Question 1

Early Renaissance scholars were especially attracted to the writings of

Accepted Answer

A)  Aristotle. 
B)  the Stoics. 
C)  Cicero. 
D)  the Greek dramatists.

Question 2

Which humanistic scholar made himself the leading voice of Florentine Neoplatonism by reconciling Platonic philosophy and Christian teachings?

Accepted Answer

A)  Lorenzo Valla 
B)  Marsilio Ficino 
C)  Leonardo Bruni 
D)  Vittorino da Feltre

Question 3

Ghiberti's panels for the east doors of the Florentine Baptistery

Accepted Answer

A)  depict scenes from the New Testament. 
B)  were cast so as to fit inside Gothic quatrefoils. 
C)  show his debt to classical ideals. 
D)  are known as the "Gates of Hell".

Question 4

According to Ghiberti in his Commentaries, regarding his doors on the Florentine Baptistery, he

Accepted Answer

A)  wanted to create a highly illusionary work of art. 
B)  hoped to make a clear presentation of a biblical story. 
C)  cared very little as to how the public would react. 
D)  felt indebted to the medieval styles of sculpture.

Question 5

Which literary scholar exposed the Donation of Constantine as a forgery?

Accepted Answer

A)  Laura Cereta 
B)  Lorenzo Valla 
C)  Leonardo Bruni 
D)  Vittorino da Feltre

Question 6

Botticelli's early paintings were influenced by

Accepted Answer

A)  Aristotelianism. 
B)  Neoplatonism. 
C)  Epicureanism. 
D)  Stoicism.

Question 7

Discuss the impact of Neoplatonism on the Italian Renaissance. Who was the major voice of this movement? What were his contributions?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the impact of Neoplatonism on the...

Question 8

Early Renaissance Neoplatonism

Accepted Answer

A)  was essentially the same as late Roman Neoplatonism. 
B)  could not be made compatible with Christianity. 
C)  taught that Platonic love was superior to erotic love. 
D)  failed to capture the attention of many thinkers and artists.

Question 9

Innovations in early Renaissance music came from the influence of

Accepted Answer

A)  rediscovered classical compositions. 
B)  the seductive harmonics of English music. 
C)  the tradition of Byzantine music. 
D)  the use of mathematical proportion in composition.
Essay Questions

Question 10

The status of women during the early Renaissance in Italy

Accepted Answer

A)  declined significantly as they lost financial power. 
B)  did not appreciably improve, despite increased opportunities for education. 
C)  changed dramatically, as they won new political rights. 
D)  improved socially, as they were allowed to marry whomever they chose.

Question 11

Fra Angelico painted with a sense of the new style of the Renaissance, as evidenced by

Accepted Answer

A)  his mastery of depth. 
B)  his use of drab colors. 
C)  his inclusion of gold foil in his paintings. 
D)  the absence of religious symbols in his paintings.

Question 12

The most prominent center of the early Renaissance was

Accepted Answer

A)  Venice. 
B)  Rome. 
C)  Florence. 
D)  Siena.

Question 13

Which of the following Italian states did NOT sign the Peace of Lodi in 1454?

Accepted Answer

A)  Florence 
B)  Genoa 
C)  Milan 
D)  Venice

Question 14

Ficino, the leader of Florence's Platonic Academy,

Accepted Answer

A)  reconciled Greek and Byzantine thought. 
B)  harmonized Platonic and Aristotelian thought. 
C)  wrote a treatise on painting. 
D)  developed a spiritual interpretation of love.

Question 15

The Peace of Lodi, signed in 1454,

Accepted Answer

A)  ended the Hundred Years' War between England and France. 
B)  brought on several decades of peace in the Italian peninsula. 
C)  resulted in the expulsion of the French from Italy. 
D)  made the papacy the most powerful state in Italy.

Exam 12: The Early Renaissance: Return to Classical Roots