1400–1600
Renaissance
Linear perspective, anatomical study, classical learning, and ambitious patrons placed human observation at the center of art.
Project / Art History Atlas
Explore how art changed over time.
Select a movement, follow the timeline, open important works, and see how artists worked together.
Representative works
Renaissance through objects.
c. 1503–1519 / Italy
Mona Lisa ↗
Leonardo da Vinci- Medium
- Oil on poplar
- Location
- Musée du Louvre, Paris
Sfumato, atmospheric depth, and an uncertain expression make the portrait feel continuously alive.
c. 1484–1486 / Italy
The Birth of Venus ↗
Sandro Botticelli- Medium
- Tempera on canvas
- Location
- Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Classical mythology, elegant contour, and poetic invention show Renaissance culture looking beyond strictly Christian subjects.
c. 1475 / Italy
The Baptism of Christ ↗
Andrea del Verrocchio- Medium
- Tempera and oil on panel
- Location
- Uffizi Gallery, Florence
The workshop painting preserves a direct collaboration: Leonardo contributed the angel and landscape within Verrocchio's larger design.
Artist profiles
People behind the movement.
Italian / 1452–1519
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo joined painting, engineering, anatomy, observation, and design in one restless practice. His notebooks and layered painting methods made investigation itself part of the artwork.
Italian / 1445–1510
Sandro Botticelli
Botticelli was a Florentine painter known for lyrical contour, mythological subjects, and expressive elegance. His figures often favor poetic rhythm over strict naturalism.
Italian / 1435–1488
Andrea del Verrocchio
Verrocchio led a major Florentine workshop that trained painters and sculptors, including Leonardo. Collaborative production was central to how his studio completed complex commissions.
The personal layer
Study a style. Try it yourself.
Each artwork can include my version of the style, what I tried, what went wrong, and what I learned about the original.
Add a style study ↗