- The Renaissance changed
the world forever. It was a period in European
history between the 14th and the 17th century marking
the transition from the Middle Ages to the modern world. The Renaissance was
a time of rediscovery or an awakening of classical
literature, philosophy, and art, and opened the
horizons to travel, exploration and many new inventions. But the Renaissance
period is most famous for its unparalleled
influence on European art, which first began in
Italy, the home of many of the world's greatest artists. Today we still know and honour the greatest
names in renaissance art and admire their
unbelievable talents. There's Leonardo da
Vinci, Michelangelo, Rafael Botticelli, and re dura. These artists all came from
Italy, with the exception of re dura. He was the greatest German
artist of the Renaissance. Dura was a brilliant
painter and draughtsman, but his greatest artistic
impact was in the medium of printmaking of JIRA's 844 known artworks. Perhaps the most well-known
is the sketching of two hands. This poignant sketch
has stirred the hearts and minds of generations of
people all around the world, but there's a moving story
behind this ever popular piece of art that will
surprise and amaze you. Join me as we follow
the footsteps of of the Renaissance Sons. Many famous artists, scientists,
philosophers, writers, explorers, and kings
lived during the period of the Renaissance. Their inventions,
achievements, writings and artworks are
still with us today. Let's look at some of the events
that shape the Renaissance. Michelangelo begins
painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. The first printing press
is invented in Germany, allowing the common people
access to literature. Two new continents are found
North and South America. The Portuguese discover and colonise Brazil
in South America, the Spanish discover
Mexico and North America before advancing
into South America. It's the age of pirates and
swashbuckling adventure. Williams Shakespeare
writes his classical works, the Protestant reformation
sweeps throughout Europe. King Henry VIII establishes
the Church of England and Protestant martyrs
are burnt at the stake for their beliefs. Queen Elizabeth, the first
takes a throne of England. The Gregorian calendar
is introduced. Polish astronomer, Nicholas Copernicus
publishes his book suggesting that the earth moves
around the sun. The dome of St. Peters
is completed in Rome. The first industrial
machines are built that set off mass manufacturing and the industrial Revolution. The growth in the mining
industry takes place. Leonardo da Vinci
paints the Last Supper and the Mona Lisa, perhaps
the most well-known painting in all the world. The Renaissance truly was a
time of awakening, exploration, turmoil, revolution,
bloodshed and change, and has become one of
the defining periods But it's the art from
this period of revival and change that is captivated
and entranced the world. One of the greatest of these
artists was Michelangelo. He was born in Florence in 1475 and was an Italian renaissance
sculptor, painter, architect, and poet who had an
unparalleled influence on the development of western art. Michelangelo was considered
the greatest living artist in his lifetime. Some of his paintings and sculptures rank among
the most famous in existence, probably the best known of his
paintings are the frescoes on the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel at the Vatican City in Rome. It took Michelangelo five years to paint the 343
figures on the ceiling of the chapel from 1508 to 1512. But Michelangelo thought of
himself primarily as a sculptor, and his two most well-known
sculptures were created while he was still in his twenties. The Piata, meaning pity or compassion, was
created in 1499 and represents Mary Sorrowfully
contemplating the dead body of her son Jesus, which
she holds on her lap. This sculpture was commissioned by a French cardinal
living in Rome, and today is housed in St. Peter's Basilica in
the Vatican City. The other one is the five
metre Carrara marble statue of David, the biblical
shepherd boy, king and hero, and was begun in 50 0 1. Today. It can be viewed and
admired in Florence, Italy. Another famous renaissance
artist was Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo only received a
basic education in reading, writing, and arithmetic, but because his artistic talents
were evident in his childhood, at the age of 14, he was
apprentice to the noted sculptor and painter, Andrea
Del CIO of Florence. In CIO's workshop, he was
exposed to theoretical training and a wide range of technical
skills, including metalwork, carpentry, drawing,
painting, and sculpting. Under the patronage
of the Spheros thes, Leonardo painted the last
supper in the refractory of the monastery of
Santa Maria Dezi. Perhaps predictably
for an individual who excelled in
everything he did, Leonardo also had
a gift for music. He played the liar and flute,
