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Early Renaissance culture mini project. Renaissance (briefly)

The Renaissance is a landmark period in human history. This is a time of change in people's consciousness, a transition from the medieval dominance of the divine cult to the desire to revive ancient ideals, to place emphasis on the development of man as an individual. This is a period of extraordinary growth in painting. This era gave us such masters as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Raphael Santi, and other great artists. To this day, people from all over the world come to the galleries to see the paintings of these outstanding masters. There is also a rise in science, which is associated with the names of Nicolaus Copernicus, Giordano Bruno and Galileo Galilei.

Renaissance Painting and Science

The main ideas of the Renaissance (humanism, anthropocentrism, appeal to antiquity) found their expression in the art of the Renaissance (Renaissance).

Great geographical discoveries expanded Europeans' understanding of the world. There was evidence of the sphericity of the Earth, knowledge of other cultures. This time is characterized by the growth of cities and the development of manufactories. All this contributed to the development of science.

Events

The end of the XIII-XIV centuries.- Proto-Renaissance

XV century- Early Renaissance

End of the 15th - beginning of the 16th century.- High Renaissance

Middle - second half of the 16th century.- Late Renaissance

Traits

fine arts of the Renaissance:

Construction volumetric composition(three-dimensionality)
. application of linear perspective
. naturalism, imitation of nature. Interest in human anatomy
. change in the status of the artist. The artist ceases to be an anonymous artisan
. scenic painting displaces the icon. There is an appeal to external objects, visible with physical vision (in contrast to the icon, for which the invisible, “hidden” meaning is paramount)
. secular genres appear, in particular, portrait
. a round (separated from the wall and intended to be viewed from all sides) and naked sculpture appears

Sciences of the Renaissance:

Development of human sciences
. development of mathematics and natural sciences
. transition from pure speculation to experience
. connection with practice (development of navigation, cartography, various technologies)

Participants

Leonardo da Vinci:

Sandro Botticelli:

Michelangelo Buanarroti:

Rafael Santi:

Pieter Bruegel:

Albrecht Durer:

Lucas Cranach the Elder:

Conclusion

Renaissance culture, originally formed in Italy, in the 16th century. spread throughout Europe. The transition to the Renaissance meant a new aesthetics, new look on art, science and man himself. The ideas of the Renaissance influenced the whole European culture New time.

On this lesson we will talk about painting and science of the Renaissance.

The foundation of the Renaissance was humanism. This ideological movement brought man to the forefront. Anthropocentrism ( the idealistic view, according to which man is the center of the Universe and the goal of all events occurring in the world) was contrasted theocentrism ( a philosophical concept based on the understanding of God as the absolute, perfect, highest being, the source of all life and any good) of the Middle Ages. The center of the Renaissance was Italy.

In the development of Italian fine arts the Renaissance is distinguished several stages:

Proto-Renaissance (late XIII-XIV centuries)

Early Renaissance (XV century)

High Renaissance (end of the 15th - first third of the 16th centuries)

Late Renaissance (mid and second half of the 16th century)

The first artists, the harbingers of the Renaissance, appeared in Italy at the end of the 13th century. When creating artistic canvases of traditional religious themes, they began to use new artistic techniques: building a three-dimensional composition, using a landscape in the background. This sharply distinguished them from the previous iconographic tradition, which was characterized by conventions in the image. To denote their creativity, it is customary to use the term - proto-Renaissance.

Giotto di Bondone- artist and architect of the Renaissance. Among early works Giotto should note the frescoes of the Upper Church of San Francesco, which were created between 1290-1299. Since the frescoes were created by a group of masters, it is extremely difficult to determine authentic works by Giotto. Some researchers generally deny his authorship. Around 1310, the lower church was painted, in the painting of which Giotto also took part. In the period from 1304 to 1306. Giotto created his most important work - the painting of the chapel del Arena in Padua (Fig. 1). The paintings, arranged in three tiers, tell chronological order about the life of Mary and Christ. The solution of the theme in the form of a series of dramatic scenes, the simplicity of the situations, the plastic expressiveness of gestures and the light coloring make the painting a masterpiece of proto-Renaissance painting in Italy.

