16th Century Culture
1500s
Events
Peak of Benin monarchies, Africa
Portugese ships visit Malaka (Indonesia) 1509
Texts
In Praise of Folly, Erasmus 1501
Music
Visual
Coronation of the Virgin, Rafael (Italy) 1501
Marriage of the Virgin, Rafael (Italy) 1504
Adoration of the Magi, Fall of Man Albrecht Dürer (Germany) 1504
David Michelangelo (Italy)
Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci (Italy) 1505
1510s
Events
Portuguese colonization of Indonesia begins 1511
Martin Luther’s theses, beginning of Reformation 1517
Portuguese land in Pearl River of China 1517
Texts
The Prince, Niccholas Machiavelli (1513)
Utopia, Thomas More (UK) 1516
Gold Vase Plum, Anonymous (China) 1517
Music
Visual
Garden of Earthly Delights Hieronymous Bosch (Netherlands) 1510
School of Athens, Rafael (Italy) 1511
The Trinity Albrecht Dürer (Germany) 1511
Sistine Chapel, Rafael (Italy) 1513
Death and the Devil Albrecht Dürer (Germany) 1513
St. Jerome in his Study, Melancolia I Albrecht Dürer (Germany) 1514
Assumption, Titian (Italy) 1516
St. John the Baptist, Leonardo da Vinci (Italy) 1517
Transfiguration, Rafael (Italy) 1517
Pesaro Madonna, Titian (Italy) 1519
1520s
Events
Spain colonizes Aztecs 1521
Magellan circumnavigates globe 1522
Thomas Münzer and the German Peasant Uprising 1524-25
Mughal Dynasty established in India 1526
Texts
Music
Visual
Dance of Death, Portrait of Erasmus Hans Holbein the Younger (Germany) 1523
Portrait of William Warham, Mary Wotton Hans Holbein the Younger (Germany) 1527
Lady with a Squirrel and Starling Hans Holbein the Younger (Germany) 1528
1530s
Events
Spain colonizes Incas, 1533
Buenos Aires founded 1536
Bogota founded 1537
Peak of Ottoman Empire under Suleiman (1520-66) [check this]
Texts
Gargantua and Pantagruel, Rabelais (France) 1532
Music
Visual
Hermann von Wedigh III Hans Holbein the Younger (Germany) 1532
The Ambassadors Hans Holbein the Younger (Germany) 1533
Richard Southwell Hans Holbein the Younger (Germany) 1536
Portrait of Christina of Denmark Hans Holbein the Younger (Germany) 1538
Venus of Urbino, Titian (Italy) 1538
Portrait of Anne of Cleves Hans Holbein the Younger (Germany) 1539
1540s
Events
Copernicus’ solar thesis 1543
Texts
Music
Visual
Thomas Howard Hans Holbein the Younger (Germany) 1540
Nobleman with a Hawk Hans Holbein the Younger (Germany) 1542
Christ Crowned with Thorns, Titian (Italy) 1546
1550s
Events
Texts
Music
1560s
Events
Netherlands rebels against Hapsburg Spain 1568
Reign of Ivan the Terrible (Russia) begins [check this]
Britain begins slave trade in Africa
Texts
Music
Visual
The Peasant Wedding Pieter Brueghel 1567
1570s
Events
Massacre of Huegenots in France 1572
Portugese colonize Angola
Texts
Faerie Queene, Edmund Spenser 1552-99
Journey to the West, Anonymous (China) 1570
Music
Theory
1580s
Events
Gregorian calendar introduced 1582
Edinburgh University founded in UK 1582
Spanish Armada defeated by UK 1588
Texts
Essays, Montaigne (France) 1588
Music
Theory
1590s
Events
Fall of Songhai Empire 1591
De Houtman leads Dutch expedition to Indonesia 1595-97
Globe Theater built in London, UK 1599
Texts
Faerie Queene, Edmund Spenser (UK) 1596
Theater
Titus Andronicus, Taming of the Shrew, The Comedy of Errors W. Shakespeare (UK) 1594
Richard II, Richard III, A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Merchant of Venice, Merry Wives of Windsor, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Henry V, Julius Caesar, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, W. Shakespeare (UK) 1595-99
Music
Theory
Essays, Francis Bacon (UK) 1597