often performing at gatherings of nobility and at the
houses of his patrons. His surviving
manuscripts contain some of his original
musical compositions, but most of us know
Leonardo for his painting, the Mona Lisa. According to art experts, the
Mona Lisa is the best known, most visited, and
overall most famous artwork in all the world. Another famous Italian painter and architect during the
Renaissance was Rafael. His work is known for
its perspective, amazing and anatomical correctness and
authentic human expressions. His artwork is rich in colour and has a grandeur that is a
distinguishing characteristic of Raphael's paintings. His most famous painting
is The School of Athens. This painting represents all
the greatest mathematicians, philosophers, and scientists
from classical antiquity gathered together,
sharing their ideas. The School of Athens is one of four wall frescoes in the
stanza Della Sign Tour in Rome. Each wall represents one of
the four branches of knowledge during the Renaissance
theology, literature, justice, and philosophy. This simply beautiful painting
is so visually appealing and highlights the
outstanding talent of Rafael. And during this same
period of the Renaissance 1000 kilometres from Rome,
another artist became noticed in the small town of Nuremberg. The charming town of
Nuremberg is located in the very heart of Germany. It's a city of castles,
cathedrals, and canals. In the enchanting old
town streets aligned with magnificent half
timbered houses and colourful and lively markets
have taken place here for almost 700 years. The old town of Nuremberg
is over 950 years old and was once a major
historic centre for trade in this
part of Europe. For centuries, the beautiful and prosperous
mediaeval wall city of Nuremberg was also
the unofficial capital of the Holy Roman empire. Between 10 50 and 1571, each
successive German king or emperor of the Holy
Roman empire was crowned, resided and held. Caught here. The imperial diet or a formal assembly met
here at Nuremberg Castle and was an important part of the administrative
structure of the empire. Even the crown jewels were
kept here at this time. Nuremberg truly was a place
of power and prestige, but Nuremberg was
also the cradle of the and one of the most famous and talented German artists
in history is recorded to have created his
awe-inspiring works right here in Nuremberg Today, Nuremberg is the second largest
city in the state of Bavaria and is still famous for its
formidable imperial castle and the mediaeval fortifications that dominate the
old town centre here in the old town is the
imposing Belda church, one of the oldest renaissance
churches in the city. It's located in
the re Duro plots and is part of the
historic mile of Nuremberg. One of the most magnificent
areas in the old town of Nuremberg is the Vice Gba
Gua, a cobbled stone lane with its colourful half
timbered mediaeval houses nearby in the
shadow of the castle is this five storied house. It is one of the few
surviving burger houses or houses of the wealthy or upper social classes in
Nuremberg during its golden age. It is the only 15th
century artist's house in all of northern Europe. In 1971, this house
was opened as a museum to celebrate the famous
Renaissance artist Uras 500th birthday From his
birth on the 21st of May, 1471. Dura lived and worked in this
massive half timbered house for nearly 20 years. From 1509 until
his death in 1528, he reached the heights of fame and fortune during
the Renaissance, and here produced some
of his most famous works. But his story began
in the 16th century in a small village near
the town of Nuremberg. Legend has it that
grew up in a family with 18 children. His father re Jira senior
was a goldsmith by profession and worked long hours to
support his large family. Despite the family's
difficult financial situation. Two Sons Re Jr. The son and his brother, Albert
had a dream to be artists. They both wanted to pursue
their talent for art, but they knew that their
father would never be able financially to
send either of them to study art at the art academy. After many long
discussions at night, the two boys finally
worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The winner would go first
to study at the art academy. The loser would go to
work in the nearby mines and with his earnings
support his brother while he attended the academy. Then in four years,
when that brother who had won the toss
completed his studies, he would support the other
brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or if necessary also by
labouring in the mines. So it was on a Sunday morning that the two brothers tossed
a coin to decide their future. Albrecht won the toss and excitedly went off
to the art academy. His brother, Albert,
following his promise, went down into the mines where
he worked under difficult and demanding conditions
for the next four years to earn money to finance his
