Technology in the Renaissance and Early Modern Period

Technology in the Renaissance and Early Modern Period

I. Science and Technology in the Renaissance

- "rebirth"; interest in newly recovered classical texts - humanists

- travel, adventure and navigation

- increased use of military technology results requires lots of money: increased taxation, wealth

- leads to formation of new nation-states that can afford to engage in such enterprises (i.e. France emerges as state in 15th century)

- costs associated with producing technologies (i.e. gunpowder), building and maintaining armies

- many texts recovered after fall of Constantinople to Turkish army in 1453; transferred to Italy and retranslated

- Catholic church challenged with Protestant Reformation; increased role of patronage and royal courts

- Higher status for role of engineer

- change in values: knowledge for wealth, power and status over standard theological considerations and attaining salvation

- natural philosophers: justify search for knowledge on utilitarian and not just theological reasoning; this signals a changing relationship between science and technology

- another important development was creation of linear (geometrical) perspective: three dimensional images onto two dimensional canvas is new method of drawing and painting images

- Leon Alberti (1404-1472) known as "father of perspective": while he did not invent linear perspective, did help to perfect the art by providing a structured theory for artists learning the technique

II. Technology, Patronage and the Royal Courts

- While royal courts all over Europe (i.e. France, Spain, England) supported and sponsored many technological enterprises, nowhere was this more evident than in Italy

- Medici family dynasty in Italy in the 15th and 16th centuries sponsored many technical projects

- Did not do so for commercial or industrial reasons; technical projects revolved around warfare, city-building, entertainment and "showing off" power and wealth

- status of engineers in these courts increases with new political and military projects

- Court patronage necessary for "Renaissance men" like Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo Galilei; courts provided vast resources, access to figures in power

A. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

- little is known about da Vinci's early life

- illegitimate son, raised by grandparents

- at age of 14 he began ten year apprenticeship with Andrea del Verrocchio who was sculptor and painter

- learned about mathematics, architecture, painting, sculpture; during his time with Verrocchio helped with construction of Florence cathedral

- Da Vinci had perfected technique of three dimensional drawing: used this skill to recreate and produce images of many technical machines in his notebooks and was greatly influenced by Alberti

- Da Vinci established his own career by accepting an assignment from the Medici family; worked as engineer for powerful Sforza family for ten years

- Highlighted importance of his engineering designs for both military and civilian purposes but emphasized the importance of his designs for war

- Notebooks have many images of gunpowder weapons, firearms, crossbows, cannons, bridges, chariots with rotating daggers, etc...

- Re-creations versus new inventions like submarines and airplanes (i.e. "technological dreams")

- Da Vinci also created many new mechanisms for courtly entertainment; had fascination for "automata"

- After Sforza family is ousted by French in 1499; traveled Italy and worked as military engineer for hire

- At beginning of 16th century da Vinci returns to Florence and works on several projects; at this time also begins anatomical studies

- Eventually returns to Rome and accepts patronage of Medici family until death of Giuliano de Medici

- Last years of life spent in French royal court doing painting, engineering, architecture, philosophy

- As both an engineer and natural philosopher, da Vinci represents new type of individual who was familiar with both fields of study

- Investigation of scientific problems via experimentation

B. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

- professor at Padua university, had wide range of interests

- relied heavily on court patronage of Medici family

- skilled rhetorician; wanted to influence public opinion

- interest in experiment, observation, measurement and design

- created and built own telescope (original inventor of telephone an unknown Dutchman)

- used his telescope in support of the Copernican system which was the idea that the sun was at the center of the universe

- prior to this, common belief was that the earth was at the center of the universe

- Galileo also used telescope to gain prestige: named his discover of Jupiter's moons after his patrons, the Medici family so that they would support him

- It worked! Galileo becomes very important figure in Medici court; gains lots of status and prestige

- gave away telescopes to wealthy and powerful individuals that would support cause; not to those that necessarily supported ideas (i.e. Kepler)

- important to understand observations not indisputable truth

- problems with telescope: how to confirm what Galileo was seeing

- difficulties interpreting observations; vision problems, accusations of trickery

- still, use