Question 1

In what ways did the history of the Medicis reflect broader political trends in the early Renaissance?

Accepted Answer

The history of the Medicis reflects broader political trends in the early Renaissance in several ways. Firstly, the rise of the Medici family to power in Florence was emblematic of the shift towards a more centralized and authoritarian form of government in city-states across Italy. The Medici's ability to consolidate power and establish themselves as de facto rulers of Florence mirrored the trend towards strong, centralized leadership in other Italian city-states.

Additionally, the Medici's use of patronage and support for the arts and humanities reflected the broader cultural and intellectual trends of the Renaissance. Their support for artists, writers, and scholars helped to foster the flourishing of humanist thought and artistic innovation that characterized the period.

Furthermore, the Medici's alliances and conflicts with other powerful families and city-states in Italy mirrored the complex web of political relationships and power struggles that defined the early Renaissance period. Their diplomatic maneuvering and military engagements were indicative of the shifting alliances and power dynamics that characterized Italian politics at the time.

Overall, the history of the Medicis provides a microcosm of the broader political, cultural, and intellectual trends of the early Renaissance, making them a key player in shaping the course of Italian history during this pivotal period.

Question 2

How did Brunelleschi change the direction of architecture during the early Renaissance? Use one of his buildings as an example.

Accepted Answer

Filippo Brunelleschi changed the direction of architecture during the early Renaissance by reintroducing the principles of classical Roman architecture, such as symmetry, proportion, and perspective. He also emphasized the use of geometric forms and harmonious proportions in his designs, moving away from the Gothic style that had dominated architecture in the preceding centuries.

One of his most famous buildings that exemplifies this shift in architectural direction is the dome of the Florence Cathedral, also known as the Duomo. Completed in 1436, Brunelleschi's dome is a masterpiece of engineering and design, showcasing his innovative use of a double-shell structure and a herringbone pattern to distribute the weight of the dome evenly. The dome's elegant and harmonious proportions, along with its use of classical architectural principles, marked a significant departure from the Gothic style and set a new standard for Renaissance architecture. Brunelleschi's dome not only changed the skyline of Florence but also influenced the direction of architecture for centuries to come.

Question 3

Who directed the Platonic Academy?

Accepted Answer

A)  Cosimo de' Medici 
B)  Pico della Mirandola 
C)  Marsilio Ficino 
D)  Sandro Botticelli 
A)  Cosimo de' Medici 
B)  Pico della Mirandola 
C)  Marsilio Ficino 
D)  Sandro Botticelli C

Question 4

The late-fifteenth-century popes

Accepted Answer

A)  initiated a series of reforms aimed at improving the morals of the clergy. 
B)  supported the conciliar movement. 
C)  were patrons of Renaissance culture. 
D)  held aloof from Italian politics. 
A)  initiated a series of reforms aimed at improving the morals of the clergy. 
B)  supported the conciliar movement. 
C)  were patrons of Renaissance culture. 
D)  held aloof from Italian politics.

Question 5

The fourteenth-century painter who most inspired early Renaissance artists was

Accepted Answer

A)  Cimabue. 
B)  Giotto. 
C)  Masaccio. 
D)  Pisano. 
A)  Cimabue. 
B)  Giotto. 
C)  Masaccio. 
D)  Pisano.

Question 6

Was Pope Pius II representative of the Renaissance popes of the fifteenth century? Explain.

Accepted Answer

Yes, Pope Pius II, also known as Enea Si

Question 7

The signori in early Renaissance Italy were the

Accepted Answer

A)  paid soldiers of fortune who operated independent armies. 
B)  advisers to the popes at court in Rome. 
C)  autocratic rulers of the Italian states. 
D)  begging monks in the mendicant holy orders. 
A)  paid soldiers of fortune who operated independent armies. 
B)  advisers to the popes at court in Rome. 
C)  autocratic rulers of the Italian states. 
D)  begging monks in the mendicant holy orders.

