Talking Points
Journal 35
The Causes of the Renaissance
The rise of humanism – Thought to be the first expression of Renaissance thought. Humanists recognized the accomplishments of man. During the middle ages the Black Death was seen as God’s judgment of man – man was seen as a sinful. He should in stead reject the world around him with the hope of heaven waiting.
The invention of the printing press (In Europe in 1450) – Made mass copying of texts available. Secular texts of the Greek and Roman world were being made available to a larger audience. Johann Gutenberg perfected movable type printing – the first full-sized book printed was the Gutenberg Bible in 1454. Humanists often worked closely with printers. By 1500 there were at least 10 million printed copies of humanist works from presses in 238 towns. This increased literacy – and increased interest of Classical Greek and Latin texts.
New Wealth and the Black Death – in 1347 the Black Death swept across Europe devastating 1/3 of the population. Survivors found themselves better off financially. They experienced greater social mobility. This newfound wealth by some often was spent on Renaissance artists, as they became patrons of the arts. This attracted more artists to come to Italy to ply their trade. Increase trade led to a rise of the merchant class that became to political leaders of Northern Italy.
The fall of Constantinople – In 1453 Constantinople fell to the Muslims and Greek scholars flooded Italy with their scrolls of classical learning. The ideas of Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates, were preserved by the Byzantine Empire while Western Europe was in the Dark Ages.
Universities and Learning
· Two religious orders, the Dominicans and the Franciscans (Friars – who depend strictly on charity for their livelihood) contributed talented professors to the growing number of universities after 1200. Between 1300-1500 sixty new universities joined the twenty existing universities.
· Teacher guilds set the standard for membership in their profession. Universities set the curriculum and instituted comprehensive final examinations for degrees. Universally these institutions taught in Latin so professors and students alike could move freely around Europe looking for the university that specialized in their field of study.
· The prominence of theology reflected that many students were destined for ecclesiastical study, however it was often looked at as the “queen of the sciences” – the central discipline that encompassed all knowledge. In the 13th century theologians sought to synthesize the reason of Aristotle and the commentaries of Avicenna – with the Bible. This is known as scholasticism.
· This idea became a point of conflict between traditional thinkers. Some church leaders would even try to ban Aristotle from the curriculum.
Renaissance Artists
· In the 14th and 15th centuries, sculptors, painters, and architects often depicted biblical subjects, Greco-Roman deities, and everyday life in their pieces.
· Florentine painter Giotto (1267-1337) influenced many painters, which credited him with reviving the “lost art of painting.” In his religious scenes he replaced stiff. Starring figures of the Byzantine style with more natural human portraits.
· Use of oil paints, made from using linseed oil instead of egg yoke, gave artists more flexibility - first done by Flemish painter Jan van Eyck 1390-1441.