brother at the art academy. While Albert Albert toiled
underground in the dangerous minds to finance his brother, Albrecht was thoroughly
enjoying studying art and developing his
artistic skills. His work at the academy was
almost an immediate sensation. Rett etchings, his woodcuts and his oils were soon
far better than those of most of his professors. And by the time he graduated,
he was beginning to earn considerable fees for
his commissioned work. Dura was in communication
with the major Italian artists of his time, including
Rafael and Da Vinci, and was soon being ranked with the other famous
Renaissances artists. After four years, the young and talented artists
returned to his home village and the Jira family
held a festive dinner to celebrate re's success
and triumphant homecoming. It was a time of special
food, togetherness, music, and laughter. Albrecht was even given
the honoured position at the head of the table. During the celebration,
Albrecht stood and proposed a toast to
his beloved brother Albert. Thanking him for the four
years of sacrifice in the minds that had enabled him
to fulfil his ambition to study at the art academy and become a world
renowned artist. And his closing words were, and now Albert, blessed
brother of mine. Now it's your turn. Now you
can go to Nuremberg to study and pursue your dream
to become an artist, and I'll take care of you. All. Heads turned in eager
expectation to the far end of the table where Albert
sat to everyone's surprise, he was shaking his lowered
head from side to side as tears trickled down his tied and
worn face while he sobbed and repeated over
and over, no, no, no. Finally, Albert Rose and wiped
ve tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long
table at the faces he loved, and then holding his hands
up close to his cheeks. He said softly, no
brother, I cannot go to the art academy in Nuremberg. It's too late for me. Look what four years
working in the mines have done to my hands. The bones in every finger have
been smashed at least once. And lately, I've been
suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that
I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast much
less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a
pen or brush, no brother. For me, it's too late. I
will never be an artist. What heartbreaking
words, Albert's dream of becoming an
artist was smashed. The story goes that
Elbert Dura walked to his brother's chair and
gently held his brother's nulled and broken hands, those hands
that had given him a chance, a future while they're
in the family home. Alre quietly rose early
one morning to continue one of his artworks and found his
brother kneeling in prayer with his hands class. He was so moved by his brother's
N Hands that he decided to sketch those hands to
pay homage to Elbert for all that he'd sacrificed for him. Elbert's, juror painstakingly
drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and thin fingers
stretched upwards. He called his powerful
drawing simply hands. But people around the world almost immediately
opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute
of love, praying hands. Nothing is known of Albert
J's life afterwards, but if it weren't for his
love, generosity, loyalty, and commitment, then never
would've been an albe. Jura and the masterpiece
praying hands. Perhaps you're familiar with Albe JIRA's famous
work, praying Hands. And when you look at this
touching print on blue coloured paper, you can feel
the depth of emotion in each line in the pen and ink drawing today, the
original praying hands, the constant reminder of
the sacrifice Albert made for the success of his brother is kept at the Albertina
Museum in Vienna, Austria. But what is so special
about the praying hands? Two hands pressed together and fingers pointed up in
many countries is a gesture of thanks, request and greeting. Two hands also inspire
sentiments of hope, praise, gratitude, reverence
and respect. But primarily it's
a symbol of praying and a lasting reminder of
its importance and power. So what is prayer? Well, in a nutshell, prayer
is talking to God as a friend. It's a simple act that can take
place any time and anywhere. It opens up a channel of
communication with heaven. It's asking God for help
and guidance and strength, and then trusting and believing
that he will hear, answer, and provide in much the same way that you trust a
good friend to answer and provide in
your time of need. Pray can help to
relieve your burdens and fill you with peace. Pray can strengthen you for the
tempest and challenges ahead and help place your trust
in God when the going gets really tough. So let's look at a few
simple steps we can take to make prayer a more
meaningful part of our lives. Step one, talk to
God as a friend. We need to realise that prayer
is simply opening our hearts and talking to God as
we would to a friend. Tell him about your
joys, hopes and desires. Tell him your deepest fears and the earnest
