Question
Evaluate the contribution that Italian city states made to the development of the Renaissance.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans:
Candidates must provide an appraisal of the significance of Italian city states to the development of the Renaissance; however they do not necessarily need to discuss all of the city states, nor do they have to offer an equal treatment of those that they do select. They may even choose to assess the importance of the city states in the context of wider issues related to the development of the Renaissance. Nevertheless, the importance of the city states must be the focus of the discussion and a substantiated judgment is expected.
Indicative content
• Their commercial wealth provided patronage for new intellectual and artistic developments.
• Their overseas trade introduced many new ideas, products and knowledge to Europe.
• Their rivalries were an important incentive for their rulers to attract and support leading scholars, intellectuals and artists.
• Their political independence freed them from medieval restraints and allowed the development of new ideas in government and social organization.
• As cities they were dynamic institutions supporting change, movement and innovation for profit and prestige.
• Other factors that candidates may consider in judging importance include: the influence of the classical traditions of Italy and the 12th-century Renaissance, an influx of knowledge from the Islamic world as a result of the crusades and trade, the influence of exceptional individuals who created new trends in art, philosophy and the rise of secular ideas as Church influence declined.
Question
Examine the impact of Renaissance art on political and public life.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans:
Candidates are expected to gauge the importance of Renaissance in terms of its political and public impact. Candidates should avoid providing descriptions of art and/or artists and should directly address the ways in which the art and their creators affected public and political life. A reasoned conclusion is expected.
Indicative content
• Creators of works of art were innovators and leaders in new styles, techniques and themes of art. They were leaders of schools and teachers who trained others in the craft.
• They produced and sold works of art that demonstrated the humanistic ideals and concepts developed by the Renaissance. Their works extended into all areas of creativity – for example, architecture, sculpture and frescoes.
• Their work was a visible and dynamic statement on the new intellectual concepts developed in the Renaissance.
• Furthermore, artists were valuable commodities and “ownership” of them increased the power and prestige of their patrons, be they individuals, families, public bodies or cities.
• Artists were also employed in non-cultural fields such as military engineering and urban design.
Question
Evaluate the political, intellectual and cultural origins of the Renaissance in Italy.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans:
Candidates are required to make an appraisal of the various factors that contributed to the initial rise of the Italian Renaissance. Candidates may adopt a comparative approach and focus on which of the three named origins was most significant; or they may offer a more thematic approach that deals with one or more of the named factors in a ranked summary. There is no prescribed response.
Indicative content
- Italy was an area where traditional feudal forms were not very strong and this allowed for change.
- There was no powerful state structure to control Italy and establish an orthodox set of ideas.
- Italy was a territory dominated by urban centres that, by their nature were more dynamic, cosmopolitan and progressive.
- The geographic location of Italy and its history of trade and commerce with Asia allowed the importation of classical and other influences in many areas.
- The links to past classical societies and the development of universities and other centres of scholarship made new ideas and inquiry an important part of the culture.
- The emergence of new artistic forms was supported by the wealth of the cities and the artists were patronized by cities anxious to outdo each other.
- The influence of the Church was weakening, allowing the spread of a wide-range of new ideas.
- The increasing wealth of the cities celebrated life on earth, humanism and ideas of worldly indulgence.
Question
Compare and contrast the reasons for princely and ecclesiastical patronage of art during the Renaissance.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans:
Candidates are expected to offer an account of the similarities and differences in the rationales of princes and ecclesiastics in their support of the arts during the Renaissance. Candidates need to identify a range of reasons and refer to both princely and ecclesiastical patronage throughout the response.
Indicative content
Compare
- Both types of ruler were patrons of the arts because they supported the new intellectual direction of the Renaissance.
- Both types of ruler sought to increase their personal prestige and reputation by associating with and sponsoring the work of famous artists.
- Both types of rulers wished to outdo others in the creation of significant works of art to demonstrate their wealth and influence.
- Both types of rulers may have wished to create permanent examples of their influence and leadership for future generations.
Contrast
- Ecclesiastical rulers sought to increase the image and power of the Church at a time when it was being challenged by secular and religious opponents.
- Princely rulers used art to show power and dominance over their opponents and to attract allies in wars.
- Princely rulers used art to emphasize the power of man and other secular themes to increase their own prestige, power and independence while ecclesiastical rulers supported religious themes in art to show the power of the Church over secular rulers-this was particularly true of the papacy.
- Secular rulers may have used art and architecture to support and impress political supporters within their states who wished to celebrate the wealth and civic pride of their state/city in comparison to others.