Exercises Renaissance

Renaissance and Reformation

The spread of humanism

The Renaissance
Scientific knowledge and experimentation
The art of the Quattrocento
The High Renaissance
The spread of the Renaissance through Europe
The causes and spread of the Reformation
The Counter-Reformation

Analyse biographies as a source of historical information

Investigate the history of medicine on the Internet
Write a biographical profile
Analyse Renaissance works of art
Look for information about Renaissance artists on the Internet
Work in groups to prepare an exhibition catalogue

Reflect on the achievements of Renaissance figures like Leonardo da Vinci

Understand the crucial importance of the invention of the printing press in human history
Discuss the nature of humanism in the Early Modern period and its equivalent today
Think about the artistic legacy of the Renaissance
Understand the origins of religious divisions in the world today
Appreciate the cultural importance of museums

RESOURCES

Reinforcement and extension

Renaissance architecture
Renaissance painting
The main ideas of Protestantism and Catholicism
New techniques in Renaissance art
Thomas More, Utopia

assessment

Test of Unit 10

digital resources

Libromedia. Renaissance and Reformation

audio

Track 23: pp. 176-7, ‘Leonardo da Vinci, a universal genius’ (students and teachers)
Track 24: p. 190, Activity 3 (students and teachers)

Look on the Internet for an illustration of each of the architectural terms. Then complete the labels.

BALUSTRADE
CORNICE
ARCH
FRIEZE
COLUMN
CAPITAL
PEDIMENT

Now label this with the architectural features that you have identified.

Villa Rotonda (Vicenza) by Palladio.

Describe the Villa Rotonda in Vicenza.

Complete the information about this painting.

Then, look for illustrations and information about six other Renaissance paintings or sculptures. Prepare six similar cards with an illustration on one side and the text on the other.
In groups, display the illustrated side of the cards to your classmates. They try to identify the art work and its main characteristics before you give them the information.

Study the three paintings and answer the questions.

Which of these three paintings is not a Renaissance work of art? Explain your answer.

What were the main characteristics of Renaissance painting?

What are the differences between paintings B and C? How does each painter achieve an impression of depth?

Complete this table comparing the main ideas of Protestantism and Catholicism.

DOCTRINE	PROTESTANTISM (LUTHERANISM)	CATHOLICISM
Authority of the Pope
Way to achieve salvation
Interpretation of the Bible
The sacraments
The Virgin and the saints

Look for information about Martin Luther on the Internet and write a short biography. Follow the model for biographical profiles given on page 181 of your Student’s Book.

Investigate either Anglicanism or Calvinism on the Internet and explain its origins.

Investigate two techniques of Renaissance art: perspective and escorzo (or foreshortening).

Identify the main innovations, and find out if more than one type of perspective (linear and aerial) was used by Renaissance artists.
Bring at least one illustration showing these techniques into the classroom.

Is there a sensation of depth in this painting? If so, how has the artist achieved it?

What other Renaissance characteristics can you see in this painting?

Analyse the artist’s use of perspective and compare it to that of the other Renaissance paintings that you have found.

Raphael, The Marriage of the Virgin (Raphael).

Study the two works of art below and answer the questions in your notebook.

How this the painter studying foreshortening in Dürer’s artwork? Explain what he is doing.
Is Mantegna trying to produce the same effect as in the Dürer artwork?
Compare Mantegna’s painting to work by other Renaissance artists..

Dürer, Painter studying the laws of foreshortening by means of threads and a frame.

Mantegna, Lamentation of Christ.

Before you read the text, think about the word ‘Utopia’. Is this word still used today? What does it mean? Then, find out when and how the word was first used.

Royal government in Utopia

The honour, and also the safety of a king, consists more in his people’s wealth than in his own. A people chooses a king for their own sake – and not for his – so that by his efforts, they may be both safe and live well. And so a prince should take more care of his people’s happiness than of his own, as a shepherd will take more care of his flock of sheep than of himself. People are wrong if they believe that the poverty of a nation promotes the public interest. Nobody quarrels more than beggars. If a king is the object of such contempt or envy that he cannot make his subjects carry out their duties except by oppression and by making them poor and miserable, then it would be better if he abandoned his kingdom.

Let the king live from what belongs to him without doing harm to other people, and make his expenses match his income. He should punish crimes, and try to prevent them happening through wise behaviour, rather than by acting harshly when the crimes have already been committed. He should not apply laws that existed many years ago and have been long forgotten.

There is a law among the Macarians (a people that live not far from Utopia) by which their king, on the first day of his reign, is tied by an oath, confirmed by solemn sacrifices, never to have more than a thousand pounds of gold in his treasury. This law, according to the Macarians, was made by an excellent king who was more

concerned about the wealth of his country than his own wealth. He therefore made sure that a ruler would not accumulate so much treasure that his people became poor. He thought that a moderate

amount of money would be enough for the prince to deal with difficulties like fighting against rebels or protecting the kingdom against a foreign enemy. On the other hand, a prince should not have so much wealth that he was tempted to invade other men’s rights. This king also thought that his law would help to guarantee the free circulation of money, which was so necessary

for business and trade.

When a king gives away the excess of resources that makes him too wealthy, this makes him less likely to oppress his subjects. Such a king will be the terror of all bad men, and will be loved by all good men.

Thomas More, Utopia.

Thomas More

Read the text and summarize its main ideas in your notebook (in 80 to 100 words).

Choose one of the following works. Find out more about the author and what the book is about. In what ways does it reflect humanist and Renaissance ideals?