longings of your heart. Then we move on to the
simple ABCs of prayer, ask, believe, claim. Let's consider each of
them quickly when we pray. We need to ask God
for what we need by laying our
hearts open to him. So step two is ask God. We need to ask for what is
important to us. Step three. We need to believe that
God hears our prayers and is promised to answer us. Step four. We need
to claim the promises that he has given us
in His word, the Bible. Step five, we need to
pray in the name of Jesus. In John chapter 14 and
verse 13, Jesus says, and whatever you ask in
my name that will I do that the Father may be
glorified in the sun. Step six. We should make a time and place for prayer each day. It's always good to start and
close the day with prayer. Then we're more likely
to be in an attitude of prayer throughout the day. And it's also helpful
to have a special place for our personal prayers, a
place that we dedicate to prayer where you pray and when you
pray can determine how you pray. For example, having a
quiet, solitary time and place can help
you to open your heart to God more freely. Step seven, get rid of
the sins in our lives. It's important to remember
that God lays out conditions for answering our prayers. In Psalm 66, verse
18, the Bible says, if I regard iniquity
in my heart, the Lord Ask God to forgive our mistakes and give us the power to avoid
making those mistakes again. God wants us to live
by His principles because they are best for
us and ensure our happiness and wellbeing. Step eight, obey God's
law. The 10 Commandments. When we're in harmony with
God, when we follow him and obey him and keep his
laws, God can hear our prayers and answer them more readily
than if we were separated from him by sin. Step nine, forgive others. We need to choose to forgive
those who have harmed or hurt us just as
God forgives us. Part of being in harmony with
God is receiving forgiveness for our sins and
choosing to forgive those who have sinned against us. And finally, step 10. We need to pray that
God's will be done. We can choose to
recognise God's wisdom and choose to place
our trust in him. This is a powerful catalyst
for effective prayer and placing our trust
in the will of God. And above all, we need
to persist in prayer and combine our
prayers with action. If at first your
prayers don't seem to be heard, then persist. Keep praying and
make sure you act. Take all the necessary steps
that are within your power to hasten the fulfilment
of your prayers. For example, it's not enough
just to pray for those in need. We need to roll up our sleeves and do our part to meet
their needs as well. Prayer requires an open
heart, a surrendered will, a persevering spirit
and willing hands. Let's not wait till we
are out at sea, tossed and blown in a tempest to pray. May we make prayer our first
resort and not our last. So here are our 10 steps
to a powerful prayer life. One, talk to God as a friend. Two, ask God for what you need. Three, believe that
God hears our prayers. Four, claim God's
promises. Five. Pray in the name of Jesus. Six. Have a time and
place for prayer. Seven, get rid of
sin in our lives. Eight, obey God's law.
Nine, forgive others. And 10, ask for God's
will to be done. So there they are. 10 simple Bible steps to
our powerful prayer life. These simple steps will make
our prayer lives richer, your prayers more authentic, and provide us with
a genuine faith grounded in the
promises of God's word. The power of prayer
can change your life, so why not start implementing
and using them today? If you would like to find
out more about relying on God and how to use the power
of prayer, then I'd like to recommend the
free booklet we have for all our Incredible
Journey viewers Today it's the popular booklet
reaching out to God in prayer. How to Pray. This inspiring
booklet will guide you through the simple steps
to a powerful prayer life. This booklet is our gift to
you and is absolutely free. I guarantee there are no costs
or obligations whatsoever. So make the most of this
wonderful opportunity to receive your free gift today. - Phone or text oh four three
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us at info at TJ tv. Don't delay. Call
or text us now, - If you've enjoyed our
journey to Nuremberg, the home of the famous
artist, Albert Jura, and our reflections on
prayer, then be sure to join us again next week
when we will share another of life's journeys together. Until then, let's pray to the
great God of heaven who hears and answers our prayers. Dear heavenly Father, we
thank you for the privilege of being able to
communicate with you and talk to you as our friend. We are grateful that
you care about us and want to establish
a relationship with us. May we realise the importance of investing time in our
relationship with you, and ensuring that we
make time to pray. Please bless us
and our families. We ask in Jesus' name, amen.
