Florence Ballard

▪ Summary of the main ideas Machiavelli started his book by glorifying the Prince Lorenzo De Medici that he is writing for, he wanted to present him the most valuable thing he owned; his accumulated knowledge and experiences from his long years working in their contemporary affairs and his continual studying to history before his exile. The book is concerned of how to establish a despotic regime? how to consolidate and maintain this regime after establishment? ▪ In the First part, the Author…

A Path towards the Modern,” discuses a nineteenth-century Italy that is not fragmented by politics but, considers it united by several factors that encourages the Macchiaioli to all come together in Florence. She argues that by drawing from Italian Renaissance art techniques, the Macchiaioli were able to make a widely successful and purely Italic artistic movement. “It was the encounter between modern life and ancient ways of seeing, between the ephemerality…

In Machiavelli’s The Prince, Machiavelli is viewed as a callous and resourceful leader who emphasizes the pursuit of power and longevity, even if it advocates the use of violence preceding one’s own morals. This power-violence-morality trifecta illustrates the importance of balance in a leader’s pallet of desired qualities, while ultimately highlighting the impact a successful leader can have on a secular society. However, Machiavelli’s viewpoint of leadership expands beyond power, violence, and…

In 1434, the Medici family gained control of the Republic of Florence. The family started solely as bankers. They gained power by financially supporting Pope John XXIII and continuing to serve as the direct bank of the Pope. The Medici family ruled Florence from 1434-1737 and are remembered for so many incredible Florentine successes. In the same era, Niccolo Machiavelli, an Italian philosopher, wrote a book entitled The Prince. This book set forth the most efficient way to gain and maintain…

In 1532, Lucas Cranach crafted a painting entitled Venus. This piece of art represents that of the Northern Renaissance. During the Renaissance, art was still heavily focused on spirituality, including mythology. The painting Venus depicts the Roman Goddess of Love and Beauty. Venus is the Roman equivalent to the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Both goddesses were commonly portrayed in art due to their perceived beauty and appeal. The figure’s beauty is portrayed through the features of her body,…

High Renaissance was the culmination of the artistic developments of the Early Renaissance. The High Renaissance that flourished over 35 years from the late 1490 until the early 1530 (Encyclopædia Britannica ©2016). The Renaissance started at Florence. Florence called the middle age a “congruence of artistic genius” (Kleiner 2007:577), the beginning of Humanism and “economic prosperity” (Kleiner 2007:577) nourished the beginning of the artistic culture, the Renaissance. It was a period where…

Starting in the 14th century, Italy experienced a flourish in all aspects of life- including the arts, philosophy, literature, and many more. This period was known as the Renaissance, meaning “rebirth” in French. This period in time started in Italy and eventually spread all over Europe, the values of the movement spreading with it. The values of the Renaissance included ideals such as Individualism (the social philosophy the moral worth of an individual), Humanism (the study of greek and roman…

Francisco Goya “The object of my work is to report the actuality of events.” —Francisco de Goya One of the reasons that I chose to write about Francisco Goya was that he is from Spain. I have heard my mother tell me many times that our ancestry comes from Spain. She says that our genealogy shows that we are descended from the great military leader from Spain, El Cid. My fascination with Spain does not disappoint as I have been able to learn more about the artist born on March 30, 1746,…

as Michelangelo. He was known as the best artist of the era- some may even say he was one of the greatest artists of all time. Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475 in the Tuscan town of Caprese which was near Arezzo. His family was natives of Florence, moving back there after only…

There comes a time when people put the pathway of religion on hold and open the door for a new era, an era of creativity and change. That era defines the European Renaissance. From its beginning and purpose, to the taking place of literature, and the great people and legacy it left behind, is the reason the european Renaissance was a time of great change. The European Renaissance was about the change from all about religion to focusing on other values and things. “The Renaissance was a time…