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[[File: NR 1.jpg|thumbnail|left|300px|Durer Self-Portrait]]
The Italian Renaissance had placed human beings at the centre center of life and had promoted secular values as opposed to instead of religious valuesones. Influenced by the ideas of the ancient past 's ideas, it conceived of a new way of life and provided a new worldview. The Renaissance was a period of great works of art, literature, and philosophy. The Renaissance or of 're-birth' was not just confined to Italy. There was also a Northern Renaissance. This is the term given to the cultural flowering that occurred north of the Alps, in German-speaking countries, the Lowlands, France, and England. The Although influenced by the Italian Renaissance, the Northern Renaissance was a unique event and although influenced by the Italian Renaissance was distinct from it. This article will argue that the origins of the Northern Renaissance were a result of resulted from the spread of printing, Italy's influence of Italy, growing wealth , and the decline of the culture associated with feudalism.
===The Northern Renaissance===
The Northern Renaissance was similar to the Italian Renaissance. It also was interested in the ancient past and believed that it was a guide to the present day. The Northern Renaissance was also very much concerned with humanism and its values.<ref>Giustiniani, Vito. "Ho, mo, Humanus, and the Meanings of Humanism," <i>Journal of the History of Ideas 46</i> (vol. 2, April – June 1985): 167 – 95</ref> This was the idea that humans with the use of their reason could improve their circumstances and their society. It was more concerned with the individual. The movement believed in the possibility of human freedom and the perfectibility of man.
The invasion and later wars exposed many Burgundian Court played a major role in the French nobility, who served as officers their patronage in the army to the ideas of the Italian developing Renaissance art and values in turn, they transmitted Italian culture to Northern Europe. Many wealthy merchants at this time also acted as the rest patrons of Europemany artists. Then many students from Northern Europe came to study This was especially the case in Italy at the great Universities Flemish cities in modern-day Belgium, such as BolognaAntwerp and Bruges. Here they were exposed Wealthy merchants often commissioned works from local artists, which allowed a great school of Flemish painters to flourish. The Church and the ideas monarchies were also important patrons of the Renaissance and they returned home and helped to spread them in their native landsart.<ref> HoltFor example, p. 113</ref> More and more northerners travelled to Italy, many such as Albert Durer, the Francis II of France was a great German artists, travelled in order to study the art patron of the great Italian paintersarts, which greatly influenced his style and was he spent lavishly on paintings and various artworks and even brought the inspiration between many of great Leonardo Da Vinci to his greatest workscourt. All of these contacts helped to make Without the ideas of elites' patronage, the Italian Northern Renaissance better known in the north and they inspired would not have produced as many humanist and artists to take a new approach in their work. They soon had absorbed the new conception of life that they had witnessed in Italy and related it to their own societies and timesgreat cultural works.<ref>O'Neill, J, ed. (1987). The Renaissance in the North (New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art)Chipps, p. 114117</ref>
====Influence of PrintingItaly====The ideas [[File: NR 2.jpg|thumbnail|left|Erasmus- the greatest scholar of the Northern Renaissance]]In Italy would have been confined to , the city-states were a small elite in Northern Europe but for remarkable artistic and intellectual flowering scene since the invention of printinglate Medieval Period. The basic elements of printing had been known in China for centuries and papermaking had been introduced renaissance was an effort to Europe in imitate the 13th century. However, in the 1440s there was a decisive step forward in the development lost world of printingancient Greece and Rome. In MainzThe Italian artists, Germanywriters, Johann Gutenberg and other printers invented movable type by cutting up old printing blocks thinkers who all participated in the Renaissance sought to form individual letters<ref> Holt, p. 115</ref>. It seems create works that were the invention equal of Gutenberg the Greeks and other printers was based on Romans, whom they regarded as the wine presses in this wine growing regionpinnacle of civilization. Soon Gutenberg was able to mass produce books The ideas and documents on an unprecedented scale. Gutenberg used movable type to produce the first printed version works of the Italian Renaissance soon became known north of the Bible in 1454Alps. The printing press It was a sensation at only in the time and it changed European societylate fifteenth century that ideas from Italy only slowly made their way north. Prior In the 1490s Charles, the VIII of France invaded Italy to this books were rare and not freely available as most were produced by hand by professional copyistsclaim the Crown of the Kingdom of Naples.<ref>Holt, who were usually monks Mack P. <i>Renaissance and who prioritized devotional literatureReformation France: 1500-1648</i> (The Short Oxford History of France. 2002), 89</ref>
