The Renaissance was a cultural movement that began in Italy in the 14th century and spread across Europe. It revived classical Greek and Roman ideals and placed human beings at the center of artistic and intellectual life.
Key characteristics
Renaissance art emphasized realism, perspective, proportion, and human emotion. Artists studied anatomy, geometry, and light to create lifelike figures and convincing spatial depth.
Major artists
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Botticelli are among the most celebrated. Their works, from the Mona Lisa to the Sistine Chapel ceiling, remain defining images of Western art.
Legacy
The Renaissance shifted art from primarily religious symbolism toward individual expression and observation of nature. It laid groundwork for modern Western art and science.