Question 8

The most significant consequence of Renaissance warfare was the

Accepted Answer

A)  introduction of cannon. 
B)  use of mercenary soldiers. 
C)  creation of alliances. 
D)  development of diplomacy as an alternative to war. 
A)  introduction of cannon. 
B)  use of mercenary soldiers. 
C)  creation of alliances. 
D)  development of diplomacy as an alternative to war.

Question 9

In building the Pazzi Chapel, Brunelleschi

Accepted Answer

A)  put a Gothic spire on the chapel. 
B)  turned to Gothic sculpture for decorations. 
C)  adhered to classical design and proportions. 
D)  copied the basilica floor plan 
A)  put a Gothic spire on the chapel. 
B)  turned to Gothic sculpture for decorations. 
C)  adhered to classical design and proportions. 
D)  copied the basilica floor plan

Question 10

Pico della Mirandola was a

Accepted Answer

A)  modest individual who refused to speak out for his views. 
B)  monk who denounced the Florentine art movement. 
C)  scholar trained and expert in many disciplines. 
D)  follower of mystical and pietistic learning. 
A)  modest individual who refused to speak out for his views. 
B)  monk who denounced the Florentine art movement. 
C)  scholar trained and expert in many disciplines. 
D)  follower of mystical and pietistic learning.

Question 11

Botticelli's early paintings are famous for their

Accepted Answer

A)  Christian themes. 
B)  female nudes. 
C)  realistic landscapes. 
D)  chiaroscuro effects. 
A)  Christian themes. 
B)  female nudes. 
C)  realistic landscapes. 
D)  chiaroscuro effects.

Question 12

The Venetian school of Renaissance painting

Accepted Answer

A)  was concerned with lines and the balance of figures on the canvas. 
B)  was clearly influenced by the Persian miniature paintings. 
C)  wanted to explore the effects of light and air. 
D)  was not interested in religious or biblical subjects. 
A)  was concerned with lines and the balance of figures on the canvas. 
B)  was clearly influenced by the Persian miniature paintings. 
C)  wanted to explore the effects of light and air. 
D)  was not interested in religious or biblical subjects.

Question 13

Which of the following ended the Great Schism?

Accepted Answer

A)  the Concordat of Worms 
B)  the Magna Carta 
C)  the Council of Constance 
D)  the Fourth Lateran Council 
A)  the Concordat of Worms 
B)  the Magna Carta 
C)  the Council of Constance 
D)  the Fourth Lateran Council

Question 14

What was a civic humanist?

Accepted Answer

A)  a civil servant loyal only to the ruling family of an Italian city-state 
B)  a hired soldier of fortune in charge of the civilians in an Italian city-state 
C)  a proponent of the idea that an educated citizenry enhanced the civic community 
D)  a member of a pope's inner circle of advisers 
A)  a civil servant loyal only to the ruling family of an Italian city-state 
B)  a hired soldier of fortune in charge of the civilians in an Italian city-state 
C)  a proponent of the idea that an educated citizenry enhanced the civic community 
D)  a member of a pope's inner circle of advisers

Question 15

Who of the following founded the Vatican Library, an institution virtually unrivaled today for its holdings of manuscripts and books?

Accepted Answer

A)  Fra Savonarola 
B)  Pope Pius I 
C)  Pope Nicholas V 
D)  Pope Sixtus IV 
A)  Fra Savonarola 
B)  Pope Pius I 
C)  Pope Nicholas V 
D)  Pope Sixtus IV

Question 16

Masaccio's Holy Trinity fresco offers stylistic similarity to the work of

Accepted Answer

A)  Botticelli, the painter. 
B)  Brunelleschi, the architect. 
C)  Pico della Mirandola, the philosopher. 
D)  Cosimo de' Medici, the patron of arts. 
A)  Botticelli, the painter. 
B)  Brunelleschi, the architect. 
C)  Pico della Mirandola, the philosopher. 
D)  Cosimo de' Medici, the patron of arts.

