Western Civilization
Outline #24
Professor Knight

The Renaissance

I.  Historical Perspective of the Renaissance
	Classical – Dark Ages – Middle Ages – Renaissance

II.  Aspects of the Renaissance
		Scholarship (Humanism)	
		The Arts
		Politics and Statecraft
	Common themes
		Secularism, Materialism 
		Empiricism
		Individualism
	Height of the Renaissance:  1460-1530

III.  The Context:  City-States of Northern Italy
	Urban Aristocracy
	Popolo—the lower orders
	Despots and Oligarchs
	Patronage

IV.  Renaissance Scholarship--HUmanism
	Textual Criticism
	Lorenzo Valla (1406-1457)
		“Donation of Constantine”
	Classical Greek Revival
		Marsilo Ficino (1433-1499)
		Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494)
			“Oration on the Dignity of Man”

V.  Artistic Tradition of the Renaissance
	Naturalism, Secular themes
	Leonardo de Vinci (1459-1519
	Michelangeolo Buonarroti (1475-1564)