The Renaissance: rich city-states, new ideas and new ways of painting
Grade 7 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Use this
Money, patrons and the arts (cards A to D; summaries in our words). Card A, the Medici Bank: Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici founded it in Florence in 1397. In its prime it was the largest and most respected bank in Europe, with branches in nine cities: Rome, Venice, Milan, Pisa, Geneva, Lyon, Avignon, London and Bruges. Cosimo de' Medici led it from the 1430s, and it was closed in 1494. Card B: Cosimo patronized scholars and artists, and he forwarded money to the sculptor Donatello to buy marble. Lorenzo de' Medici, a later head of the family, patronized artists and poets. Card C, the Mona Lisa: in October 1503 Agostino Vespucci wrote a note in the margin of a book saying Leonardo was working on a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo. The Louvre dates the painting to 1503 to 1506, though Leonardo may have kept working on it until 1516 or 1517. He never gave it to the Giocondo family. Vasari's account was published in 1550, 31 years after Leonardo died in 1519. Card D, Leonardo's notebooks: they hold studies of anatomy, astronomy, engineering, optics and moving water. His drawing Vitruvian Man, about 1490, studies the proportions of the human body in a circle and a square, based on the writings of the Roman architect Vitruvius.
Card A: the Medici Bank was founded in 1397 and closed in 1494. How many years did it last, Ari asks?
- 103 years
- 97 years
- 2,891 years, the dates combined
- 97 branches
Card C: Vespucci wrote in 1503 and Vasari's account appeared in 1550. How many years apart, and which is nearer the painting's start, Bo asks?
- 53 years; Vespucci's note is nearer
- 31 years; Vasari's account is nearer
- 47 years; Vespucci's note is nearer
- 47 years; Vasari's account is nearer
Why is Vespucci's note stronger evidence for 1503 than Vasari's account, Esme asks?
- It was written by an artist, while Vasari was a historian
- It was written in 1503, while Vasari wrote 47 years later
- It was printed, while Vasari's book was just handwritten
- It is longer and more detailed than Vasari's book
A student says, "Card A proves banking caused Renaissance art." Which reply is best, Kira asks?
- Proven: a rich bank paid for art, so banks caused it to happen in Florence
- Not proven: banks did not pay for anything of that kind in the 1400s
- Not proven: one rich family paid for art, but other causes mattered too
- Proven: the bank was closed in 1494, so art ended in Florence then
Which chain do cards A and B best support, Luz asks?
- A rich bank gave the Medici wealth, some spent on scholars and artists
- Donatello's marble founded the bank in nine cities
- Patronage of artists made the bank rich, and the bank then opened in 1397
- The bank's closing in 1494 caused Cosimo's patronage
The bank closed in 1494. What might that mean for art that depended on one family's money, Milo asks?
- Patrons across Europe would stop at once in 1494
- Nothing would change, since art does not need money
- Support tied to one family's money could end with the money
- Art would grow, since closing a bank frees money for artists
Suppose a ledger from the 1430s shows the bank paying a sculptor for stone. How does it affect card B, Noah asks?
- It would add a direct record that the Medici paid for art
- It would show the artists in Florence worked for the bank, not for anyone else
- It would show the bank was closed in the 1430s, not in 1494
- It would disprove card B, since a ledger is not a source
Card C: the Louvre dates the Mona Lisa to 1503 to 1506, but Leonardo may have worked on it until 1517. How long is each span, Ren asks?
- 13 years by the Louvre's dating, up to 14 years if he kept working to 1517
- 3 years by the Louvre's dating, up to 14 years if he kept working to 1517
- 3 years by the Louvre's dating, up to 11 years if he kept working to 1517
- 14 years by the Louvre's dating, up to 3 years if he kept working to 1517
Card D says Vitruvian Man is based on the writings of the Roman architect Vitruvius. What does that show, Tala asks?
- Leonardo copied the drawing line for line from an older picture
- The drawing is a portrait of a rich merchant of Florence
- Artists like Leonardo drew on ancient Roman writings
- Vitruvius lived in Leonardo's time and posed for the drawing
A student says, "Leonardo was just a painter." Which reply is best, Zee asks?
- Not supported: card D shows studies in science and engineering as well as art
- Not supported: he did not paint anything
- Supported: the Mona Lisa is his famous work, so painting was his sole work
- Supported: the Medici paid for painters, so he was paid to paint