Rice. 1. Giotto di Bondone - painting of the Arena Chapel in Padua ()

The heyday of Renaissance painting occurred in the first quarter of the 16th century. This period is called High Renaissance. The main topic Renaissance painting became man. Also, the painting of this era is characterized by the desire for a naturalistic depiction of the original, interest in human anatomy, the appearance of images of nudes, as well as the emergence and spread of secular genres: landscape, household painting and a portrait. Even in religious art the pictorial painting displaces the icon.

The greatest genius of the Renaissance was Leonardo da Vinci(Fig. 2) (1452-1519), expert in anatomy and physics, designer and architect, sculptor and artist, musician and writer. He became the embodiment of the humanistic ideal of a comprehensively developed personality. He drew up designs for a submarine, aircraft and a parachute. Among works of art Leonardo da Vinci greatest fame purchased portrait “Mona Lisa” or “La Gioconda” (Fig. 3). This portrait is one of the best examples portrait genre era High Renaissance. To this day the painting is in Louvre(Paris, France). Also gained fame "Vitruvian Man" (Fig. 4), drawing by Leonardo da Vinci. Except paintings, several grandiose frescoes by the master have been preserved. Image "Last Supper"(Fig. 5) decorated the wall of one of the Milan monasteries. This painting depicts the legend that, shortly before his death, Jesus gathered his disciples and told them: “One of you will betray me.” The painting shows students amazed by these words. Anger, despair, fear and distrust on their faces. Only Jesus is calm and sad.

Rice. 2. Self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci ()

Rice. 3. Leonardo da Vinci - Mona Lisa (La Gioconda) ()

Rice. 4. Leonardo da Vinci - Vitruvian Man, Galleria dell'Accademia, Venice ()

Rice. 5. Leonardo da Vinci - The Last Supper ()

Michelangelo Buonarroti - younger contemporary of Leonardo, artist, sculptor, military engineer and poet. A brilliant creation Michelangelo as an artist is ceiling painting Sistine Chapel in the Vatican(Fig. 6) depicting biblical scenes. It was created from 1508 to 1512. On an area of ​​600 sq. m. the artist, standing on scaffolding, depicted hundreds human figures filled with drama. The main section of the cycle consists of nine scenes from the book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible. The paintings are divided into 3 groups. The theme of the first group of images is God’s creation of Earth and Heaven, the second is the creation of Adam and Eve, the Fall, expulsion from paradise, the third is the suffering that befell humanity through the story of Noah. The sequence of episodes is arranged in such a way that the viewer, upon entering the chapel, begins to view the scenes from the altar wall. Many years later, Michelangelo returned to painting the Sistine Chapel, creating a grandiose fresco "The Last Judgment"(Fig. 7).

Rice. 6. Michelangelo Buonarroti - painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican ()

Rice. 7. Michelangelo Buonarroti - The Last Judgment ()

Rafael Santi- great Italian artist and architect of the High Renaissance, contemporary of Leonardo. Rafael performed various works. By order of the Pope, he painted chambers and halls in the Vatican reception, designed in Rome St. Peter's Cathedral, was engaged in decorating the interiors of churches and palaces of nobles. A special place in his paintings is occupied by female images . Sistine Madonna (Fig. 8) - was written by Raphael in 1512-1513. for the altar of the church of the monastery of St. Sixtus. The painting was commissioned by Pope Julius II in honor of the victory over the French who invaded Italy. The painting shows the Madonna and Child surrounded by Pope Sixtus II and Saint Barbara, as well as two angels below. The figures form a triangle, and the parted curtains only emphasize geometric construction compositions. The artist's skill lies in the fact that background, which at first glance appear to be clouds, upon closer inspection turn out to be the heads of angels. This painting is currently in Dresden gallery in Germany.

Rice. 8. Raphael Santi - Sistine Madonna ()

Northern Renaissance is a term used to describe the Renaissance in Northern Europe or throughout Europe outside of Italy. In art Northern Renaissance the leading role belongs to painting. Unlike Italy, Northern Renaissance painting for a long time preserved the traditions of Gothic art and paid less attention to the ancient heritage and the study of human anatomy. Among the outstanding German painters Northern Renaissance - Lucas Cranach the Elder, his famous work is portrait of Martin Luther (Fig. 9). Also among the outstanding German artists of this era is Albrecht Durer. A versatile painter and greatest master engravings, he studied perspective and canons human body, trying to comprehend the laws of beauty. His most famous engravings are from the series "Apocalypse".

