The Renaissance

Renaissance means 'rebirth'. In Italy, from the 1400s, artists rediscovered ideas from ancient Greece and Rome and transformed European art.

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What changed

The Renaissance began in Italy, especially Florence, and spread across Europe from the 1400s to the 1500s.
Artists studied ancient Greek and Roman art, and aimed for realism.
New ideas included linear perspective, the careful study of anatomy (the body), and lifelike light and shadow.
Rich patrons, such as the Medici family of Florence, paid artists to make works.

Key artists

Leonardo da Vinci (Italian, 1452 to 1519): painter, inventor and scientist. He painted the Mona Lisa (now in the Louvre, Paris) and filled notebooks with studies of anatomy, machines and nature.
Michelangelo (Italian, 1475 to 1564): sculptor, painter and architect; he carved the marble statue of David (completed 1504) in Florence.
Raphael (Italian, 1483 to 1520): famous for calm, balanced compositions.
Sofonisba Anguissola (Italian, about 1532 to 1625) was a successful portrait painter at a time when few women could train as artists.
In northern Europe, Jan van Eyck (about 1390 to 1441) painted The Arnolfini Portrait (1434), now in the National Gallery, London, with amazing detail in oil paint.

Techniques

Oil paint became popular, allowing rich colour, fine detail and smooth blending.
Chiaroscuro (Italian for light-dark) uses strong contrasts of light and shadow to make figures look solid.
Sfumato (from the Italian for smoke) is very soft blending with no harsh outlines. Leonardo used it in the Mona Lisa.
Fresco is painting on to wet plaster, so the colour becomes part of the wall.
Worked example

Explain two ways Renaissance painting looked more realistic than earlier European painting.

  1. Renaissance artists used linear perspective, so spaces look deep and buildings recede correctly.
  2. They studied anatomy and used chiaroscuro, so bodies look solid and lifelike.
  3. Oil paint allowed fine detail and smooth blending.

Answer: They used linear perspective to create believable depth, and studied anatomy and light (chiaroscuro) so figures look solid and real.

Key idea

The Renaissance ('rebirth') began in Italy in the 1400s, reviving Greek and Roman ideas. Key artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Jan van Eyck. Techniques: linear perspective, oil paint, chiaroscuro, sfumato and fresco.

Key words
Linear perspective
A system of drawing in which parallel lines going away from the viewer meet at vanishing points, creating depth.
Chiaroscuro
Strong contrast between light and shadow, used to make forms look solid. Italian for light-dark.
Sfumato
Very soft blending of tones with no harsh outlines, used by Leonardo da Vinci.
Fresco
Painting on to wet plaster so the colour becomes part of the wall.
Portrait
An artwork that shows a particular person. A self-portrait shows the artist.
Blending
Shading smoothly from one tone or colour to another with no visible lines.

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  1. Which ancient cultures did Renaissance artists look back to?

    1. Egypt and China
    2. The Vikings
    3. Greece and Rome
    4. The Aztecs
    Show the answer

    Answer: Greece and Rome

    The Renaissance revived classical ideas.

  2. In which Italian city did the Renaissance first flourish?

    1. Florence
    2. Paris
    3. London
    4. Madrid
    Show the answer

    Answer: Florence

    Florence led the early Renaissance.

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Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.

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