The period immediately following the Middle Ages in Europe, known as the Renaissance, saw a major rebirth of interest in classical learning and values from ancient Greece and Rome. The emergence of new technologies–including the printing press, a new system of astronomy, and the discovery and colonization of new continents–was accompanied by a blossoming of philosophy, literature, and notably art–against a backdrop of political stability and expanding affluence.
The Renaissance style of painting, sculpture, and decorative arts first appeared in Italy in the late 14th century, peaking in the late 15th and early 16th centuries in the work of Italian masters like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Renaissance art aspired to convey the individual's experience as well as the beauty and mystery of the natural world, in addition to expressing classical Greco-Roman traditions.
Renaissance art can be dated back to the late 13th and early 14th century in Italy. Italian scholars and artists viewed themselves as reawakening to the goals and achievements of classical Roman culture during this so-called "proto-Renaissance" period (1280-1400). After the fall of the Roman Empire in the sixth century, writers like Petrarch (1304-1374) and Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) looked back to ancient Greece and Rome, hoping to restore the languages, values, and intellectual traditions of those countries after a long period of stagnation.
The popular kids tv show teenage mutant ninja turtles have the names of famous artists. Their names are Leonardo, Raphael, Michalangelo, and Donatello.
Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) was an Italian painter, architect, inventor, and "Renaissance man" who is best known for his works "The Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper."
Michelangelo (1475–1564) was an Italian sculptor, painter, and architect who is best known for carving "David" and painting The Sistine Chapel in Rome.
Raphael (1483–1520) was an Italian painter who received instruction from Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. He is best renowned for his Madonna paintings and "The School of Athens.
Donatello (1386–1466) was an Italian artist known for lifelike statues such as "David," which the Medici dynasty commissioned.
The Mona Lisa (Leonardo Da Vinci)
The Last Supper (Leonardo Da Vinci)
Statue of David (Michelangelo)
The Birth of Venus (Botticelli)
The Creation of Adam (Michelangelo)