Rice. 9. Lucas Cranach the Elder - Portrait of Martin Luther ()

The Renaissance also affected art Netherlands, Spain and France.

Great geographical discoveries expanded the boundaries of known lands, proved the hypothesis about the spherical shape of our planet, and gave new knowledge about other cultures. The growth of cities, the development of manufacturing, and the strengthening of trade relations between countries required the development of exact sciences. Greatest successes were achieved in astronomy.

The great Polish astronomer (Fig. 10) proposed heliocentric world system - the idea that the Sun is the central celestial body around which the Earth and other planets revolve. He observed the celestial bodies for 30 years and came to the conclusion that The earth revolves around the sunand around its own axis. His heliocentric system replaced the previous one - geocentric- an idea of ​​the structure of the universe, according to which the central position in the Universe is occupied by the stationary Earth, around which the Sun, Moon, planets and stars revolve.

Rice. 10. Nicolaus Copernicus ()

It was an era of struggle between reason and religious dogma. A follower of Copernicus was Giordano Bruno. According to the decision of the Inquisition court, he was burned at the stake. Almost suffered the same fate Galileo Galilei, however, the Inquisition court managed to force him to renounce his scientific views.

German astronomer Johannes Kepler formulated the law of planetary orbital motion. Every planet solar system moves along an ellipse, at one of the foci of which the Sun is located. Each planet in the solar system moves in a plane passing through the center of the sun.

At this time, trigonometry and analytical geometry were distinguished in mathematics.. Thanks to the works and labors of Andreas Vesalius, the founder of scientific anatomy William Harvey, the founder of embryology and physiology Miguel Servetus, medicine and anatomy stepped forward.

FrontierXVI- XVIIcenturies called the beginning of the natural science revolution.

References

  1. Barenboim P., Shiyan S. Michelangelo. Mysteries of the Medici Chapel. - M.: Slovo, 2006.
  2. Vedyushkin V.A., Burin S.N. Textbook on the history of modern times, grade 7. - M., 2013.
  3. Volynsky A.L. Life of Leonardo da Vinci. - M.: Algorithm, 1997.
  4. Grebenikov E.A. Nicolaus Copernicus. - M.: “Science”, 1982.
  5. Art early Renaissance. - M.: Art, 1980.
  6. History of Art: Renaissance. - M.: AST, 2003.
  7. Makhov A. Rafael. Young Guard. 2011. (Life of wonderful people)
  8. Seil G. Leonardo da Vinci as an artist and scientist (1452-1519): An experience in psychological biography / Trans. from fr. - M.: KomKniga, 2007.
  9. Turtefiri A. Giotto: Treasury of world masterpieces / Trans. with it. D. Kizilova. - M.: BMM, 2011.
  10. Yudovskaya A.Ya. General history. History of modern times. 1500-1800. M.: “Enlightenment”, 2012.
  11. Yaylenko E.V. Italian Renaissance. - M.: OLMA-PRESS, 2005.
  1. Fb.ru ().
  2. Studfiles.ru ().
  3. Grandars.ru ().
  4. Chuchotezvous.ru ().

Homework

  1. List the main features of the Renaissance that appeared in painting.
  2. What periods is the Renaissance divided into?
  3. Which famous artists Renaissance you know? What paintings did they paint? Have you seen any of these pictures before?
  4. Tell us about the development of science during the Renaissance.

The Renaissance is the greatest but most significant stage in the development of human culture. The term "Renaissance" was first used by the artist and art critic Giorgio Vasari, the author of "Lives of the Most Famous Painters, Sculptors and Architects" (1500), where he defined the development of art in Italy in the 15th-16th centuries as a revival after many years decline in the Middle Ages. Subsequently, this term began to be used in a broader sense, becoming a designation and characteristic an entire era development of Western European culture.

The culture of the Renaissance (Rinascimento - in Italian, Renaissance - in French) began to take shape in Italy from the middle of the 14th century. The essence of this culture was the fight against feudal canons and their manifestation in religion, philosophy, and art. In an effort to create a new culture based on the principle of free human development, Renaissance figures turned to the humanistic principles of ancient culture. A grandiose revolution took place in the worldview of people, and above all, scientists, painters, architects, poets, who were the conductors of a new culture that embodied the ideal of humanity, giving birth in people to a great love for the beauty of the world and a persistent desire to understand this world.

