The word "renaissance" literally means "rebirth." The Renaissance Period, then, naturally signaled the rebirth of classical philosophy and the birth of some of history's finest artists.

1. Anatoly's Art History
Anatoly "Tony" Vanetik
EARLY
RENAISSANCE
ART

2. Renaissance
Background
Anatoly "Tony" Vanetik
Welcome to one of the single most influential periods of art that
we’ve seen as a civilization to date. Literally meaning “rebirth,” the
Renaissance period was home to artists whose names have lived on
until today in the mouths of art lovers, text books and on the walls of
museums; names like Michelangelo, Donatello and Leonardo da
Vinci–guys you’ve probably heard of a few times.

3. Renaissance
Rebirth
Anatoly "Tony" Vanetik
The rebirth characterized by the Renaissance wasn’t limited to
art–not even close. The very lives and ways of living that those in the
Renaissance period experienced featured a marked shift towards
intellectualism and cultural reinvention.

4. Early Renaissance
The When
Anatoly "Tony" Vanetik
Most of the Renaissance period (or, at least what art scholars and
historians like to consider the Renaissance period) took place
between 1400 and 1600, give or take a few years and depending on
how stringent you’d like to be.

5. Early Renaissance
The Where
Anatoly "Tony" Vanetik
The period got its start initially pre­1400 in Italy, though the
movement didn’t fully come into itself until about 1400, when the
Netherlands and Italy developed seemingly concurrent styles
independently of one another.

6. Early Renaissance
The Causes
Anatoly "Tony" Vanetik
Causes of Italy’s rebirth into the classical world are numerous,
including the rediscovery and thirst for new knowledge from older
classical written works. Now with a stable government at their back
and prosperity ahead, the people of Italy began to discover how
meaningful delving into cultural philosophy and classical knowledge
could be.

7. Early Renaissance
The Causes
Anatoly "Tony" Vanetik
Like so many things in life, competition was one of the driving forces
credited with bringing the Renaissance into existence in Italy–more
specifically, a competition to craft a set of bronze doors for a
cathedral in Florence. The competitors included Lorenzo Ghiberti,
the winner, and Donatello, one of art history’s most revered
Renaissance artists.

8. Early Renaissance
Bronze Doors
Anatoly "Tony" Vanetik
Photo: Markjhandel via Flickr
Photo: Jay8085 via Flickr

9. Early Renaissance
The Influences
Anatoly "Tony" Vanetik
The artwork in the early Renaissance period was heavily influenced
by both Greek and Roman history as well as religion. The works
were often more meticulously created, going so far as to utilize
mathematical and scientific principles to perfect each piece. Three­
dimensional art pieces that made use of shadows and depth
techniques as well as strong geometric guidelines helped to define
early Renaissance art.

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