Art, Especially the Visual Arts,

¶ … art, especially the visual arts, the artist presents the audience with a specific view of his or her personal world. In other words, the world according to the perception of the artist (the Visual World 10). The artist therefore tends to explain and delineate the world according to his or her own reactions to and perceptions not only of the landscape, but also of the social world and time period in which he finds himself. This is true of every period in art, and perhaps most notably in the Renaissance period.

The Renaissance marks a complete change of direction in art. As such, the total change in perception of the world and art itself makes this period one of the most colorful and interesting in the history of the visual arts. In this, the artists of the time were dynamic in their perceptions and revelations of the "new" world as they saw it (the Visual World 16).

According to Mark Harden, the word "Renaissance" was coined for the first time during the 19th century. Meaning "rebirth," it describes the general revival in intellectual and artistic circles, which is based upon a revival in the study of Classical literature and art. This revival began in Italy during the early 14th century, and spread to Europe during the following two centuries.

As a result of works such as the Da Vinci Code and the film based upon it, it is little wonder that Da Vinci is probably the most prominent artistic figure of the Renaissance period. This reputation is well deserved. Although from an insignificant background, Leonardo was a man of many and various talents. Indeed, according to Harden, he was almost too gifted, leaving him with little time to truly develop any one gift to its true potential. His superlative male beauty, excellent singing voice, mathematical prowess and scientific daring combine to leave the world with a heritage that has outlasted his own and many successive lifetimes. He did however tend to treat his painting lightly, preferring to pay more attention to his mathematical and scientific endeavors. Nonetheless, works that do survive, such as the Mona Lisa, is truly indicative of the artist's skill as well as the spirit of the age.

Another iconic artist of this age was Michelangelo. Like Da Vinci, Michelangelo was also multitalented, although he concentrate his work in the arts and construction rather than the sciences. As sculptor, painter, architect and poet, Michelangelo was also one of the founders of the High Renaissance, influencing almost all his contemporaries and successors in the various art forms in which he excelled. Michelangelo established his early reputation with the Pieta for St. Peter's during 1498-9. After this harmonious masterpiece, the artist received the commission to complete David, another masterpiece. After further making his name as a spectacularly talented artist, Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, a project he began in 1508 and completed by 1512. As his name, Michelangelo's use of the nude exerted an intense influence upon the new values and artistic styles of this period. The nude was used as an expression of human emotion and idealization of form.

Raphael, or Raffaelo Sanzio, was a co-creator of the High Renaissance. His apprenticeship under Perugino provided his work with the stylistic characteristics that helped the artist express the High Renaissance spirit. These elements comprised clear organization as well as an avoidance of excessive detail. Raphael distinguished himself by an expansive style in his paintings, which the audience experiences as a homogeneous, easily viewed whole. Subjects for which this artist was commissioned include the theological Disputa, the School of Athens and Aristotle and Plato. An interesting element of Raphael's and other paintings is that he included both himself and his contemporaries to represent the figures in his works.

Sandro Boticelli was a Florentine painter who predated the High Renaissance at the peak of his career before the turn of the 16th century. His style was individual and graceful, led by the rhythmic elements of outline. Before Raphael, he was the best loved painter of his time. Some of this artist's most notable paintings include the Adoration of the Magi, the Birth of Venus, and St. Augustine in his Study. Boticelli's talent extended to a close attention to naturalistic detail. During his productive years, he was greatly successful. However, with the arrival of the High Renaissance, his style and subject matter - mostly religious - became outdated, after which the artist died in obscurity.

Another pre-Raphaelite was Fra Angelico, a Dominican friar at the Fiesole monastery. His art was indicative of the great affinity artists still held for sacred subject matter. When entering the convent of San Marco, taken over by Angelico's Order in 1436, the artist was commissioned with the task of decorating the friar's cells. His work was to be painted directly onto plaster walls, and their purpose would be to stimulate prayer and meditation. As such, they were not obliged to precisely depict biblical history. As such, Angelico represented Christ in both his glory and his simplicity, while incorporating a Renaissance understanding of perspective.

Donatello was one of the most prolific Renaissance artists. As a sculptor, he worked in all styles and materials, including low relief, figures in the round, wood, marble and bronze. He contributed to Renaissance with the expressiveness of his figures, which is ascribed to his knowledge of anatomy. This perfection and elevation of the human form is an element frequently used by Renaissance artists. Donatello also pioneered the art of sculpture during this time by creating the first free-standing statues of the time, meaning that they are artistic pieces in their own right, without added pieces such as architecture or other decorations.