Cultural Aesthetics

Annenberg Exhibit-what inspired the age of balance and order? covers exploration, printing, architecture and includes a list of other web sites

Renaissance Dance-offers historical documents on Elizabethan dance and music.

Complete Works-includes the text of every Shakespeare play; you can search, read answers to frequently asked questions, get a list of resources

Renaissance Faire-a fascinating training manual for workers playing the role of Elizabethan characters at Rennaisance fairs.

Drawings of Leonardo da Vinci-here are the paintings of the great Renaissance master

Shakespeare Classroom-includes links to other sites and curriculum materials

Electric Renaissance-pictures of the great artists of the era

Shakespeare Web-offers llinks to other resources;typical questons come from students who are writing a paper or about to take a test

Guide to Medieval & Renaissance Instruments-page-long descriptions and information about various instruments from this era

Theater Links-a useful list of theater-related Web sites on costume, dance, fencing, Shakespeare's complete works

Guide to the Renaissance-major artists, philosophers, sculptors, scientists and architects of this re-birth of Europe

Insultor-generates Shakespearean insults on demand-some taken from the text and others created at random from lists of words

Virtual Renaissance-a text-based tour through an Elizabethan village, including the marketplace, guild hall, bank and courthouse.

The Renaissance - 1350-1600

The period of time known as the Renaissance-so called because of the "rebirth" of classical thought from the Greek and Roman traditions-saw beauty and worth in life on earth and in human achievement. Whereas the Middle Ages had concentrated on the individual's relaltionship to God and the glories of the heavenly life, the Renaissance concentrated on the individual himself and what could be accomplished in this world, the result being an era unmatched for its extraordinarily gifted and brilliant individuals.

New paths opened. Invention, exploration, and scientific reasoning found new dimensions. The discovery of new worlds and the invention of the printing press opened channels for communication and trade. Artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, studied the human form and glorified it. Painting, sculpture and architecture flourished. The vernacular (home language) gained credibility and England, in particular, entered a golden age of literature. The notion of "rebirth" extended to all areas of the arts, sciences and manners (witness such manners books as Castiglione's The Book of the Courtier.

This age of humanism aroused quesitons for man about his relationship with God and the Church. The Protestant Reformation provided alternatives to the long established teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Social Order was further altered by the advent of capitalism, a new nationalistic spirit, and the powerful ruling families such as the Tudors of England.

The Renaissance, which began in Italy, spread throughout Europe and kindled many of the social and scientific concepts that have evolved to modern day.

Assignment

Select an area, person, etc. from the list below that interests you and write at least 500 words on this topic. Cite your sources, 2 minimum.

mbellish the first letter of your paper and design a margin for at least one page.

 

Library time will be given. Books may not be checked out. You may ($.10/page) photocopy pages from reference books. Use your time well to take notes so that you can have the raw ideas from which to form your short paper. Paper must sound like your original wording. Interview format helps. Models for embellished letters will be shown in class. Observe any Renaissance design ideas in books to use for border art.

 

Paper typed or beautifully hand written - 25 points

Art - show evidence of effort, detail, neatness, and beauty - 25 points

The Individual and God

Martin Luther

1483-1546

John Calvin

1509-1564

The Individual and State

Isabella of Spain

1451-1504

Ferdinand of Spain

1452-1516

Machiavelli

1409-1527

Henry VIII of England

1491-1547

Elizabeth I of England

1533-1603

The Individual and Art

Literary

Cervantes

1547-1616

Shakespeare

1564-1616
Sculpture

Verrochio

1435-1488

Michelangelo

1475-1564
Painting

Giotto

1267-1337

Botticelli

1444-1510

DaVinci

1452-1519

Grunewald

1455-1528

Durer

1471-1528

Michelangelo

1475-1504

Titian

1477-1576

Raphael

1483-1520

Brueghel

1525-1569

El Grecco

1541-1614
Architecture

Bruneleschi

1377-1446

Alberti

1404-1472

Michelangelo

1475-1564
Music

Josquin

1450-1521

Palestrina

1525-1594

Exploration

Henry the Navigator

1394-1460

Columbus

1451-1506

Balboa

1475-1519

Pizzaro

1478-1541

Astronomy

Copernicus

1473-1543

Galileo

1564-1642

Printing

Gutenbert

1394-1468

Anatomy and Botany

DaVinci

1452-1519

The Crusades (these provided background to the Renaissance spirit)

Sports & Games

Clothes & Styles