Section 2

The Northern Renaissance

Main Idea: Renaissance ideas spread to northern Europe by trade, travel, and printed material.

The Renaissance Spreads North

-Trade increased as cities grew

-Hanseatic League Controlled trade in N. Europe

-Traded products; ideas also spread

-Artists moved north to avoid violence (brought ideas)

-Scholars moved north for education

-Universities established in the north

-Books

-Johannes Gutenberg

-Multiple copies fast, cheap

-More people learned to read, spread ideas

Philosophers and Writers

-Erasmus

-Priest

-Need pure/simple Christian lifestyle w/o all the rituals/politics

-Made Catholic Church angry--banned

-Sir Thomas More

-British

-Vision of perfect society based on reason-->Utopia

-William Shakespeare

-Appealed to the masses

-Plays different from previous times

-Old plays: religious morality/ideal behavior

-New: realism

-Christine de Pisan

-Woman

-Wanted equality and education for women

Artists

-Italian artists--Focus on Greek/Roman/ancient gods

-N. Europe--Realism/everyday life, but used Italian techniques

-Albrecht Durer

-German

-Painted with oils

-Flemish School

-Style using oils

-Jan van Eyck

-Landscapes; everyday life

-Used symbolism to convey religious ideas