Unlike the culture of the Middle Ages, the humanistic life-affirming culture of the Renaissance was secular in nature. A passionate thirst for knowledge of the real world and admiration for it led to the rise of science, to the reflection in art of the most different sides reality and imparted majestic pathos and deep insight to the most significant creations of artists. In art, the ideal of a titanic personality was affirmed, which was embodied in literature, sculpture, and painting, which experienced a flourishing unprecedented before that time. The ideals of humanism were also expressed in architecture, in the clear, harmonious appearance of buildings, in their proportions and scales related to man.

Stages of development of Renaissance art:

Pre-Renaissance, or Proto-Renaissance (XIII-XIV centuries),

Early Renaissance (XV century),

High Renaissance (90s of the 15th century - first third of the 16th century).

Late Renaissance (second half of the 16th century).

In different countries, the processes of the Renaissance developed differently. For example, there was no High Renaissance in the Netherlands. In Italy, painting and sculpture were most developed; in Germany and the Netherlands, along with painting, engraving, etc., became widespread.

Homeland and classic country Italy came to the fore of the European Renaissance.

REVIVAL IN ITALY

Pre-Renaissance

The phenomena of the Proto-Renaissance and early Renaissance were most clearly manifested in the advanced Italian republics, in particular in Florence. It was on Florentine soil that the work of the great poet Dante was formed, the last poet The Middle Ages and the first poet of modern times, and the pioneer of Renaissance painting, the artist Giotto.

Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) was born and raised in Florence, where he was formed under the influence of the outstanding political figure and humanist Brunetto Latini. A participant in the political life of the city, he was expelled from Florence and during the period of twenty years of exile he wrote his brilliant creation - “Comedy”, which admiring readers defined as “divine”.

Giotto di Bon Done (1266/67 - 1337) was distinguished by his versatility of interests (architect, sculptor, poet, artist), which was a personal characteristic of the Renaissance figures. He made his most significant contribution to the development of painting.

Giotto's art affirms the value of a real person and is distinguished by its enormous power of emotional impact, moral and ethical depth, drama and epicness. His most significant creation is a cycle of frescoes on the life of Mary and Christ in the Chapel del Arena in Padua.

The artist interprets the religious legend as a real event. With unprecedented strength, Giotto conveys the characters’ characters, revealed in their actions, in slow movements, in gestures. The “Kiss of Judas” scene is perceived as a dramatic story about betrayal, as a clash of two contrasting characters; epic grandeur and drama distinguish the fresco “Lamentation of Christ”. By discarding minor details and generalizing, Giotto creates images of great depth. Light, cold colors - yellow, pink, blue, green - create a sonorous, easily perceived harmony of the paintings.

Giotto's art, with its sincerity and simplicity, light in thought, full of faith in man, marked the beginning of Renaissance painting.

Early revival

At the end of the 14th century, power in Florence was concentrated in the hands of the Medici banking house. In 1434, Cosimo de' Medici became the unofficial ruler of Florence. He strives to gain the status of patron of the arts and sciences.

During this period, the Platonic Academy was established in Florence and the Laurentian Library was founded. Scientists, writers, and architects work at the Medici court. The city is undergoing extensive construction and developing architecture (a central domed temple building and the city palace of the wealthy bourgeoisie and aristocracy).

The Early Renaissance was marked by literary developments associated with the names of Petrarch and Boccaccio

Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374), whose father was a friend of Dante and also knew the bitterness of exile, was favored by the government, won the fame of a great poet and was crowned with a laurel wreath. Petrarch is the founder of the sonnet *226 genre in European lyric poetry. Two books of his sonnets are dedicated to Laura, whose love is embodied in poetry as a real, earthly feeling. Petrarch freed poetry from mysticism and abstraction. His lyrics were the embodiment of the author’s humanistic aspirations.

*226: (Sonnet (Provence sonet - song) is a poetic form in which the volume (14 lines) and strophic construction are determined.)

Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) - writer, artist and philologist. He developed the short story genre *227, turning to the folk roots of Italian art.

*227: (Short story (Italian novella - news) is a narrative prose genre of literature, representing a small form.)

