what caused the italian renaissance?

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what caused the italian renaissance?

• The Black Plague
• Decline in population leads to food surplus and
  increase in business activity
• Food surplus leads to low prices-extra income
• Effect of this- the growth of city-states on
  Italian coast that produce wealth through trade

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growth of city-states

• Cities on Italian coast become major centers of
  trade
• These include Florence, Venice, and Milan
• Education and the art begin to grown in these
  cities

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Key people
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Humanism

• Intellectual movement focusing on worldly rather
  than strictly religious subjects
• Stress is on individual achievement and
  development of ones potential- not emphasized in
  medieval church
• Recapturing of Greek and Roman classics

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secular writers

• Secular writers have a worldly rather than a
  spiritual focus
• Talents should be used in service of their
  cities- not just to serve God
• Example- Machiavelli- wrote about politics and
  said that cruel behavior is sometimes justified
• Castiglione- said ideal person should be well
  rounded and know many subjects

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characteristics of renaissance art

• realistic portrayal of people and other subjects
  and respect for individuality
• use of perspective- appearance of depth and
  distance
• influence of Ancient Greece and Rome
• Beauty, balance and harmony

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Differences from medieval art

• Realistic views of people- showing character and
  personality
• Focus on topics beyond religion- even religious
  figures are shown with more depth
• New materials and techniques- oil painting, use
  of perspective

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Medieval Painting- The Last Supper
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