Vocabulary & Concepts
This is the literal meaning of the term Renaissance.
What is rebirth?
Modern representative government traces its roots back to this ancient Greek system of participatory rule.
What is democracy?
This ruling merchant family of Florence was famous for being major patrons of Renaissance art and architecture.
Who are the Medicis?
In medieval times, artists were traditionally anonymous, but Renaissance artists began doing this to market their skills and gain personal recognition.
What is signing their artwork?
She made history as Europe's first professional female writer, making her living through her writings while arguing that men and women should be judged on merit rather than gender.
Who is Christine de Pisan?
This branch of study is defined as the appreciation of beauty and the arts.
What is aesthetics?
This movement taught that being a responsible citizen required educating oneself about history and political issues to improve society.
What is civic humanism?
This skilled sculptor created a famous statue of David prior to his battle with Goliath.
Who is Michelangelo?
In medieval times, formal learning was restricted to Latin; Renaissance humanists made literature accessible to everyday citizens by writing in this.
What is the vernacular?
Humanist writers drew their stylistic and intellectual inspiration from authors from these two civilizations.
What are Greece and Rome?
This phrase specifically refers to the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome from 500 BC to 500 AD.
What is Classical Civilization?
This famous Roman orator stated that "cultivation of the mind is as necessary as food to the body".
Who is Cicero?
Famous for paintings as well as studying science and anatomy, he is considered the ultimate "Renaissance Man"
Who is da Vinci?
Medieval art focused primarily on flat religious symbolism, while Renaissance art expanded to include these two natural subject matters.
What are portraits and landscapes?
Because humanist writers encouraged questioning traditional ways of looking at the world, their literature led directly to a decline in authority for this traditional group.
What is the Medieval Church? (Or who are religious leaders?)
Derived from Greek words meaning "love of wisdom," this term describes someone who teaches people how to improve themselves and society.
What is a philosopher?
Humanist educators aimed to "educate the whole child" by training these three core aspects of an individual.
What are the mind, character (or spirit), and body?
These are some architectural elements borrowed from ancient Greece and Rome that feature prominently in Renaissance buildings. (Name at least 2)
What are columns, domes, arches, tall ceilings, and lots of light.
In contrast to medieval obligations to feudal lords, Renaissance civic humanism viewed responsible citizenship as an active duty to do this.
What is educate oneself and work to improve society?
Invented around 1450, this revolutionary technology allowed vernacular books to be produced quickly and cheaply.
What is the printing press?
Humanists believed students should develop this specific attitude, defined as having an open, curious, and questioning mind.
What is critical thinking?
Moving beyond medieval subjects like grammar and logic, Renaissance educators added these new subjects to schools. (Name at least two)
Greek and Roman writings, physical training, ethics and morality (right behaviour), aesthetics (philosophy of beauty), manners and behaviour, history, and eloquence.
This Renaissance artist is credited with the first full-size bronze equestrian statue cast since classical antiquity.
Who is Donatello?
The Renaissance worldview emerged primarily as a result of contact between Western Europe and Classical Civilizations, as well as this foreign culture.
What is Islamic civilization?
This famous Italian author wrote his epic masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, which introduced the concept of the nine circles of hell, in his local Italian vernacular.
Who is Dante?