Summer Assignment for Rising AP European History Students UMS-Wright Preparatory School, Summer, 2018

We will begin our study of European history with the Renaissance, around 1450. Historians debate the idea of a Renaissance. Some see it as a distinct period in European history, separate from the Middle Ages. Others see it as a continuation of the Middle Ages.

When we compare the visual art of the Late Middle Ages to the visual art of the Renaissance, we see some similarities and differences. One thing to keep an eye on is the human figure and how it is represented in both periods. Historians who argue that the Renaissance was a distinct period, unique and separate from the Middle Ages, emphasize the Renaissance’s interest in and naturalistic portrayal of the individual.

Toward the end of our first unit, you will write your first Long Essay Question (LEQ) on this topic: how Renaissance visual art reflected new conceptions of the individual. This summer assignment will get you thinking about ways in which this could be argued.

Directions:

1. Click here for the site, Late Gothic Art in Italy.  Read “Introduction to Late Gothic Art.”  Read “Florence in the Late Gothic Period, An Introduction.”  Watch the following videos:

Cimabue, Santa Trinita Madonna

Giotto, The Entombment of Mary

2. Click here for the site, Renaissance in Italy: 1400s.  Read “Florence in the Early Renaissance.”  Watch the following videos:

How to Recognize Italian Renaissance Art

Masaccio, Holy Trinity

Botticelli, The Birth of Venus

Leonardo, Mona Lisa

3. Use the note-taking guide on your Haiku>Summer Assignment page to take notes. I recommend you work on this closer to the start of school on Tuesday, August 14 so it will be fresh on your mind. I will collect your note-taking guides sometime after the start of school.