The Renaissance was a period of cultural, artistic, and intellectual rebirth that began in Italy in the 14th century and spread throughout Europe over the next three centuries. Renaissance artists revolutionized painting through the mastery of perspective, anatomical accuracy, and the use of light and shadow (chiaroscuro). They drew inspiration from classical Greek and Roman art, striving to depict the beauty of the natural world and the human form with unprecedented realism.

Key figures include Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Raphael, and Michelangelo. The movement produced some of the most iconic works in Western art, from the Sistine Chapel ceiling to the Birth of Venus.