Renaissance
The Renaissance marked a cultural rebirth that transformed European art. Artists rediscovered classical learning, developed linear perspective, and achieved unprecedented naturalism. This period produced some of history's greatest masterpieces and established principles that shaped Western art for centuries.
Historical Context
Beginning in Florence and spreading throughout Europe, the Renaissance saw the revival of classical scholarship, humanist philosophy, and scientific inquiry. Wealthy patrons like the Medici family supported artists, while the printing press disseminated ideas across the continent.
Key Characteristics
- Development of linear perspective and spatial depth
- Emphasis on anatomical accuracy and naturalism
- Revival of classical themes and mythology
- Use of sfumato and chiaroscuro techniques
- Integration of humanist philosophy and religious themes
Notable Artists
Related Art Movements
Explore Renaissance Artworks
10,000 artworks from 1400-1600 available in our collection
St. Jerome
Lucas van Leyden
1513
Portrait of Hieronymus Schürstab
Hanns Lautensack
1554
Portrait of Sinan the Great
Georgius Wickgram Spirensis|Dominicus Custos|Sinan the Great
1595
Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle
Cardinal Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle|Lambert Suavius
1554
The Three Graces (recto); Four putti engaging in various activities (verso)
Christoph Murer
1580s
Design for a Monumental Sacrament House
Unidentified|Lorenz Lechler and Workshop
1502
Touch, from the Five Senses
Cornelis Drebbel|Peter Overadt|Hendrick Goltzius
1596
The Inn Valley from the series Civitates Orbis Terrarum, vol. V, plate 59
Simon Novellanus|Frans Hogenberg|Georg Braun|Joris Hoefnagel
1590
The Massacre of the Innocents with the Flight into Egypt, from "The Life of the Virgin"
Israhel van Meckenem|Hans Holbein the Elder
ca. 1500
Mars, Venus and Cupid with Vulcan at his forge (the Mantuan Roundel)
Gian Marco Cavalli
ca. 1500
明 葉廣 月下漁夫圖 軸|Fisherman viewing the moon
Ye Guang
ca. 1600
Orazione fvnerale di M. Benedetto Varchi fatta, e recitata da lui pubblicamente nell'essequie di Michelagnolo Bvonarroti in Firenze, nella chiesa di San Lorenzo
Benedetto Varchi|Michelangelo Buonarroti
1564
雪村周継筆 費長房図|Daoist Master Fei Zhangfang with a Dragon
Sesson Shūkei 雪村周継
ca. 1555 to 1561
七言絶句|Chinese Poem on Fishing and Zen
Osen Keisan 横川景山
late 15th century
Armor Garniture of George Clifford (1558–1605), Third Earl of Cumberland
Jacob Halder
1586
Narcissus at the Source
Christoph Jamnitzer
ca. 1600
Study for a seated draped figure
Girolamo Genga
1516–18
The Bagpiper and his Mistress
Sebald Beham
1520
The Orpheus Cup
Johann Wilhelm Baur|Hans Georg Bramer|Jan Vermeyen|Anonymous Viennese enamel painter
1641–42, the jeweled elements on the lid in the form of animals, amorini holding bow and quiver, and the statuettes of Orpheus and Diana, Prague, ca.1600
"An Old Man and His Young Wife Before Religious Arbitrators," Folio from a Gulistan of Sa'di
Daulat
1610–15
朱衣達磨像|Bodhidharma in Red Robes
Kano Masanobu 狩野正信
late 15th century
Cupid riding a goat accompanied by two satyrs, landscape in the background
Giovanni Pietro da Birago|Giovanni Antonio da Brescia
ca. 1500–1505
The Annunciation
Federico Barocci
ca. 1600
Opera Reminiscences, Plate 1st: Desdemona and Otello
William Heath ('Paul Pry')|Thomas McLean|William Shakespeare
July 15, 1829
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Explore Other Periods
19th Century
1800-1899
The 19th century witnessed revolutionary transformations in art, from Neoclassicism through Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, and Post-Impressionism. This era saw artists breaking from academic traditions, exploring new techniques, and capturing modern life with unprecedented immediacy.
18th Century
1700-1799
The 18th century, also known as the Age of Enlightenment, saw the flourishing of Rococo elegance and the emergence of Neoclassicism. This period celebrated reason, refinement, and classical ideals while producing ornate decorative arts and grand historical paintings.
Baroque
1600-1750
The Baroque period brought drama, movement, and emotional intensity to European art. Characterized by bold contrasts of light and shadow, dynamic compositions, and theatrical grandeur, Baroque art served both Catholic Counter-Reformation propaganda and absolutist royal courts.