Ages in Italy, a new period of cultural flowering began,

known as the Renaissance. This period in history was

famous for its revival of classical themes and the merging

of these themes with the Catholic Church. These themes of

humanism, naturalism, individualism, classicism, and

learning and reason appeared in every aspect of the Italian

Renaissance, most particularly in its art.

Humanism can be defined as the idea that human

beings are the primary measure of all things (Fleming,

29). Renaissance art showed a renewed interest in man who

was depicted in Renaissance art as the center of the

world. Pico della Mirandola said that, "there is nothing

to be seen more wonderful than man." (Fleming, 284) This

could almost be taken as a motto for Renaissance art.

Michelangelo's David clearly supports Mirandola's statement.

Since Renaissance art focused on representing

tangible, human figures, rather than depicting scenes from

the Bible in order to praise God, the artists had to think

in more natural, scientific terms. Artists became familiar

with mathematics and the concept of space, as well as

anatomy. Lorenzo Ghiberti studied the anatomical

Athens. It was these themes, which dominated every other

Flemming, William. Arts and Ideas. Fort Worth: Harcourt,

Calder, Ritchie. Leonardo and the Age of the Eye. New

was important. In painting, figures were placed in a more

David, and Leonardo's Mona Lisa and Last Supper, in which

Angelico's Annunciation, he shows an exact reproduction of

rather than the rectangular basilica that had evolved over

sculptors had, so they used mythological subjects.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Italian Renaissance, Constantine Flemming, Battista Alberti, Michelangelo's David, Adoration Magi, Angelico's Annunciation, Lisa Supper, Aristotle's Athena, Ages Italy, Plato Aristotle, renaissance art, italian renaissance, st peter's, st peter's basilica, human figures, peter's basilica, fra angelico's, concept space, learning reason, plato aristotle, school athens,
Approximate Word count = 853
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)