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Renaissance

A revival of classical texts led to new methods of scholarship and new values in both society and religion. Italian Renaissance humanists promoted a revival in classical literature and created new philological approaches to ancient texts. Some Renaissance humanists furthered the values of "Secularism" & "Individualism."

Lorenzo Valla

Lorenzo Valla (c. 1406–1457) was one of the most important humanists of his time. In his Elegantiae linguae Latinae, an advanced handbook of Latin language and style, he gave the humanist program some of its most vigorous and combative formulations, bringing the study of Latin to an unprecedented level. He made numerous contributions to classical scholarship. But he also used his vast knowledge of the classical languages and their literatures as a tool to criticize a wide range of ideas, theories, and established practices.

Pico della Mirandola

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, the son of an italian count, was a brilliant student who studied Hebrew and Arabic along with the standard Latin and Greek. Based on his reading, he had developed 900 theses, or points of argumentation, regarding philosophical, religious, magical, and toher subjects, and he offered to defend them against anyone who wanted to come to Rome to debate him. As an introduction to his 900 theses, he wrote the essay "On the Dignity of man," an impassioned and eloquent summary of humanist ideas about human capacities.

Leonardo Bruni

The humanist historian and Florentine city official Leonardo Bruni closely linked the decline of the Latin language after the death of Cicero to the decline of the Roman Republic: "After the liberty of the Roman people had been lost through the rule of the emporers... the flourishing condition of studies and of the letters perished, together with the welfare of the city of Rome." Bruni was also very clear about that by the time of his writtings, the period of decomposition had ended and a new era had already begun. He created new philological approached to ancient texts and furthered the values of secularism and individualism.

Baldassare Castiglione

Baldassare Castiglione was a great man and a big influence in the Italian Renaissance. Baldassare was born in a town near the city of Mantua in 1478. Throughout his life he mostly lived in the cities of Milan and Urbino. During his stay at the court of Urbino he wrote a very powerful book called The Book of the Courtier. This book changed the Renaissnce in a big way such as the behavior expectations of the courtier and what his wife should do to help her husband It was also in condiseration that the courtier should be of nobel birth. Baldassare had a great influence through his writing in the Renaissance behavior. His book was a great help in the shaping of the Italian Renaissance.

  The Printing Press

Before the Printing Press was invented many people such as Petrarch had many ideas, but were spread very slowly from person to person which was done by hand copying. In Germany in the 1440's the Printing Press with movable type was invented. As a contribution to the Printing Press the printing revolution was also made possible by the availablitlity of paper. By the fifteenth century many improvemnets and changes seem to get into place such as Urban literature, the devlopment of primary schools, and the opening of more universities that had created an overall big market for reading materials. This creation also aided in spreading the Renaissance beyon Italy and encouraged the growth of vernacular literature, which would eventually contribute to the development of national cultures. Many reformers used the press to desseminate their ideas which created religious reform and helped it become widely overseen.

Visual arts was a great factor in the Renaissance. The individual portrait emerged as a distinct  artisitic genre in this movement. Rather than mirroring a spiritual idea, as medieval painting and sculpture tended to do, Renaissance portraits that displayed human ideals, often placed as a more realistic style favored by both artists and patrons. Many artist created sculptures dispaying the human body without having any religious factors to it but still having a factor of a religious belief. Some wealthy people and cities ordered sculptors to sculp them sculptures of things.

Michelangelo

Michelangelo used the new technique of Geometric Perspective in a range of his work. Michelangelos sculture of "David" is a good example of this. He portrayed David anticipating his fight against the Giant Goliath, and this statue came to symbolize the republic of Florence standing up to its larger and more powerful enemies. Another great example of his work is his painting in the Sistine Chapel. This work of art is very famous for it look of realism. The people incorporated in this painting look to be drawn as real people, he used shading and other techniques to create the geometric perspective look.

Raphael

A leading figure of Italian High Renaissance classicism. Raphael is best known for his "Madonnas," including the one that is placed in the Vatican in the city of Rome. One of Raphael's most famous works is the Entombment, which was created using some of the ideas that Michelangelo had recently used in the Battle of Cascina. He also painted frescos that are placed in the Vatican. Most of his works are great examples of the use of the popular technique of geometric perspective.

Jan Van Eyck

Jan Van Eyck was one of the earliest oil painters and artists. One of his most famous works was the "Adoration of the Lamb," which was created for the alter of the Curch of St. Bavon. Throughout his carrer he used oil paintings and panel paintings. Most of his creations were for religious views, but with that being said he also incorporated a part of his work without having a religious veiw, which considered every day life using the appropriate objects of and artistic representation.

Leonardo Da Vincip

Leonardo De Vinci (1452-1519) als known as "Renaissance Man" was an over achieving man. He had a great range of knowledge ranging from anatomy, engineering, astronomy, sculpture, architecture, and painting. One of his most historic painings was "The Last Supper" which he painted in (1495). The way that he employed human-centered naturalism that considered everyday life was his creations of the canals and the central heating. This artist created things that could become useful throughtout the renaissance.

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