The+Plague,+the+Arts,+and+the+Italian+Renaissance

__The Black Plague and its Affect on the Renaissance__

-Renaissance  -Insightful cultural movement  -affected intellectual life in the 1500-1800’s (early middle ages) -literature, science, philosophy, art, religion, and politics -Began in Italy in the 1600’s and slowly spread to the rest of Europe -unstable political period; revolts -Medieval Warm Period transitioned to the "Little Ice Age" -Black Death (bubonic plague) -mortality rate of thirty to seventy-five percent -symptoms: headaches, muscle weakness, aching, malaise à progressed to buboes (hence “Bubonic Plague”) swollen over the lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, and groin areas à internal hemorrhaging caused the skin to become black from internal bleeding -victims died within 3-7 days

media type="youtube" key="el3h6FvOro0" height="340" width="560" -Lowered population -remaining population was richer, well fed, and had more $$ to spend -spent on art + architecture, higher demand for products, less 2 manufacture à put lower classes in higher esteem RESULT: More art, insightful thinking, and free time =RENAISSANCE!

RESOURCES "Black Death -." __Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia__. 19 Jan. 2010

"The Dance of Death" (Michael Wolgemut, 1493)

__All About Michelangelo!__  In 1490, the fifteen-year-old Michelangelo's talent was so advanced that Lorenzo de' Medici, an important Florentine patron of the arts, invited the young artist to live in his palace. Michelangelo stayed in the de' Medici home until Lorenzo died in April 1492. In Lorenzo's palace, Michelangelo was able to continue his academic education on an informal basis. In 1492, Michelangelo was invited back to stay at the Medici palace by Piero de'Medici, where he worked until the French invaded in 1494. Then he fled to Venice and Bologna. After a year, Michelangelo returned to work at the Medici palace.

Years later in 1516, Michelangelo returned to Florence (which was again under Medici power) at the comission of the new Pope, Leo X. He began work on a facade for the San Lorenzo cathedral. Michelangelo worked both on this project and on the Julius tomb in Rome until 1520. In that year, at the start of the Reformation, the Medici family fled the city in 1529, when the papal seat of Rome was sacked by mercenaries of the Holy Roman Empire. Michelangelo spent 1529 in the employ of the Florentine Republic, working on designing fortifications to defend the city from invasion.

As the conflict between the deposed Pope Clement VII and the Florentine republic worsened, Michelangelo fled to Venice, but returned to Florence when the republic accused him of treason. In 1530, Florence was occupied by imperial troops, who put the city under the control of Clement VII. The Pope offered a frightened Michelangelo immunity if he continued to work on the Medici Chapel, which he did until 1532. After which, the artist went back to Rome to work on comissions for more tombs.

After Pope Paul III succeeded Clement VII in 1534, he told Michelangelo to halt construction of the tomb of Julius to begin the Last Judgement piece for the Sistine Chapel in Rome. After the completion of the Last Judgement in 1541, Michelangelo began work on his frescoes for Paul III, and finally finished the tomb of Julius.

Michelangelo remained in Rome until his death in February 1564, due to illness.

A full view of the magnificent Sistine Chapel Ceiling. The elaborately carved Tomb of St. Julius II.

RESOURCES

"Images of Palazzo dei Conservatori, by Michelangelo, Campidoglio, Rome, begun 1563. Digital Imaging Project: Art historical images of European and North American architecture and sculpture from classical Greek to Post-modern. Scanned from slides taken on site by Mary Ann Sullivan, Bluffton College." __Bluffton University__. 20 Jan. 2010 [].

__Web Gallery of Art, image collection, virtual museum, searchable database of European fine arts (1000-1850)__. 20 Jan. 2010 [].

"The Tomb of St. Julius II" (Michelangelo, 1516-1541)

"Sistine Chapel Ceiling" (Michelangelo, 1537-1541)