Boccaccio's great work is "The Decameron" - a book that dealt a crushing blow to the religious-ascetic worldview of the Middle Ages. Boccaccio's short stories are written in bright, colorful language, full of folk proverbs, sayings, and puns.

During the Early Renaissance, sculpture, which was subordinate to architecture in the Middle Ages, acquired its independent significance.

Donatello (circa 1386-1466, full name Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi) became a real reformer of Italian sculpture. He creates images of saints and prophets (Florence Cathedral and others), distinguished by individual characteristics. The pinnacle of his work is the sculpture "David" (1430-1440s), marking the triumph of the ideals of the Renaissance. The skill of depicting the naked body is based on ancient traditions. The image of a young shepherd, the conqueror of Goliath, became a hymn to heroism in the name of the people. First equestrian statue During the Renaissance, Donatello also created the image of the condottiere Gattamelata.

In the last third of the 15th century, during the reign of Lorenzo de' Medici, nicknamed the Magnificent, a sophisticated culture was formed, distinguished by its interest in ancient mythology and knightly Gothic. Painting reaches a high level.

Traits of sublime poetry, sophistication, and sophistication were embodied in the work of Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510). The artist's most mature works are the famous paintings "Spring" (circa 1485) and "Birth of Venus" (circa 1484). Their plots are inspired by the poetry of A. Poliziano, drawn to ancient myths, but inspired by the artist’s personal poetic worldview. Many of Botticelli's paintings are dedicated to the image of the Madonna; he created frescoes on biblical subjects. His paintings They are distinguished by the most complex linear rhythms; in the harmony of lines one can hear the harmony of music.

Botticelli was the first illustrator of Dante's Divine Comedy (1492-1497), his drawings are full of deep drama and subtle lyricism.

Along with Botticelli, the exponent of the ideas of the Renaissance in Florentine culture was the sculptor and painter Verrocchio, in Central and Northern Italy - Piero della Francesca, Mantegna, in Venice - G. Bellini and others.

High Renaissance

At the end of the 15th - mid-16th centuries, along with Florence, Rome and Venice became centers of art.

A new architectural style is being formed in Rome, the exponent of which is Donato d'Angelo Bramante (1444-1514), who gave his buildings a majestic and monumental appearance. Bramante's main creation is the design of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome (1506), which embodied the idea of ​​an ideal central dome buildings with a symmetrical composition.

The true founder of the High Renaissance style was Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). His activities were comprehensive; He has brilliant insights in various fields of science and technology.

One of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous works is the portrait of Mona Lisa (La Gioconda, circa 1503). The artist was an innovator in the development of Renaissance portraiture. The majestic figure of a young woman is set against the backdrop of a complex, semi-fantastic landscape that subtly harmonizes with the character of the model. The artist's painting skill is amazing. The finest haze of chiaroscuro (the so-called sfumato) envelops the figure; there is not a single sharp stroke or angular contour in the picture.

Leonardo's younger contemporary was Raphael Santi (1483-1520), who embodied in his appearance, character, and in his works the idea of ​​the brightest and most sublime ideals of Renaissance humanism. He created his ideal of a beautiful, harmoniously developed person.

In the period from 1509 to 1517, Raphael created paintings of the state rooms (the so-called stanzas) of the Vatican Palace

The culmination of the High Renaissance was the work of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564). In each of the areas of artistic creativity, he left

Michelangelo's whole life is a struggle to assert the human right to free creativity.

The master’s greatest creation was the statue of David (1501-1504), installed in the center of Florence in front of the Palazzo Vecchio and expressing the idea of ​​civil feat, a call to defend the fatherland.

In the 1520-1530s, phenomena alien to Renaissance culture, which later received the name “Mannerism,” spread in Italy. This phenomenon reflected the internal discord and feeling of powerlessness of artists in the face of the insoluble contradictions of life. The ideals of a harmonious personality were replaced by pessimism, brokenness, and emptiness. Deformation, elongated proportions of figures, and bizarre lines characterize the works of the artists Pontormo (1494-1557), Parmigianino (1503-1540) and others.

During the same period, in the north of Italy, in Venice, wonderful works of art of the High Renaissance were created. These are the creative creations of the architect Jacopo Sansovino (Library of San Marco and others), these are the paintings of Giorgione (George Barbarelli da Castelfranco).

