Travel Log of the Renaissance Period: Annotated Bibliography
Primary Sources
Franklin, B. Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Edited by Frank Woodworth Pine. (2006).
This autobiography is about Benjamin Franklin. He talks about his early life in Boston, his love of reading, and how he saved all little money for book purchases. Franklin’s Autobiography stands apart from every other biography of a great and successful person because of the story’s human side. The publishing of the autobiography was in 1791 before editing Frank Woodworth Pine in 2006. Despite not being the wealthiest or most powerful, he is undoubtedly the most versatile of our self-made individuals regarding his intellect and accomplishments. Franklin’s ability as a writer contributed to his reputation as a diplomat, statesman, and scientist and his social standing.
Biblia Latina, 42 lines, (Mainz: Johann Gutenberg and Johann Fust, about 1455). On paper. British Library.
The Bible of Johann Gutenberg is arguably the most famous in the world. It is Europe’s first comprehensive work printed with a moveable type. To continue funding his printing efforts, Gutenberg formed a business partnership with Fust in 1452. Gutenberg’s invention revolutionized the world by allowing for the first time the mass production of books. By 1455, Gutenberg had perfected his printing method and had produced many copies of the Bible. Johann Gutenberg and his collaborators Peter Schoeffer and Johann Fust published the Gutenberg Bible in Mainz in 1455. Only forty-eight copies are known to exist, thirty-six on paper and twelve on vellum. Twenty are complete; the British Library houses two, one on paper and one on vellum.
The Statue of David by Michelangelo. Florence. (1504).
David of Michelangelo is magnificent Renaissance artwork produced from 1501-1504. The Arte Della Lana (Guild of Wool Merchants), who was in charge of the decoration and maintenance of Florence’s Cathedral, commissioned Michelangelo to sculpt the David in 1501. Michelangelo departs from the typical representation of David by depicting him as a young man in the moments leading up to the conflict with Goliath. Given its stature, the David strikes a modest stance since any more robust action pose might jeopardize its balance. In January 1504, his 14-foot-tall David was exposed to them exclusively; the committee members all agreed that it was far too magnificent to be displayed so high inside the Cathedral. Thus there was the suggestion to look for a new spot in town. Eventually, the statue found itself in Piazza Della Signoria, Florence’s political core.
The Last Supper Mural Painting by Leonardo da Vinci. 1495-1498.
Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper (Cenacolo Vinciano) is one of the most well-known paintings in the world located in Santa Maria Delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. It is a massive painting that stands 4.60 meters tall and 8.80 meters wide and is created with tempera and oil on gypsum rather than the fresco technique. The last meal between Jesus and his followers is depicted in this painting. Its production dates between 1494 and 1498 under the direction of Ludovico il Moro. The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci is full of symbolic connections. An equilateral triangle formed by Christ’s body anchors the balanced composition. He is seated beneath an arching pediment that, when complete, would create a circle.
The Birth of Venus painting by Sandro Botticelli (1485-1486)
The Birth of Venus is a 1480s painting by Italian artist Sandro Botticelli. It represents the goddess Venus on her way to the land after her birth when she had utterly grown from the water. The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, houses the painting. It is a tempera painting on canvas. Venus appears somewhat off-center and separated against the background, without any other figures obscuring her. She leans in an odd contrapposto-like pose with a slight inclination of the head. Botticelli was quite particular about her hair and hairstyle. He created Venus, an idealized face that is astonishingly free of imperfections, and he shaded her face nicely to contrast a brighter and a darker side.
Secondary Sources
Forde, Steven. Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography and the Education of America. The American Political Science Review, Vol. 86, No. 2 (June 1992), pp. 357-368.
Professor of Political Science at the University of North Texas, Steven Forde’s research spans many legal theories, law and legal studies, philosophy of science, and political philosophy topics. The author examines Franklin’s vision of democratic society, his utilitarianism, his portrayal of the relationship between money and morality, and the discovery of a soft and robust ideal tailored to enlighten and elevate American culture. But, according to Steven, neither friend nor adversary has looked through the Autobiography in-depth to examine its lessons. The author uses a combination of primary and secondary sources, the original autobiography, and outside sources to cement his ideas. His approach proves effective in the understanding of the autobiography.
Kate, Donovan. “The Gutenberg Bible.” Harvard Library. (2021). https://library.harvard.edu/collections/gutenberg-bible
Kate Donovan is a Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences Associate Librarian for Public Services and Curator of the Harry Elkins Widener Collection. Her primary responsibilities include teaching and researching. The school library outlines the Gutenberg Bible as a milestone in print work with a movable metal type in Europe. Only twenty-three of the forty-eight surviving copies are complete, including the Harvard copy printed on paper. It is divided into two volumes, one of which is kept on display at the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Rooms at all times. Since the university houses the surviving copies (primary sources), it can quickly validate any comments and remarks of the Gutenberg Bible.
ItalianRenaissance.org, “Michelangelo’s David,” in ItalianRenaissance.org, June 28, 2012, www.italianrenaissance.org/michelangelos-david
The website is credible as it contains several analyses of Renaissance arts. It provides a brief background of Michelangelo as a sculpturer and his other famous works of art. The website asserts that David is one of Michelangelo’s most well-known masterpieces and one of the most notable statues in the entire art world. According to the website, Michelangelo proved his competence by completing the massive statue after the first two sculptors could not find its stability due to too many imperfections. The website uses other similar works of David to prove Michelangelo’s uniqueness in approach. There are several resources, including books, that the website uses to back the primary analysis of the sculpture.
Bahreynian, Mahsa Sadat, Iman Zakariaee Kermani, and Ehsan Aqababaee. “Representation of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci in the Postmodern Era Using the Abstract-Minimalism Approach.” The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-E Nazar 14.51 (2017): 33-44.
The authors with a solid background in research examine the Last Supper Art based on contemporary ideas. They believe that in today’s world, The Last Supper reflects developments in global civilization. As a result, the research focuses on determining the extent of new readings of an artwork’s portrayals based on semantic indicators and finding connotations in the painting over time due to sociocultural changes. The researchers met their content, structure, and form objectives by comparing and contrasting The Last Supper painting across different periods. There is a combination of primary and secondary sources to convince readers to embrace the results.
Jones, C., How to Read Paintings: The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli. Medium. (2020). https://medium.com/thinksheet/how-to-read-paintings-the-birth-of-venus-by-sandro-botticelli-7616c20dbc5e
Christopher P Jones is an artist, art historian, and critic. The author’s first book is titled How To Read Paintings. He considers Alessandro Botticelli’s artwork The Birth of Venus to be unique in art history. Christopher compares The Birth of Venus with Piero Della Francesca and Giotto’s works on The Baptism of Christ. The compositional components emphasize a particular interpretation of Venus as a symbol of divine love. Contrary to expectations, the author believes that the understanding of the painting is straightforward without any hidden meaning. He analyzes the whole scene in the painting describing every element and figure. By bringing Giotto and Piero Della Francesca into the picture, Christopher Jones follows the route of combining primary and secondary sources. His argument is persuasive as it considers other paintings.