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The early modern age. Humanism and the Renaissance - Coggle Diagram
The early modern age. Humanism and the Renaissance
The modern state
As a result of the increase in agricultural and artisanal production and commercial profits, there was a growth in disposable wealth and proceeds from taxes.
monarchs of some European kingdoms adopted the following measures:
They strengthened bureaucracy which was composed of officials directly under their control, who supervised the kingdom's affairs.
They centralised power by creating new institutions to serve them.
They formed powerful armies, which they used to defeat other nobles.
The monarchs established a court or permanent seat for these new institutions to function well.
The weak feudal monarchy of the Middle Ages became a powerful authoritarian monarchy
The new political organisation which emerged as a result of these reforms is called the modern state.
The most powerful monarchies at the beginning of the Early Modern Age were: the Spanish, the Portuguese, the French, English and Russian.
The territories that form the present-day Italy and Germany divided into small states.
At the beginning of the Early modern age they were significant developements in thinking and science. The most important invention was the printing press.
Humanist Philosophy
There were transformations in the ways of thinking. It emerged in Italy and it expand all over Europe.
Characteristics:
The desire for knowledge: the humanists possessed a great intellectual curiosity.
Critical thinking: Until then, knowledge was based on tradition, the great scholars or sacred texts.
Optimism and creativity: religious beliefs that caused fear
The use of vernacular languages: Previously, most books were written in Latin. The humanists started to write their works in languages spoken in their countries.
Anthropocentrism: human beings became the centre of philosophical reflection and artistic creation.
A renewed interest in classical culture: Classical Greek and Roman culture and philosophy became the point of reference.
SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES AND THE SPREAD OF NEW IDEAS
There was a great advance in technology and scientific knowledge
In the 16th century, the astronomer Copernicus proposed a revolutionary theory: the heliocentric hypothesis. This said that the Earth revolved around the Sun and not vice versa.
This spread due to two factors
The invention of the movable-type printing press by Gutenberg: this invention enabled a large number of books to be printed.
The creation of cultural institutions: following the example of the Ancient Greeks and Romans, science and arts academies were founded. The most important ones were in Florence, Rome and Naples.
The Italian Renaissance
The Humanist spirit created a new artistic style, the Renaissance. This style originated in the small Italian states.
Artists could dedicate themselves exclusively to creation because they were maintained by patrons, who paid them for their work
The phases of renaissance
The Italian Renaissance began at the end of the Middle Ages. There were various phases:
Quattrocento: In Florence, new Renaissance innovations appeared. The most important architects are Brunelleschi and Alberti; the most important sculptors are Ghiberti and Donatello; and the most important painters are Masaccio, Fra Angelico and Botticelli.
Cinquecento: Rome became the artistic centre. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael Sanzio belong to this phase.
Trecento: the early features of the Renaissance appear. The first artist was Giotto.
Mannerism: harmony and proportion were abandoned. The most important painters are the Florentines Bronzino and Pontormo and the Venetians Tintoretto and Veronese, and the sculptors Cellini and Giambologna.
Architecture
During the Renaissance, the following features of Greek and Roman art were adopted:
Columns: columns with classical capitals and entablatures
Semi-circular arches and coffered ceilings
Domes: the most notable examples are Florence Cathedral and Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Triangular pediments, friezes, geometric designs and scrolls
Longitudinal and central-plan
¨Painting and sculpture
Painting and sculpture also reflected the new mentality. New pictorial techniques were also adopted, such as perspective and the use of oil paints.
Characteristics:
The human body: the Italian painters and sculptors were interested in the anatomy of the human body
The search for balance and proportion: Renaissance artists studied the elements of a scene and arranged them symmetrically, in an order that guided the view of the observer
Idealism and serenity: painters and sculptors tried to reflect reality. At the same time, influenced by the ideas of the Greek philosopher Plato, they aimed to portray an ideal beauty.