One of the peaks of the High Renaissance was the work of Titian (1485/90-1576), which reflected humanistic tendencies and the originality of the realism of the Venetian school.

Late revival

By the end of the 16th century, the Renaissance culture was decomposing under the onslaught of the feudal-Catholic reaction, which began a cruel terror against humanistic freethinking, science and culture. In 1600, the fire of the Inquisition rises great humanist Giordano Bruno, astronomer, natural philosopher, writer, who did not change his convictions even in the face of death. Two years earlier, the Jesuits had declared the great utopian philosopher Tommaso Campanella, the author of the satirical novel City of the Sun, influenced by Plato's Republic and echoing Thomas More's Utopia, insane and sentenced to life imprisonment. Brilliant physicist, mechanic and astronomer, outstanding writer Galileo Galilei was subjected to severe persecution; the Inquisition forced him to renounce the teachings of Copernicus.

In this environment, the activity of the last great poet of the Italian Renaissance, Torquato Tasso (1544-1595), developed, whose work reflected the collapse of humanism in historical conditions that era. Central work Tasso's poem "Jerusalem Liberated" (1575), the theme of which is the siege and capture of Jerusalem by the crusaders. The poet shows the power of the Christian faith through the clash of two cultures - pagan and Christian.

The ideals of the Late Renaissance were also reflected in the art of Veronese (painter Paolo Cagliari, 1528-1588), Tintoretto (painter Jacopo Robusti, 1518-1594) and others.

Question 1. Who called themselves “lovers of wisdom”?

Lovers of wisdom were people from different strata of society, but all well educated, who did not just study the knowledge of antiquity, as scholasticism did, but worshiped antiquity and dreamed of completely reviving it. They discovered new literary works.

It’s not that they were hidden before, but scholasticism was not interested in them, studying only the philosophical and scientific heritage. Lovers of wisdom copied the inscriptions available to them on stone left by the ancient Romans. Before that, people of the Middle Ages did not pay attention to them, because in fact, each of them did not carry anything important.

But lovers of wisdom already appreciated the fact that it was created by the ancient Romans. It was these people who claimed that they were creating the New Age, and between them and the Ancient World - the barbaric Middle Ages.

Question 2. How did humanists imagine the role and significance of man?

It was the humanists who put man at the center of their attention and began to show interest not only in the salvation of his soul, but also in his earthly life. While the medieval church condemned the sinfulness of man, his vices, humanists admired his dignity, his perfection.

Question 3. How did the ideas of nobility that were common in feudal society and among humanists differ?

In feudal society, the word “nobility” was understood literally, that is, “good birth” - birth from worthy ancestors. Humanists argued that what is valuable is not who a person is born from, but what a person has achieved through the education of the soul and sublime thoughts.

Question 4. Why did the “lovers of wisdom” call their time the Renaissance?

Because they revived antiquity. They didn’t just admire her, but they wanted to restore what the barbarians had destroyed.

Question 5. What new did the Renaissance artists bring to architecture, sculpture and painting?

1) a play of chiaroscuro has been created in painting, the image has become three-dimensional;

2) new types of buildings have been created, now the architecture is oriented not upward, like Gothic, but horizontally;

3) architecture became realistic, like in antiquity.

Question 6. Make and fill out the table “Thinkers and artists of the early Renaissance” yourself.

§ 29. Culture of the early Renaissance in Italy

Everyone knows that Italy was the heart of the entire Renaissance period. Great masters of words, brushes and philosophical thought appeared in each of the Culture in Italy demonstrates the emergence of traditions that would develop in subsequent centuries, this period became the starting point, the beginning great era development of creativity in Europe.

Briefly about the main thing

Early Renaissance art in Italy spans the period from approximately 1420 to 1500, preceding and culminating the Proto-Renaissance. As for anyone transition period, these eighty years are characterized by both ideas that preceded them and new ones, which, nevertheless, were borrowed from the distant past, from the classics. Gradually, creators got rid of medieval concepts, turning their attention to ancient art.

However, despite the fact that for the most part they sought to return to the ideals of a forgotten art, both in general and in particular, ancient traditions were still intertwined with new ones, but to a much lesser extent.

