The Renaissance began in Italy because of its location in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. It became a center of commerce between Europe and Eurasia, thus a Cultural Diffusion point between the Europeans and the Muslims. Also, Italy was home to many wealthy families, willing to finance education. The Medici family ruled Florence and advocated the arts and sciences. These aristocrats among others would pay people to learn and create for them, spreading knowledge into the lower classes. With this rebirth of intellect came the greater interest in Ancient Greek and Roman culture that inspired the revival of Classicism.

The Italian Renaissance is divided into three major phases: Early, High, and Late Renaissance. The Early Renaissance was lead by sculptor Donatello, architect Filippo Brunelleschi, and painter Masaccio. They began the movement on the foundations that development and progress was integral to the evolution and survival of the arts. They found their inspiration form antiquity, creating realistic figures that portrayed personality and behavior. They focused on the laws of proportion for architecture, the human body, and space. The term Early Renaissance encompasses most 15th century art. The High Renaissance sought to create a generalized style of art that focused on drama, physical presence, and balance. The major artists of this period were Leonardo Da Vinci, Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian. The period lasted only a short time from 1495 to 1520. The Late Renaissance was put into motion by the sack of Rome in 1527, forcing artists to relocate to other artistic centers in Italy, France, and Spain. During this time, anti-classical sentiments began to emerge, eventually developing into the Mannerist movement.

Throughout the Renaissance period, artists first began to experiment with oil-based paints, mixing powdered pigments with linseed oil. The slow-drying nature of the medium allowed the painter to edit his work for several months. Perspective and attention to light became important to artists, as well as architectural accuracy in backgrounds. Popular subject matter included Biblical characters and subjects from Greek and Roman mythology. Renaissance art placed a large emphasis on the importance of the Madonna in art. Taking inspiration from classical Roman and Greek art, Renaissance artist were also interested in the human body, particularly the nude. They attempted to idealize the human form and were shown in physical perfection and purity with expression and unique personality. During this period, the gap dividing other creative thinkers such as poets, essayists, philosophers and scientists from artists began to decrease. All of there people were seen as visionaries and began to share ideas and learn from each other.

