Renaissance and Mercantile Capitalism: Key Developments and Influential Figures

Increase in Agricultural Production

Amount of land, no technological advances

Intensified Commercial Activity

Surplus in products, travelled in search of new markets

Expansion of Craftsmanship

Workshops controlled by guild, domestic system, new products to Europe

Mercantile Capitalism

Economic growth of banking

• Nobility-clergy
• Bourgeoisie-peasants-laborers

Monarch had more resources so became powerful, they consolidate the authority control powerful of measures

Powerful Armies

Of mercenaries subdue nobles, prohibited armies alliance

Strengthened Bureaucracy

Officials control who supervise the kingdom's affairs

Centralized Power

Creating institutions to serve them

Establish a Court

For institutions function well

Humanism Philosophy

• A renewed interest in classical culture
• Anthropocentrism
• Optimism and creativity
• Desire for knowledge
• Critical thinking

Italian Renaissance

Dedicate themselves exclusively to creation, they were maintained by patrons, who painted for their works

There was a revival of classical Greek and Roman culture, arrival in Italy of Greek scholars fall of Constantinople, advances of Roman remain, discovered new archaeological remain

Trecento

14th century, Giotto

Quattrocento

Alberti, Donatello, Botticelli

Cinquecento

New style was developed

Mannerism

Domes, columns, semicircular arches, vaults, triangular pediment, symmetry, balance, proportion, linear perspective

Bourgeoisie

City inhabitants aren't vassaled by a feudal lord, richest non-privileged class

Printing Press

A machine which text and images are transferred to paper by links, spread ideas rapidly through Europe

Patron

Wealthy families who paid themselves to create mecenas

Humanism

To investigate in this science, not think only in goth

Authoritarian Monarchy

Obey monarch in equal parts all groups under their power

Anthropocentrism

Human became the center of philosophical reflections, tried to explain reality without religion

Renaissance

Italy, Flanders, Germany, France, developed in Flanders, bourgeoisie was the main customer of art because they were wealthy, oil painting technique was its best contribution to art, allows make corrections and attend to the detail

Important People

Jan van Eyck, Mathias Grunewal, El Bosco