Architecture of Italy during the Early Renaissance

The main name in the architecture of this period is, of course, Filippo Brunelleschi. He became the personification of Renaissance architecture, organically embodying his ideas, he managed to turn projects into something fascinating, and, by the way, his masterpieces are still carefully protected for many generations. One of his main creative achievements It is considered to be buildings located in the very center of Florence, the most notable of which are the dome of the Florentine Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the Pitti Palace, which became the starting point Italian architecture Early Renaissance.

To others important achievements Italian Renaissance also applies which is located near the main square of Venice, palaces in Rome by Bernardo di Lorenzo and others. During this period, the architecture of Italy strives to organically combine the features of the Middle Ages and the Classics, striving for the logic of proportions. An excellent example of this statement is the basilica San Lorenzo, again the hands of Filippo Brunelleschi. In others European countries The early Renaissance did not leave equally striking examples.

Early Renaissance Artists

Results

Although the culture of the Early Renaissance in Italy strives for the same thing - to display the classics through the prism of naturalness, the creators take different paths, leaving their names in Renaissance culture. Many great names, brilliant masterpieces and a complete rethinking of not only artistic but also philosophical culture - all this was brought to us by a period that foreshadowed other stages of the Renaissance, in which established ideals found their continuation.

In the middle of the 14th century, the birth of new culture- Renaissance culture, which would then spread throughout Western Europe. The Renaissance, when this culture developed, would last until mid-17th century century. Its first century and a half is called the early Renaissance.

1. “Lovers of Wisdom” and the Revival ancient heritage. In the 14th century, people who called themselves “lovers of wisdom” appeared in the rich cities of Italy. They bowed before ancient culture and they believed that antiquity was a “golden age” when science and art flourished, people were valiant and wise. And then, they thought, the barbarians (Goths) came, and ignorance and cruelty reigned. The barbarians forgot their beautiful Latin and began to speak in rough dialects. And now the time has come to revive the “golden age” and combine its ancient valor with the Christian faith. The “lovers of wisdom” called their time the Renaissance. This is how the idea of ​​three stages of world history first appeared: Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and Modern Times. "Lovers of Wisdom" studied Latin and Greek languages, searched for ancient statues and manuscripts, copied and studied works ancient literature. Often they spent everything on it free time and money. In behavior and even in clothing, “lovers of wisdom” imitated heroes and philosophers Ancient Rome and Greece.

Among them were people of different classes and occupations. The pharmacist and the duke, the guild master and the university professor, the priest, the lawyer and the official, gathered together, enthusiastically discussed the recently discovered ancient manuscript. At first there were few “lovers of wisdom.” They supported each other, wrote letters to each other, and formed circles.

The “lovers of wisdom” considered the Middle Ages to be a “dark failure” in history. We know that this is not so: the books of Dante and the poems of the troubadours, the Gothic cathedrals, the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas are no less beautiful than the books of Homer, the temples of the Acropolis and the philosophy of the Greeks. They are not better or worse, they are different. But although for many “lovers of wisdom” there was one ideal of beauty and valor - antiquity, another direction of new thought also developed, more connected with life and the immediate tasks of its time.

2. New doctrine about man. Medieval thinkers thought about God and the divine universe. They called their activities “knowledge of the divine.” “Lovers of wisdom” began to study not only the Bible, the works of the church fathers and the books of ancient writers. They became increasingly interested in the past and present of their people, their morals and customs, and current events. The main thing in the writings of new scientists is interest in man and his earthly life. They called their studies “studio humanitatis” - “knowledge of the human.” Hence the second name for “lovers of wisdom” - humanists. Their views began to be called humanism, the Renaissance is also the era of humanism.

Humanists created a new doctrine about man. Man, they believed, was the best and most important creation, the “crown of creation” of God, whom they often identified with nature. They believed that a person can and should achieve greatness already in earthly life. Through willpower and hard work, a person can reach the stars and defeat fate. The reward for man, as the humanists taught, was not bliss in heaven, but glory among his contemporaries and descendants. The Lord helps just such people, and their successes are evidence of God’s mercy to those who actively demonstrate their best capabilities.

The ideal of humanists is the “universal man,” that is, a person who has achieved perfection in everything: physical strength and beauty, in philosophy and other sciences and arts, in military skill, etc.

3. Raising a new person. Humanists argued that man must become the master of his own destiny. The Lord provides people with choice and help, and it depends only on man whether he will rise to an almost divine being or fall below the beasts.