Artists: (biography & artworks) Related Paintings Reproductions

Agostino di Duccio, - 1418 - 1481
Alberti, Leon baptista - 1404 - 1472
Albertinelli, Mariotto - 1474 - 1515
Aldegrever, Heinrich - 1502 - 1561
Andrea del Castagno, - 1418 - 1457
Angelico, Fra - 1400 - 1455
Antonello da Messina, - 1430 - 1479
Baldovinetti, Alesso - 1425 - 1499
Bandinelli, Baccio - 1488 - 1560
Barbari, Jacopo de?- 1440 - 1515
Bartolomeo Veneto, - 1502 - 1555
Bermejo, Bartolome - 1405 - 1498
Bertoldo di Giovanni, - 1420 - 1491
Boltraffio, Giovanni Antonio - 1467 - 1516
Bordone, Paris - 1500 - 1571
Botticini, Francesco - 1446 - 1498
Bramante, Donato - 1444 - 1514
Bramantino, - 1460 - 1530
Breu the Elder, Jörg - 1475 - 1537
Brunelleschi, Filippo - 1377 - 1446
Burgkmair the Elder, Hans - 1473 - 1531
Campagnola, Giulio - 1482 - 1518
Carpaccio, Vittore - 1455 - 1525
Cesare da Sesto, - 1477 - 1523
Christus, Petrus - 1410 - 1473
Cleve, Joos van - 1490 - 1540
Cornelisz. van Oostsanen, Jacob - 1472 - 1533
Cossa, Francesco del - 1435 - 1477
Costa, Lorenzo - 1460 - 1535
Cousin the Elder, Jean - 1495 - 1560
Cranach the Elder, Lucas - 1472 - 1553
Crivelli, Carlo - 1430 - 1495
da Vinci, Leonardo - 1452 - 1519
Daddi, Bernardo - 1280 - 1348
Dalmau, Luis - -
Daret, Jacques - 1404 - 1468
David, Gerard - 1460 - 1523
Desiderio da Settignano, - 1430 - 1464
Domenico Veneziano, - 1400 - 1461
Donatello, - 1386 - 1466
Dossi, Dosso - 1490 - 1542
Duvet, Jean - 1485 - 1561
Eworth, Hans - 1540 - 1573
Eyck, Jan van - 1390 - 1441
Ferrari, Gaudenzio - 1471 - 1546
Filarete, - 1400 - 1469
Finiguerra, Maso - 1426 - 1464
Francesco di Giorgio Martini, - 1439 - 1501
Francia, Francesco - 1450 - 1517
Franciabigio, - 1484 - 1525
Froment, Nicolas - 1461 - 1483
Gaddi, Taddeo - 1300 - 1366
Gallego, Fernando - 1443 - 1507
Garofalo, - 1481 - 1559
Gerhaert, Nicolaus - -
Ghiberti, Lorenzo - 1378 - 1455
Giotto, - 1267 - 1337
Giotto di Bondone, - 1267 - 1337
Giovanni di Paolo, - 1403 - 1483
Goes, Hugo van der - 1440 - 1482
Goncalves, Nuno - -
Graf, Urs - 1485 - 1527
Grasser, Erasmus - 1450 - 1526
Heemskerck, Maerten van - 1498 - 1574
Holbein, Ambrosius - 1494 - 1519
Holbein the Elder, Hans - 1465 - 1524
Huber, Wolfgang - 1485 - 1553
Huguet, Jaume - - 1492
Jacobsz, Dirck - 1497 - 1567
Joos van Wassenhove, Netherlandish - -
Kraft, Adam - 1455 - 1508
Kulmbach, Hans Süss von - 1485 - 1522
Kunst, Pieter Cornelisz - 1484 - 1560
Laurana, Francesco - 1420 - 1502
Lippi, Filippino - 1457 - 1504
Lippi, Fra Filippo - 1406 - 1469
Lochner, Stefan - - 1451
Lombardo, Antonio - 1548 - 1516
Lombardo, Pietro - 1435 - 1515
Lombardo, Tullio - 1455 - 1532
Lorenzo di Credi, - 1456 - 1536
Lotto, Lorenzo - 1480 - 1556
Lucas van Leyden, - 1494 - 1533
Luini, Bernardino - 1480 - 1532
Mabuse, - 1478 - 1432
Machuca, Pedro - - 1550
Maiano, Benedetto da - 1442 - 1497
Mantegna, Andrea - 1431 - 1506
Manuel, Niklaus - 1484 - 1530
Martorell, Bernardo - - 1452
Masaccio, Tommaso - 1401 - 1428
Maso di Banco, - -
Masolino da Panicale, - 1383 - 1440
Master E.S., German - -
Master of Flemalle, - -
Master of Moulins, - -
Matteo di Giovanni, - - 1495
Meckenem, Israhel van - 1445 - 1503
Meit, Conrat - 1480 - 1550
Melozzo da Forli, - 1438 - 1494
Michelangelo, - 1475 - 1564
Michelozzo di Bartolomeo, - 1396 - 1472
Mino da Fiesole, - 1429 - 1484
Montagna, Bartolomeo - 1450 - 1523
Moretto da Brescia, - 1498 - 1554
Multscher, Hans - - 1467
Nanni di Banco, - - 1421
Neroccio, - 1447 - 1500
Niccolo dell’Arca, - - 1494
Ordonez, Bartolome - - 1520
Palma Vecchio, - 1480 - 1528
Patinir, Joachim - 1485 - 1524
Pencz, Georg - 1500 - 1550
Penni, Giovan Francesco - 1496 - 1528
Pinturicchio, - 1454 - 1513
Pisanello, Antonio - 1395 - 1455
Pleydenwurff, Hans - 1420 - 1472
Pollaiuolo, Antonio - 1432 - 1498
Pollaiuolo, Piero - 1441 - 1496
Predis, Ambrogio de - 1455 - 1508
Quarton, Enguerrand - 1420 - 1466
Raphael, - 1483 - 1520
Ratgeb, Jerg - 1480 - 1526
Riccio, Andrea - 1470 - 1532
Roberti, Ercole de?- 1450 - 1496
Sansovino, Andrea - 1467 - 1529
Sarto, Andrea del - 1486 - 1530
Sassetta, - -
Schongauer, Martin - 1450 - 1491
Scorel, Jan van - 1495 - 1562
Signorelli, Luca - 1440 - 1523
Sittow, Michel - 1469 - 1525
Sodoma, - 1477 - 1549
Stoss, Veit - 1438 - 1533
Titian, - 1485 - 1576
Torrigiani, Pietro - 1472 - 1528
Tura, Cosimo - 1430 - 1495
Vecchietta, - 1410 - 1480
Verrocchio, Andrea del - 1435 - 1488
Vivarini, Bartolommeo - 1432 - 1499
Vrelant, Willem - - 1481
Witz, Konrad - -