought to create characters who were witty, down to earth, and appealing to the average person. His masterpiece, The Decameron is a collection of 100 tales that center around a group of guests gathered at a house during the Black Plague. They all relate stories to one another to pass the time and each of the stories deals with issues the Renaissance reader would be familiar with. Boccaccio founded this new way of writing about settings and characters and this form of realism is recognizable in today’s world of both literary and commercial fiction.

In addition to these notes on The Decameron historically, such a style can also be found in films and television that seek to place “real” characters at the heart of the story instead of offering examples of perfect piety, godliness, or perfection. Another author who turned away from presenting readers with lofty pre­Renaissance characters and situations was Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli. The most important and influential Renaissance work by Machiavelli “The Prince“, and the central idea behind this book was to put forth a realistic and grounded political philosophy. In this text he discusses the way a leader must appear to this public; as being an almost holy and reverent figure, but one who could commit an evil act if necessary. The term Machiavellian has remained present in contemporary American culture and describes someone who is willing to commit an evil act for personal gain. Even though this term is not completely accurate in terms of The Prince, the word has remained and so have some of the ideas about how a leader should behave.

In terms of contributions to contemporary American society, few other Renaissance figures are as prominent as Leonardo da Vinci. Not only was he a revolutionary artist and thinker, but he pioneered several advances which we take for granted today. As an artist, da Vinci sought to represent realism in several forms, most notably that of the human figure. Instead of always painting the lofty and grandiose religious figures (which he still did some of) he often sought to show the true human spirit. A painting such as Mona Lisa is still a recurring image in popular culture but there is a deeper significance to its longevity in contemporary society. Da Vinci was one the first painters to showcase a realist tendency in his painting.

This tradition in art has lived on and can still be found throughout the art (and even literary) world. In addition to his paintings that drew off of scientific observation, da Vinci also pioneered some of the first studies of human anatomy as well as a number of other scientific developments. In sum, his work has influenced contemporary American culture and thought because it shows the power of empiricism in all endeavors—even those that are essentially creative. Da Vinci showed that art and science can be combined and one need only look to new technologies, such as realistic video games that feature highly realistic characters that are affected by physics within a simulated world.

In contemporary American society, science remains at the forefront of all of our lives, both in terms of how our culture and our society functions. We take for granted that science is a process based on careful experimentation and observation before a conclusion is reached. The writer and philosopher Francis
Bacon had a profound impact on contemporary American thought and his ideas would be called back as soon as the Enlightenment period in American history. He is recognized as one of the leaders of the scientific revolution and pioneered the idea of performing experiments to land at a conclusion or hypothesis. One of Bacon’s statements, “knowledge is power” is still a popular saying today and it has become the basis for much of our society, especially in age of information and technology. Bacon is also an important figure to contemporary American society because he set forth a clear division between philosophy and religion. Before Bacon, the two were considered inseparable, but by using his powers of deductive reasoning and observation, Bacon showed how they were two different things altogether. This concept has certainly carried over to American society and can even be found in our constitution to some degree. We have always made the division between church and state important and this idea in part goes back to the time of Francis Bacon. In other words, the thoughts of a Renaissance philosopher and writer have gone on to influence large political structures and doctrines.

With their emphasis on Renaissance humanism and a new, more balanced approach to handling religion,
Renaissance artists and writers have shaped the course of Western and American history and thought.
Men such as da Vinci taught us about the value of combining science and art and writers such as Francis
Bacon taught us how knowledge and modes of inquiry are essential to our being. Without these and other key Renaissance figures, one can only imagine what kind of a world we might live in. It even be reasonable to assume it would be a theocracy in which all art was of a religious nature and all thinkers limited to a narrow scope of subjects. Instead, we have the freedom to think, experiment, and observe as well as to read and consider art as a reflection of reality, not necessarily anything else.

Other essays and articles in the Main Archives related to this topic include : The Influence of the
Enlightenment on The Formation of the United States Puritan Influences on Modern American Culture and Thought Violence, Fear, and Glory in The Prince by Machiavelli A Comparison The Decameron and The Canterbury Tales Common Themes in Romanticism, The Enlightenment, and the Renaissance

How the renaissance affects our world today
The Italian Renaissance offers three good examples ­ for writing, art and architecture: "Italian Renaissance literature includes such figures as Petrarch, Castiglione, and Machiavelli." "Italian
Renaissance painting exercised a dominant influence on Western painting for centuries afterwards, with artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli..." "and the same is true for architecture, with works such as Florence Cathedral and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome." Petrarch would be a good example for a writer. He was one of the early Renaissance humanists, and his writings were the model for the modern Italian language (in fact it is said that the Florentine dialect of the
Italian language is what really unified the modern nation of Italy) Michelangelo and Raphael would be good examples of Renaissance art, but don't forget Botticelli (his name means "little barrel"). Michelangelo did the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but Botticelli was one of the 4 painters who painted the walls below the ceiling ­ Ghirlandaio (his name means "Garlandmaker". He invented the gold garlands, or bands, that the wealthy women used to wear in their hair.), Rosselli and
Perugino were the other three. For architecture, go no further than Filippo Brunelleschi. He is most famous for the dome of the Florence
Cathedral, but he was also the one who revived Roman Architecture, the same architecture that most of our buildings and monuments in Washington D.C. are based on ­ not to mention countless buildings throughout the world. He spent years in Rome, measuring and analyzing its most important building, to learn (or re­learn) the secrets of the ancient Roman builders and the materials they used. He then went back to

Florence and used these secrets to finish the dome of the Cathedral. He is also the inventer of the architectural blueprint.
Source:
http://www.essential­architecture.com/ST... http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/CSN/CSN_