When Pictures Make History

The Renaissance
Artists working in Italy in the 15th century achieve a paradigm shift in both their methods of representation and vocabulary of meaning. Perspective is developed to a more realistic degree than ever before and the human body is rendered in accurate anatomical detail. Artists like Sandro Botticelli, the master behind The Birth of Venus, above, brilliantly merged classic and Christian themes, an achivement that helped redefine the place of artists in society. No longer were they classed with ordinary craftsman, but were now considered members of the intellectual elite.

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