The European and Northern Renaissance

The European and Northern Renaissance

Choose one question from Section 1 on the European Renaissance and one question from Section 2 on the Northern Renaissance.

  • Post your ideas by Thursday. If you come to the discussion after there are postings, try to answer a question that has not already been answered.
  • Respond to two students by Saturday.

Section 1: the European Renaissance

  1. In what ways do the cultural landmarks of the European Renaissance differ from those of the Middle Ages?
  2. What role did Classical humanism play in the evolution of the landmarks discussed in this chapter?
  3. How did the Age of the Renaissance contribute to modern Western cultural ideas and ideals? (Consider architecture, literature, education, etc.)
  4. How do the personalities of Castiglione’s Renaissance man and woman differ? How are
    they similar?
    What contemporary figures fit the description of “l’uomo universale”?
  5. Discuss the influence the Ottoman Empire had on the Near East and some of the landmarks.

Section 2: The Northern Renaissance

  1. How did the Northern Renaissance differ from the Renaissance in Italy?
  2. In what ways was the Reformation a landmark event? How did it affect the course of European cultural history?
  3. What do you think are some of the most important landmarks of sixteenth-century literature, art, and/or music?
  4. Look carefully at each of the panels of Hieronmus Bosch’s triptych painting, The Creation of Eve: The Garden of Earthly Delights: The Tortures of Hell. View the panels from left to right and spend time looking at each panel individually. Next, look at the panels as a collective work of art. There is much published online about this painting, but don’t look anything up. Instead, write a discussion post that tells us your interpretation of the painting. There are no right or wrong answers. I’m hoping students will share what they get from the painting.
  5. Discuss what you learned in your reading about Japanese Kabuki theater. Why is it still popular today?

Answer preview:

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