italian Renaissance
a wealthy banking family in Florence who funded artists like michelangelo
The Medici family
A mathematical technique utilized by artists to create the illusion of three-dimensional depth on a two-dimensional surface.
linear art
The 15th-century technological breakthrough that drastically increased literacy rates and accelerated the exchange of ideas across Europe.
The Printing Press
The transition of European governments toward centralized power, consistent taxation, and standing armies during the 15th and 16th centuries.
New monarchies
The economic shift in Europe from local, guild-controlled production to large-scale, international trade and the development of a money-based economy.
the commercial revolution
The 14th-century scholar and poet who recovered lost classical texts, earning him the title "Father of Humanism."
Petrarch
A classical sculptural pose where the figure puts their weight on one leg, resulting in a more relaxed and realistic stance.
Contrapposto
The intellectual trend in the North that combined humanistic study with a deep commitment to religious and social reform.
Christian Humanism
The 1494 diplomatic agreement that established a boundary to divide global exploration and colonial claims between Spain and Portugal.
The Treaty of Tordesillas
A business organization in which investors pool their capital to share the risks and profits of large overseas trading ventures.
joint stock company
the intellectual movement that focused on classical Greek/roman texts and human potential
humanism
The aesthetic shift toward portraying subjects—both human and environmental—exactly as they appear in the natural world.
naturalism
The Dutch scholar and "Prince of the Humanists" who used his writings to critique the excesses and corruption of the Catholic Church.
Erasmus
The massive transfer of plants, animals, culture, and diseases that followed the contact between the Americas and the Eastern Hemisphere.
The Columbian Exchange
The economic theory that held that a nation’s power depended on its wealth, specifically the accumulation of gold and silver, often requiring a favorable balance of trade.
mercantilism
The political treatise that argued a ruler should prioritize stability and power over traditional Christian morality.
The Prince (by Niccolò Machiavelli)
The Italian master known for his monumental frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and his marble statue of David.
Michelangelo
The English humanist who authored Utopia, envisioning a society based on community and reason.
Thomas More
A highly maneuverable, shallow-draft sailing ship developed by the Portuguese that made long-distance exploration possible.
The Caravel
A financial institution that grew in importance during this period to facilitate the exchange of currencies, provide credit, and manage the wealth of rising merchant classes.
bank
Machiavelli's political handbook that argued "the end justifies the means."
the prince
The primary source of inspiration for Renaissance artists, looking back to the legends, gods, and historical figures of ancient Greece and Rome.
Classical Mythology
The term for books and literature written in the local, everyday language of the people rather than Latin.
Vernacular Literature
The primary motivations for European maritime expansion, often abbreviated by historians as a trio of "G"s.
Gold,Glory,and God
The rise of this specific social group, which gained immense influence and political power due to their control over trade, finance, and urban centers, challenging the traditional nobility.
The Merchant Class