How Did Art Influence Italian Renaissance Art

The period of the Italian Renaissance, immediately following the Middle Ages saw a great rebirth of interest in the classical learning and ancient Greco-Roman values. In a society with strong political stability and growing prosperity, there was a development of new technologies–including the printing press, a new approach to astronomy and the continuous discovery and exploration of new continents–was followed up by a flowering of philosophy, literature and especially art. The new styles of painting, sculpture and decorative arts identified with the Renaissance began in Italy in the late 14th century; it reached its peak in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, in the masterpieces of Italian artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo …show more content…
For example, Florence was very popular in the artists that emerged from there as well as the art they created, especially in Florentine churches and cathedrals. The most prominent example of this was the Catholic Church, which was a major patron supporter of the arts during the Italian Renaissance. From religious leaders such as popes and other prelates to convents, monasteries and other religious foundations and organizations, works of art were increasingly commissioned by the civil government, courts and individuals of high wealth. A majority of the artworks produced in the early Renaissance period was paid for by the wealthy merchant families of Florence, most significantly the Medici. A prominent member of the Medici family, Lorenzo de’ Medici, was known as “the Magnificent” for his strong leadership as well as his influential support of the arts. When he died in 1492, the powerful family saw a golden age for the city of Florence. Pushed from power by a republican coalition in 1494, the Medici family spent years in exile but returned in 1512 to preside over another era of Florentine art, including the many sculptures that now decorates the city’s Piazza della Signoria