What is the Renaissance?
The Renaissance period is often considered to be a time of renewal and rebirth. The word Renaissance, which is actually French, simply means rebirth. Renaissance art were paintings, sculptures, architecture, music, and literature made in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries in Europe. It was under the influences of an increased awareness of nature, a revival of classical learning, and a more individualistic view of man. Scholars and artists began to explore what they thought to be a revival of classical learning, literature, and art. The Renaissance period began in Italy in about 1400. This type of art marks the transition of Europe from the medieval period to the early modern age. Earlier Renaissance art created a parallel with Late Medieval art. The patrons of the Renaissance wanted to art to show the joy in human beauty and the pleasures of life. It was more lifelike than the art of the middle Ages. Artists of the time studied perspectives, or the differences in the way people and things look when they are different distances away. These artists painted in a way that emphasized these differences, which as a result their paintings seemed to have depth.