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| Masaccio | The founder of Renaissance painting. He took up the inheritance of Giotto, developing it according to the new techniques and methods of perspective, thus giving the human figure a completely new, freer and more concrete position in the world. |
| Filippo Brunelleschi | He harmoniously re-elaborated the forms of classical architecture according to the new spirit of his age. His interest in mathematics and the study of ancient monuments tended to turn his work more and more in the direction of architecture. He was attracted by the problem of the cupola; his design won the competition in 1418 and in 1423 he was put in complete charge of the building works. The completion of this important construction, carried out with a special technique that made it possible to create the curves of the huge cupola without a supporting framework, took most of his life and formed the basis of Renaissance architecture. |
| Lorenzo Ghiberti | One of the most important early Renaissance sculptors of Florence; his work and writings formed the basis for much of the style and aims of the later High Renaissance. He showed lyrical grace and technical perfection as well as a concern for classical clarity of weight and volume. His figures show a development toward naturalistic movement, volume, and perspective and a greater idealization of subject. |
| Giotto | Florentine painter and architect. Giotto was recognized as the first genius of art in the Italian Renaissance. Giotto is regarded as the founder of the central tradition of Western painting because his work broke free from the stylizations of Byzantine art, introducing new ideals of naturalism and creating a convincing sense of pictorial space. His figures have a completely new sense of three-dimensionality and physical presence. |
| Chiaroscuro | the use of light and shade in paintings and drawings, or the effect produced by this. |
| Gutenberg Bible | After the invention of movable type the Gutenberg Bible was printed in Mainz around 1454-5. It is the first major book printed in the west. |
| The Prince | A political pamphlet about how a ruler should get and maintain power. It is better for a ruler to be feared than loved. Explains how politics really are, opposed to how they should be. |
| Laura Cereta | Temporarily hailed as a leading intellectual, she came under harsh criticism when she attempted to publish her works. An ardent feminist, her letters include many feminist issues in addition to the issues of contemporary Italian humanism... she discussed the oppression of women in marriage, the right of women to education in the arts and sciences, women's contribution to history and culture, ... She is best remembered today for her defense of a woman's right to an education. |
| Christian humanism | Humanism, an educational and philosophical outlook that emphasizes the personal worth of the individual and the central importance of human values as opposed to religious belief, influenced by the study of ancient Greek and Latin literature and philosophy. The Renaissance humanists were often devout Christians, but they promoted secular values and a love of pagan antiquity. The founder of Renaissance humanism was Petrarch. |
| Donatello | He had an immense impact on the art and the artists of the Renaissance. He invented the shallow relief technique; in the shallow relief technique the sculpture seems deep but is actually done on a very shallow plane. A lot of his sculptures were Renaissance breakthroughs. David was the first nude statue of the Renaissance. He also made the first bronze sculpture. These were the stepping stones for sculptors to use other materials. |
| Baldassare Castiglione | He wrote The Book Of The Courtier. Castiglione had a great influence through his writing on Renaissance behavior. His book was a great help in the shaping of the Italian Renaissance. |
| The Courier | Written by Castiglione. This book changed the Renaissance greatly in many ways such as the behaviour expectations of the courtier. The courtier should be of noble birth. He should be good at certain sports like tennis, running, and swimming. He should also have a broad education in many different areas and an aristocrat. |
