Renaissance art is a wide subject. This is a period of great change in the art world and with many rich families happy to patronize artists, they were able to pursue the art that they wanted to.

Artists that were part of the early Renaissance looked at light and color in their work. They were keen to keep art developing and moving forward. They looked at the human body and facial expressions and tried to capture them as realistically as possible. The concept of linear perspective was developed at this time, giving the illusion of distance and space.

During the High Renaissance, the aim was to reach perfect balance and harmony. Paintings that typified this part of the Renaissance movement include Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper and Raphael’s The School of Athens. More attention was paid to human anatomy and there was an even greater emphasis on realism, so the artists paid a lot of attention to detail.

The late Renaissance art developed into Mannerism. This places more emphasis on manner and style and actually, there was very little that was unique about this period. Loud colors and unusual themes were features of this time.