The Renaissance outside Italy

1
Section 2.7

• The Renaissance outside Italy

2
Characteristics

• Began in mid 1400s
• England, Flanders, Germany
• Less a break with existing culture
• Religious element strong
• Development of the vernacular stronger (Italian
  heavy in Greek/Latin)

Jan Van Eyck, Madonna del cancelliere Rolin, 1439
Dürer Albrecht Virgin and Child before an
Archwayc. 1495
3
Religious Scholarship and Science

• Study of Greek, Latin intended to help better
  understand Bible
• Universities continued to grow
• Italian humanist rejected them as medieval
• More scientifically oriented then Italian
• Copernicus (astronomy), cartography, Johann
  Muller helped lay modern conception of world

4
Mysticism

• Sought a personal communion with God
• Eckhart Kempis
• Believed that the individual soul could (in
  solitude) commune with God
• No need for reason, mass, sacraments, priests,
  the Church
• Led by lay people (highly intellectual)
• Creates vacuum (of reformers) in Church

5
Education

• Gerard Groote founded Sisters and Brothers of the
  Common Life (1374)
• Took no vows, free to leave
• Relieved poor
• Established modern schools
• Separate grades and classes
• Emphasized literacy, character development

6
Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536)

• Foremost Christian Humanist
• Fused classic and Christian cultures
• Promoted church reform from within
• Did not seek to break with Rome
• Education, enlightened discussion, gradual moral
  improvement are keys to improving society
• Rejected violence
• In Praise of Folly
• Satirizes all worldly pretensions, ambitions
• Emphasizes tolerance, reason, restraint, proper
  manners, peace, scholarly understanding

7
Sir Thomas More(1478-1535)

• Utopia (1516)
• Describes ideal society
• Education based on classics
• A socialistic, egalitarian society
• States that man can construct a perfect society
• Rejected medieval notion of mans innate evil
• Said society (acquisition of private property)
  corrupted people

8
Jan Van Eyck

• Inventor of Oil-based paint
• Anolfinis Wedding
• Note the subject
• Social class
• Likely occupation

9
Rembrandt (1606-1669)
10
Jan Vermeer