==Conclusion==Influence of Printing====The Italy's ideas would have been confined to a small elite in Northern Renaissance was deeply influenced by Europe but for the Italian Renaissance, but it was not merely an imitation invention of itprinting. The Renaissance north of the Alps was much more religious than the largely secular basic printing elements had been known in China for centuries, and pagan Renaissance papermaking had been introduced to Europe in the south and it arguably laid 13th century. However, in the intellectual foundations of the Reformation. The Northern Renaissance 1440s, there was inspired by the ideas that flourished a decisive step forward in the city-states such as Florence development of printing. In Mainz, Germany, Johann Gutenberg and Veniceother printers invented movable type by cutting up old printing blocks to form individual letters.<ref>HuinzingaHolt,p.56115</ref> The Northern Renaissance could not have developed without It seems that Gutenberg and other printers' invention was based on the wine presses in this wine-growing peace and prosperity of the region especially after the difficult 14th century. This allowed members of the elite Soon Gutenberg was able to become the patrons of writers mass-produce books and artistsdocuments on an unprecedented scale. Then there was Gutenberg used movable type to produce the invention first printed version of the Bible in 1454. The printing presswas a sensation at the time, that made the works of the writers from the past known to many more people and this did much to propagate the values and beliefs of the Northern Renaissanceit changed European society. Changes in societyBefore, such these books were rare and not freely available as the decline in feudalism meant that there was a growing willingness to accept new ideas and beliefs. The rising urban elites most were produced by hand by professional copyists, who were usually monks and national monarchies in England and France were very willing to adopt the ideals of the Renaissanceprioritized devotional literature.
Suddenly books that were once a rarity became widely available, especially to affluent traders and professionals in urban centers. Soon all the major European countries had printing presses, and they were producing bibles, devotional works, and significant works by classical authors such as Virgil.<ref>Burke, Peter. <i>The Italian Renaissance: Culture and Society in Italy</i> (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999), 6</ref> The new books on classical authors exposed more people to the ideas of the past and especially the classical period. These works greatly stimulated Northern Europe's intellectual life and did much to inspire intellectuals to revive the wisdom and knowledge of the ancient past. The printing press also did much to spread key Northern Renaissance thinkers such as Thomas More. ==References==Political and Social Changes====Northern Europe was undergoing a period of great cultural change. The old feudal nobility was under pressure, and their influence on the culture's culture was in decline. The era’s rising prosperity saw a new class of urban merchants, who had little regard for the old feudal nobility and values. The old culture based on feudalism promoted ideas of chivalry and deference were in decline, and people were more open to new ideas.<ref> Burke, p. 115</ref> The humanists’ ideas were received enthusiastically by the new urban elite of merchants and lawyers. They were drawn to the Italian humanists' values, which stressed reason and denied the primacy of received wisdom in the society. They also formed the audience for the books produced by the Northern Humanists such as Erasmus. Another factor in the changing culture was the rise of national monarchies in France and England.<ref> Burke, 134<references/ref> In many northern kingdoms, the monarchies were centralizing power, and the feudal nobility was being weakened. They were being reduced from the status of semi-independent rulers to dependents of the monarch. The rise of the national monarchies meant that increasingly that cultural life was focused on the court. The monarchs of England and France, in particular, were very receptive to the ideas of the Renaissance. They arguably used the Renaissance ideas to justify and legitimize their increasing role in society and their growing powers.<ref>Janson, H.W.; Anthony F. Janson. <i>History of Art</i> (5th, rev. ed.). New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 1997), p. 113</ref> They exploited the cultural productions of the Renaissance to publicize their special position in society. For example, Francis II was a lavish patron of the arts to symbolically demonstrate his privileged status in French society, especially concerning the nobility. Typically, the nobles imitated the king, which led to a growing interest in the new styles of art produced during the Northern Renaissance. This did much to spread the values of the Renaissance throughout France, England, and beyond. ====Conclusion====The Italian Renaissance deeply influenced the Northern Renaissance, but it was not merely an imitation of it. The Renaissance north of the Alps was much more religious than the largely secular and pagan Renaissance in the south, and it arguably laid the intellectual foundations of the Reformation. The Northern Renaissance was inspired by the ideas that flourished in the city-states such as Florence and Venice.<ref>Huinzinga,.56</ref> The Northern Renaissance could not have developed without the region's growing peace and prosperity, especially after the difficult 14th century. This allowed members of the elite to become the patrons of writers and artists. Then there was the invention of the printing press, which made the works of the writers from the past known to many more people, and this did much to propagate the values and beliefs of the Northern Renaissance. Changes in society, such as the decline in feudalism, meant a growing willingness to accept new ideas and beliefs. The rising urban elites and national monarchies in England and France were very willing to adopt the Renaissance's ideals.
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