Natural abilities are like a grain; they are inherent in us at birth. Only that person achieves greatness who, day after day, year after year, tirelessly grows this seed, works on himself, educates and tempers his spirit. Therefore, humanists (who were usually business people - they served under rulers, traded, etc.) devoted all their free time to “studio humanitatis” and the creation of their own new works on history, poetry, philosophy, and other sciences.

In feudal society, those who had noble ancestors were considered “noble”, that is, the best people. Humanists declared that nobility does not depend on origin. It doesn’t matter who you are by origin: the son of a prince or a shoemaker. Noble is he who has educated his soul by education and meditation on sublime subjects. Only such a person can achieve greatness and glory.

4. The first humanists. The Italian poet Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374) is called the first humanist. Against his father's will, Petrarch devoted his life to poetry and philosophy. This story will repeat itself more than once: many humanists will go against the will of their conservative and more practical parents.

One day Petrarch saw a young woman in church. He fell in love with her immediately and loved her all his life. She died of the plague in 1348, without reciprocating the poet's feelings. Petrarch gave his beloved the name Laura and dedicated many poems to her, which became one of the peaks of European love lyrics. Petrarch depicted the tragic complexity of his feelings and was the first to suggest that the poet’s real experiences could be interesting to other people. Petrarch was the first to call an earthly woman Madonna.

The poet lived for 16 years in the small town of Vaucluse. Here he had a lot of free time, and he devoted it to the “studio humanitatis”. For Petrarch, ancient thinkers were not absolute authorities, but favorite teachers and interlocutors. He admires them, but often argues with them. He would never agree to give up the freedom to think and his own opinion.

In Vaucluse, he wrote the poem “Africa” on a plot from Roman history, the book “The Lives of Famous Men” (about the heroes of the Roman Republic); In order for contemporary Italians to become Caesars and Scipios again, we must remind them who their ancestors were.

During the years of his life in Vaucluse, Petrarch acquired enormous fame and moral authority. His letters and books were read by all educated Europe. He was neither rich nor noble, but popes, emperors, and the most powerful sovereigns of Italy listened to Petrarch’s advice and even his severe reproaches. In 1341, at a ceremony in Rome, Petrarch was crowned with a laurel wreath and the title of King of Poets. Petrarch's student and follower was the writer and scientist Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375). The best and most famous work by Boccaccio- “The Decameron”, a book consisting of one hundred short stories. The Decameron's short stories, humorous and serious, rough and sophisticated, vividly and captivatingly depict the world of Italy in the 19th century.

Thanks to Petrarch, Boccaccio and their followers, the authority of humanists increased enormously. Experts in ancient literature were invited to give lectures at universities and appointed to high positions in city administration. The humanist Tommaso Peretunelli, the son of a shoemaker, was elected pope.

In the 15th century, Florence, Milan, Venice, Naples, and Rome became centers of early Renaissance culture. From Italy, the ideas of humanists spread to other European countries.

In the Middle Ages, each person had to take his place depending on nobility, wealth, and occupation. Now the focus is on the personality of a person, his individual, unique properties.

5. Art of the early Renaissance. Already from the early Renaissance, art began to flourish in Europe. Painting, sculpture and architecture of the Renaissance are imbued with the ideals of humanism.

Artists became interested real person in his earthly life. Picturesque and sculptural portrait- individual or family, where not gods, heroes and saints are depicted, but contemporaries from different classes. Thanks to such portraits, we know the real appearance of many famous people of that time.

Using chiaroscuro, artists achieve a sense of volume in their depictions of figures and objects. Get their attention bright characters, the depth and power of human experiences.

The most remarkable painter of the early Renaissance is the Florentine Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510). The most famous paintings masters - “Spring” and “Birth of Venus”, which are filled with naive serenity, captivating with tenderness and grace.

The architecture of Italian cities changed. Gothic cathedral stretched vertically, it is directed upward, towards God. The Renaissance city is “horizontal”. Architects are building new types of buildings: city palaces - palazzos, country villas, merchant mansions, universities, hospitals. These buildings are comfortable, created for human convenience.

During the Renaissance, artists and architects began to be highly respected.

Honor of invitation Italian artists The popes, kings and rulers of the cities of Italy contested their court.


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