A Revival of Ancient Greek and Roman Culture: The Renaissance

24 important questions on A Revival of Ancient Greek and Roman Culture: The Renaissance

Who was Poggio Bracciolini?

Poggio Bracciolini worked for the Papal Court and was very interested in Italy's Roman heritage. Therefore he climbed the Porta Sanguinaria to read the Latin inscriptions on it, and was the first to find out that they were actually Latin instead of Greek. Interest in history partially started with him.

Which three characteristics of the Renaissance did Poggio Bracciolini define?

  1. In the Renaissance, monuments from the Antiquity were studied.
  2. Before, these monuments had been neglected.
  3. Before, people did not understand what these monuments were or represented.

What did Poggio Bracciolini try to make clear with his research on ancient Rome?

That all fame and power will pass, just like what happened to ancient Rome. He was not really interested in reconstructing anything.
  • Higher grades + faster learning
  • Never study anything twice
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Discover Study Smart

Who was Flavio Biondo?

A scholar like Poggio Bracciolini who did not trust the medieval sources and therefore turned to the ancient Roman texts and ruins. Like that, he tried to reconstruct what ancient Rome must have looked like.

From when does the idea of the "Renaissance" originate?

Around 1350.

What did Petrarch think of the medieval world?

It was abhorrent and crude and needed to be brought back to Antiquity.

Who was Giovanni Boccaccio?

A friend of Petrarch's, who was awe-struck by the art of Giotti di Bondone and therefore wrote about it.

Who was Giotto di Bondone?

A medieval artist who painted in a very life-like and close to nature way.

Who was Pierre Belon?

The writer of "Observations" (1550), in which he states that the Renaissance started in 1350 and contains all disciplines of art.

Why were the Middle Ages called that way?

Because the people in the Renaissance viewed the Antiquity and their own period as enlightened, whereas they saw the Middle Ages as the time in between. Also called the Dark Ages because of the lack of enlightenment.

What is striking about Pope Pius II's name?

His actual name was Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini, after the hero Aeneas. Aeneas was also called the Pious. Pope Pius II wanted to be connected to his namesake and therefore chose Pius, like Pious Aeneas, to be his Papal name.

How were Biblical scenes portrayed in Renaissance paintings?

They portrayed them in a more modern fashion, or with characters from Biblical times in Renaissance clothes and Italian backgrounds, to bring them closer to home. Everything looked very relatable and real.

What was important about Donatello's sculptures?

They looked life-like, stood in natural positions and their clothes actually seemed to drape around them. He revived the Roman art of life-like statues.

What does lifelike mean from a Renaissance point of view?

Like they could come to life any moment, yet they were also very idealized, just like Roman art.

How could musical proportions be seen in Renaissance architecture?

The proportion of 1:2 was viewed as perfectly harmonious, because it made music sound good, and therefore buildings were built in a 1:2 proportion as well.

What does Da Vinci's Vetruvian Man show?

That God intended the perfect man to be able to fit in both a square and a circle, as both were perfectly harmonious shapes.

How valid was the term "Renaissance"?

Within Italy, the term was very valid, even though the Middle Ages did not end immediately and art styles other than perfectly lifelike were still appreciated.

What did the Renaissance look like in northern countries?

In northern countries, the Renaissance started in about 1500 and was mainly a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance art, and a mixture of antique and comtemporary art. It was still inspired by antiquity, though.

Who first coined the term "Middle Ages"?

Flavio Biondo.

What does Roberto Weiss say about what was known about ancient Rome at the beginning of the 15th century?

  1. Many ancient buildings could not be identified because it was almost impossible to link them to ancient texts.
  2. Most sculptures were still buried in the ground or not recognized for what they were (Roman gods).
  3. Many ancient texts weren't known and couldn't be consulted.
  4. Texts were hard to understand because of the lack of spelling rules.

According to Roberto Weiss, why were the texts by Poggio Bracciolini and Flavio Biondo different from earlier descriptions about Rome?

Medieval texts were filled with legends and errors, inaccuracies and plain falsehoods. Bracciolini and Biondo turned to other sources, which they studied instead of mindlessly copying them, Also, their sources were actual Roman texts and monuments.

What was the difference between Poggio Bracciolini and Flavio Biondo?

Bracciolini mainly wanted to sketch the greatness of the city to show the impact of its demise, so his reasoning wasn't scientific. Biondo tried to reconstruct the ancient city without a moral message. He was basically the first archeologist and worked as such.

  • Copying Roman art &
  • Emulating it
  • In a somewhat sober style
  • In perfect harmony &
  • With often classical motives


To what art movement do these characteristics belong?

Renaissance

Which group specifically went to search for the truth about ancient Rome?

The Humanists.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

  • A unique study and practice tool
  • Never study anything twice again
  • Get the grades you hope for
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Remember faster, study better. Scientifically proven.
Trustpilot Logo