The High Renaissance and Early Mannerism, 1494–1564, pt 1. CIV 101-02 November 13, 2015 Class 34

The High Renaissance and Early Mannerism, 1494–1564, pt 1.

CIV 101-02November 13, 2015

Class 34

The Rise of the Modern Sovereign State

• Eventually, we get Europe out of this mess.• For the time being, they just fight with each other, often.

Economic Expansion and Social Developments

• Demographics, Prosperity, and the Beginning of a Global World– Population growth; more urban population– Higher standard of living for middle class– Private financing of wars

• The Vikings had reached Greenland, Newfoundland, and Labrador around 1,000.– They left. – But the Europeans learned of their travels.

• Marco Polo (1254-1324) wrote of going to China (we aren’t sure if he actually did, but his book was widely read and spurred interests in getting to the riches there)

• Dias (1451-1500), from Portugal, sailed to India (via sailing around the south tip of Africa)

Global Encounters: the First European Explorers

Global Encounters: The First European Explorers

• Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, England, and France were in the trade/explorer businesses.

• Columbus (1492) South America, Cuba, Puerto Rico• Cabot (1497) Newfoundland, Labrador, New

England (inspired by Columbus)• Vespucci (1499) South America, West Indies• Ferdinand Magellan (1519–1522) first to traverse

the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and the first to circumnavigate the globe.

• Balboa (1510-1513) from West Indies overland to Pacific Ocean

• Cortes (1519-1521) from Cuba to Mexico• Pizarro (1531-1533) down the west coast of

South America• Hudson (1609) four voyages looking for the

Northwest Passage (Europe to China). Ends up down the river into NY


– Their voyages will open the “New World,” bringing riches to Europe that enable it to become what it was and is.

– Their voyages make the planet what it is, by setting its size and layout.

– Their voyages will enable Europeans to leave religious wars behind in favor of settling in the “New World,” thereby enabling you to live in Chicago and Peoria and Pekin, IL.


Here’s a moral dilemma in hindsight for you.

– Their voyages lead to the total genocide/eradication of some of the people they meet, 90% of some of the people they meet, 50% of most of the people they meet.• The damage is almost all by disease; not much via

fighting.

– Their voyages lead to an increase in slavery, worldwide, of enormous proportions.

• So Christian King/Queen X, Y, Z: Should you encourage and fund their voyages?


Here’s a moral dilemma in hindsight for you.

Let’s not forget how very difficult this was:Latitude and Longitude

• Latitude (north/south)… the altitude of the sun at noon, (or stars and the horizon) charted (on a table) for the day in the calendar, got one latitude.–Mostly easy to do.– Had been available for a long time.

• Longitude (east/west) was a different problem. – One had to know the TIME (accurately) at a

fixed position, compared to the time at one’s place. Then calculations could compute longitudinal location.

– Tough to do on a ship in this period, as no clocks ran properly on board a ship so there was no way to compare with what a clock on land might be reading.

Latitude and Longitude

if you know the time in a fixed position and the time where you are, you can figure out your longitude

• Early solutions were complex calculations based on the night time sky and the movements of planets.

• Navigationally, “solved” it by “running down a westing/easting”…. they followed a known route to the latitude of their target landing, then turned and headed (east or west), hopefully, right toward it. Easy to do when you knew where you were going. Not so good when discovering a new (uncharted) world.

• By the early 1700s, governments offered (large) prizes, looking for solutions.

• 1766-67… relatively accurate lunar distance method (with published charts for calculations) but you have to be able to see the moon to use it… and sometimes, one can’t see it (like all day and cloudy nights)

• 1773 . . . John Harrison, wins an international competition to invent a sea worthy timepiece… (chronometer)

Longitude

• So think about that: we are in 1494–1564.• Longitude is not solved until after 1766.• ALL OF THE EARLY EXPLORING WAS

DONE WITHOUT LONGITUDE.– This is a primary reason why so many• Got lost and died.• Ran out of provisions and died before they got there.


• Additionally, this quest pushed chronography forward by leaps and bounds.

• Real timepieces will soon follow.• We will return to this issue (Longitude),

next time


Technologies of the Renaissanceshort list

–For Sailing•Magnetic compass, astrolabe,

understanding of winds and currents, the galley

–For Warfare•Cannon, arsenals, and foundries

–Medical developments• Esp. anatomical drawings

–Lenses/Telescope–For Building and such•Technical drawings•Crank and rod/winches•Better scaffolding

Technologies of the Renaissanceshort list

Philosophies of the RenaissanceMan vs. Man

• Humanism vs. Spiritualism• Humanism vs. Mannerism• Secularism vs. Religion• Classicism vs. Neoclassicism• Essentially, the rise of the individual– And soon enough… religion against religion

And of course: the Art

http://www.wga.hu/tours/sistina/index1.html




Oh.. And also

• The violin.• The guitar.• And the beginnings of modern TONAL music – Our Tonal music is based on a fixed 8 tone scale– Modal music (that came before) is based on NOT

fixed scales (a set over here, another over there, in repeating patterns)

– Atonal music is based on NOT scales at all (sets of sounds, only in relative relation to each other).

Documents

The High Renaissance and Early Mannerism, 1494–1564, pt 1. CIV 101-02 November 13, 2015 Class 34