Question 17

In comparison with the changes occurring in architecture and sculpture, those that transpired in early Renaissance painting were

Accepted Answer

A)  more radical and far reaching. 
B)  less innovative. 
C)  about the same in terms of styles and techniques. 
D)  less influential on later artistic developments. 
A)  more radical and far reaching. 
B)  less innovative. 
C)  about the same in terms of styles and techniques. 
D)  less influential on later artistic developments.

Question 18

Which of the following pairs of characters appears in Fra Angelico's Annunciation?

Accepted Answer

A)  Peter and Jesus 
B)  James and John 
C)  Mary and Gabriel 
D)  Joseph and Mary 
A)  Peter and Jesus 
B)  James and John 
C)  Mary and Gabriel 
D)  Joseph and Mary

Question 19

Vittorino da Feltre contributed to the early Renaissance as a

Accepted Answer

A)  painter who first used linear perspective. 
B)  literary scholar who studied comparative texts. 
C)  sculptor who reintroduced contrapposto. 
D)  founder of a school for humanistic studies. 
A)  painter who first used linear perspective. 
B)  literary scholar who studied comparative texts. 
C)  sculptor who reintroduced contrapposto. 
D)  founder of a school for humanistic studies.

Question 20

Laura Cereta, in her own defense, claimed that she

Accepted Answer

A)  was superior intellectually to other women. 
B)  thought just as a man does. 
C)  was a typical woman in that she is capable of learning. 
D)  could outthink any man. 
A)  was superior intellectually to other women. 
B)  thought just as a man does. 
C)  was a typical woman in that she is capable of learning. 
D)  could outthink any man.

Exam 12: The Early Renaissance: Return to Classical Roots

In what ways did the history of the Medicis reflect broader political trends in the early Renaissance?

How did Brunelleschi change the direction of architecture during the early Renaissance? Use one of his buildings as an example.

Who directed the Platonic Academy?

The late-fifteenth-century popes

The fourteenth-century painter who most inspired early Renaissance artists was

Was Pope Pius II representative of the Renaissance popes of the fifteenth century? Explain.

The signori in early Renaissance Italy were the

The most significant consequence of Renaissance warfare was the

In building the Pazzi Chapel, Brunelleschi

Pico della Mirandola was a

Botticelli's early paintings are famous for their

The Venetian school of Renaissance painting

Which of the following ended the Great Schism?

What was a civic humanist?

Who of the following founded the Vatican Library, an institution virtually unrivaled today for its holdings of manuscripts and books?

Masaccio's Holy Trinity fresco offers stylistic similarity to the work of

In comparison with the changes occurring in architecture and sculpture, those that transpired in early Renaissance painting were

Which of the following pairs of characters appears in Fra Angelico's Annunciation?

Vittorino da Feltre contributed to the early Renaissance as a

Laura Cereta, in her own defense, claimed that she

Prehistory and the Rise of Civilization in the Near East and Egypt

The Aegean: the Minoans, the Mycenaeans, and the Greeks of the Archaic Age

Classical Greece: the Hellenic Age

The Hellenistic World

Classical Rome: From Republic to Empire

Judaism and the Rise of Christianity

Late Antiquity: the Transformation of the Roman Empire and the Triumph of Christianity

The Heirs to the Roman Empire: Byzantium and the West in the Early Middle Ages

The Rise of Islam

The High Middle Ages

The Late Middle Ages: Crisis and Recovery

The High Renaissance and Early Mannerism

Northern Humanism, Northern Renaissance, Religious Reformations, and Late Mannerism

The Baroque Age I: Glamour and Grandiosity

The Baroque Age Ii: Revolutions in Scientific and Political Thought

The Age of Reason

Revolution, Reaction, and Cultural Response

The Triumph of the Bourgeoisie

The Age of Early Modernism

The Age of the Masses and the Zenith of Modernism

The Age of Anxiety and Late Modernism

The Contemporary World: Globalization, Terrorism, and Postmodernism

Filters