Northern RenaissanceA closer look

The Beginnings Spread from Italy to cities all over

Northern Europe. Key cities were Antwerp, Amsterdam,

and London due to wealthy merchants who patronized painters, writers, and scientists.

The humanistic ideas gave rules a new perspective on the world.

Printing Press- Key Invention Middle Ages- information spread by

word of mouth or through handwriting. Books were produced by scribes.

During Renaissance Johann Gutenberg (German) invented the printing press with movable type.

Books could now be produced quicker and on paper instead of parchment (cheaper)

Books were now able to reach the middle class not just the wealthy.

Artists used the printing press to mass produce wood look prints. Albrecht Durer was key artist.

Process: set the type, operate the press, dry the printed sheets, and bind the sheets (picture on 229)

Northern Art Artists were influenced by the Southern

Renaissance but still produced gothic and religious art common in the Middle Ages.

Compared to Italian art: darker, religious, medieval.

Albrecht Durer- master etcher and woodcutter, studied from Italian artists. Wrote a book to help Northern artists create natural looking works (like Italian artists)

Northern painters developed the idea of light and shadow. This allowed the artist to achieve realism and convey more about the subject.

Rembrandt van Rign explored light and shadow, stressing non-religious themes

Scientific Revolution 14th/15th Century- science separates

from religion. Scientists abandoned studying things

from the perspective of the Bible, which resulted in findings that went against the teachings of the Catholic Church.

There was risk for scientists challenging the Church’s teachings.

Copernicus-Scientist Nicholas Copernicus (Poland) stated in

1534 that the Earth was not the center of the universe. He was a lawyer, doctor, mathematician,

and church administrator (Humanism) He used math to calculate the orbits of

the planets around the sun. This lead to finding that the Ptolemy Universe model was incorrect. (Page 232)

Using math he also found the Earth moves in two ways: revolving on its axis, and orbiting the sun.

He wrote a book but died after receiving his copy.

1616 the Church condemned the book, but too many copied had been printed and his work had inspired others (Galileo)

Galileo Galilei- Scientist Born in Pisa in 1564, studied to be a

doctor but was interested in astronomy and physics (popular in Northern Europe)

In 1609, Galileo heard of the kijkglas (looking glass) and decided to make one to study the stars.

Galileo made a telescope that made things appear 1000 times larger and 30 times nearer.

He saw the moon was solid and its surface pitted and scarred (went against present knowledge).

He proved Copernicus correct, the Earth revolves around the Sun!

His discoveries went against the teachings of the Church and the readings of the Bible, so he was called to an Inquisition (church court to try heretics)

Church court ordered Galileo to accept the Earth as the center of the universe.

Galileo believed that people could believe in both the Bible and science.

The court threatened him with torture and Galileo said he would accept the Church’s view.

He was sentenced to indefinite house arrest.