Northern Renaissance

1
Northern Renaissance

• Contact with the Italian Renaissance
• During late 1400s students and artists traveled
  to Italy
• Merchants from France, Germany and England
  visited Italy

• Christian Humanism
• Called northern Humanists, they studied the
  classics but added Christian content
• Mix classical ideals with Christian virtues, best
  code for conduct
• Committed to moral and institutional reform

2

• Test tip It is important to understand the
  difference between Italian and Northern
  Humanists. Both studied classical learning,
  however the north was concerned with religious
  piety.

3
Key figures in N.R.

• Desiderius Erasmus
• Known as the prince of the humanistsmost
  influential on N. R.
• Produced Greek and Latin editions of the bible
• Best known for The Praise of Folly a satire aimed
  at merchants, priests, scholars and church
  leaders like Pope Julius II
• a devout Catholic who wanted to reform the church
• Wrote in Latin, not the vernacular

• Thomas More
• Leading humanist in England, a lawyer, author,
  statesman served Henry VIII
• Best known for his book Utopia (nowhere)
• Imaginary society that featured religious
  toleration, humanist education for all and
  communal ownership of property

4

• Michel De Montaigne
• Most influential writer in France
• Best known for popularizing the Essay

5
The Printing Revolution

• Johannes Gutenberg
• Invented first printing press in 1456 with
  movable type
• Printing spread quickly across Europe. By 1500 ,
  presses in over 200 cities printed between 8 -20
  million books!

• Impact
• Allowed humanists Erasmus and More to publish
  across Europe
• Made it difficult for authorities to stop
  dissenting views

6

• Test tip The printing press had a revolutionary
  effect on European life and thought. Students
  are asked to analyze how the printing press
  altered European culture between 1450 1600.
  Like today's social media it is hard to control
  information

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Northern Renaissance Art

• Characteristics
• First to produce oil paintings
• Allowed artists to paint reality precisely
• Many everyday objects found in paintings are
  really disguised symbols
• Fidelity
• Religious ceremony
• Arnolfini Wedding

8
Key Artists

• Jan van Eyck
• Most acclaimed Flemish artist in the 15 cent.
• Pioneer of the oil painting
• Best known for the Ghent Altarpiece and the
  Arnolfini Wedding

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• Albrecht Durer
• First N. R artist to fully absorb the innovations
  of the I. R
• Best known for wood cuts and self portraits

10

• Hans Holbein the Younger
• Blended N. R with I R, balanced proportion and
  perspective
• Realistic portraits of More and Henry VIII

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The New Monarchs

• Characteristics of Medieval kings
• Income from their estates
• Military served in exchange for land
• Relied on nobles for council
• Shared power with the church

• New Monarchs
• Retained feudal income added taxes on towns,
  merchants, peasants
• Professional armies paid by the royal treasury
• Relied on educated and loyal mid. Class officials
• Negotiated a new relationship with the CC

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France

• Charles VII 1422-1461
• Concluded the 100 yrs. War
• Introduced taxes on land and salt
• First permanent royal army

• Louis XI 1461-1483
• Enlarged the army
• Encouraged economic growth trough new industries

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France

• Francis I 1515-1547
• First French king to be called Your Majesty
• Reached agreement with Pope Leo X 1516 to
  nominate bishops, abbots and high officials of
  the CCgiving king administrative control of the
  CC

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England

• Henry VII 1485-1509
• Created the special court the Star Chamber
• Secret court
• No appeal, jury, witness
• Used justice of the peace to extend royal
  authority
• Encouraged industry and expanded the merchant
  marine

• Henry VIII 1509-1547
• Declared the king supreme head of the Church of
  England ending ties to the CC
• Dissolved monasteries and took the land and

15
Spain

• The Iberian Peninsula in mid 15th cent.
• Rich in cultural diversity of Jewish and Muslim
  communities
• Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon controlled Navarre
  and Portugal, while the Muslims controlled Granada

• Ferdinand and Isabella
• Marriage of F of aragon and I of Castile created
  a dynastic of the two most powerful houses
• Conquered Granada
• One king, one law, one faith, thus the
  Inquisition
• Expelled the Jews and Muslims from Spain

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Results

• The new monarchs created the foundation for the
  modern nation states in France, England and Spain
• Begin the move to absolute power.