The Renaissance saw a rebirth of Classical ideas and a renewed interest in art for purposes other than religious worship, although Christianity still formed the bedrock of most of its greatest works. The following twelve masterpieces epitomize Renaissance art, representing the skill, creativity, and innovation that characterizes this period of European history.
12. Michelangelo, The Creation of Adam
No other Western work of art has found its way into pop culture, memes, and advertising as effectively as Michelangelo’s grand oeuvre. The iconic fresco is a part of the monumental project of the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
The entire collection of frescoes, commissioned by Pope Julius II in 1508, took Michelangelo four years to complete. Between 1508 and 1512, the artist adorned the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the papal chapel where the Conclave elects a new pope, with scenes and figures from the Old Testament. In 1534, during the papacy of Pope Clement VII, Michelangelo added another masterpiece to the chapel: The Last Judgment, on the altar wall.
Located at the center of the ceiling, The Creation of Adam is one of the panels illustrating the Biblical Book of Genesis, the story of world creation and the early days of humanity. The touching hands of God and Adam, the first human on Earth, represent the passing of a divine spark of life from the Creator. Michelangelo was one of the first artists who dared to paint God in his physical form, representing him as an aged, wise man clothed in Roman-style draperies.
The scene is packed with many layers of symbolism. MD Frank Lynn Meshberger, for example, pointed out that the drapery and angels surrounding God form a shape similar to the outline of the human brain, suggesting that God bestowed upon humanity not only life but also intelligence.
11. Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus
Sandro Botticelli’s image of Venus became one of the most famous examples of incontestable beauty and refined composition. Art historians believe that the painting was commissioned by Lorenzo de’ Medici (1449-1492), although the exact identity of the patron is debatable.
The subject of the painting, a pagan myth rather than a religious scene, was unusual for the time and highlights the Renaissance’s revival of ancient Greek and Roman culture.
Venus remains a highly contested figure in art theory and criticism. Over the centuries, she was adopted as the ideal standard of femininity—conventionally attractive, white, and in line with the fashions of her time. Still, mythology experts note that the genesis of this perfect woman has nothing to do with womanhood and female anatomy.
According to the myth, Venus was born from a severed testicle of her father, Uranus, and appeared from sea foam. Botticelli depicted the scene of the goddess’s birth without the gruesome details, presenting an idealized image of Venus, who covered her body with her long, curly hair, sailing on a giant seashell.
10. Hans Holbein, The Ambassadors
Another Renaissance artist to play with perspective was Hans Holbein the Younger. So many symbols are hidden in The Ambassadors, but the most striking of these is undoubtedly the magnified skull which stretches across the lower foreground.
Facing the painting, one can roughly discern the outline, but it is not until the viewer moves to the extreme right that the full form becomes apparent. In this way, Holbein captures the essence of mortality, with death an ever-present but unpredictable feature of human life. The magnificent figures of the two men, Jean de Dinteville (left) and Georges de Selve (right), appear to be mere accessories to the huge collection of allegorical and symbolic details shown in this masterpiece.
The accessories on the upper shelf (a celestial globe, a sundial, and other astronomical instruments) refer to the heavenly realm. On the bottom shelf, the compass, globe, lute, flutes, and hymn book are related to the mortal realm. A string on the lute is broken, symbolizing the division between the Catholic Chruch and the Protestants.
As a German artist working in Basel (Switzerland) and later at the court of Henry VIII of England, Holbein the Younger witnessed firsthand the religious turmoil of the 16th century.
9. Benvenuto Cellini, Perseus with the Head of Medusa
The legendary goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini worked under the patronage of Cosimo de’ Medici, the most powerful man in Florence and head of the important banking family. His statue of Perseus, holding the decapitated head of the monstrous Medusa, was erected in one of Florence’s most central piazzas.
Beyond its striking appearance, the statue has several interesting features. For one, it is formed out of a single bronze cast, rather than arranged from multiple pieces, as was the case with the majority of bronze sculptures at the time. Secondly, the very base of the sculpture is itself part of the overall design, as the figure of the hero stands on the slain body of Medusa.
In addition, Cellini’s own reflection can be seen in the back of Perseus’ helmet. Much like Jan van Eyck’s painting, this encourages the viewer to consider the artist’s role in his creation. It also reflects upon the story of Perseus, who defeats the Gorgon by looking at her in the reflection of his shield.
8. Donatello, The Statue of David
Soon after Filippo Brunelleschi constructed the dome of the Florentine Duomo, his friend Donatello, born as Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi, created the first free-standing nude male sculpture since the famous marble statues of the Classical period.
Created around 1440 and likely commissioned by Cosimo de’ Medici, the bronze statue was later placed in the inner courtyard of Palazzo Medici in Florence.
Donatello initially crafted another clothed David out of marble, but his bronze version is far more famous. The half-naked man stands vulnerable but triumphant, capturing the spirit of the Biblical story while also hinting at the sensuality that was gradually being reintroduced after centuries of strictly censured religious art.
7. Bernini, Apollo and Daphne
Chiseled out of a single block of marble, Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne captures all the movement and magic of the original myth. The Roman god Apollo, filled with lust, attempts to seize the nymph Daphne, but at the last moment, she is miraculously turned into a laurel tree.
Bernini captures the transformation in a single moment. There is a clear contrast between the medium and the subject. Formed out of hard, unyielding rock, the statue is nonetheless fluid and dynamic. Movement and softness are expressed by the impression of his hand on her waist, the branching of her fingers into leaves, and the windswept robes scarcely covering the figures. Bernini’s statue epitomizes the technical skill, Classical inspiration, and artistic ingenuity of Renaissance sculpture.
6. Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Wedding
Although the Renaissance is most often associated with Italy, it is important to note the expansion of artistic styles in the Low Countries. The Flemish painter Jan van Eyck was at the forefront of Early Renaissance art. His most famous piece, The Arnolfini Wedding, provides an example of the complexity that began to characterize European art.
With the rich growing ever richer, portraits became an important status symbol, used to show off one’s personal wealth. In this painting, the ornate chandelier, grand bed, and even the tiny dog all proclaim the subjects’ wealth. Even more interestingly, if one looks closely at the mirror hung on the back wall, it is possible to see the minuscule reflection of a man entering the room. This detail raises questions about who this visitor might be and suggests a new role for the artist and the audience as participants in the scene. Masterpieces such as this laid the groundwork for the new role of art in Europe.
5. Raphael, The School of Athens
The walls of the Vatican are filled with some of the Renaissance’s most famous and important artwork, not least the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
One fresco, however, perfectly captures the Classical spirit of the age. The School of Athens, painted by Raphael in the Stanza della Segnatura (then part of Pope Julius II’s private apartments) between 1508 and 1511, depicts the great thinkers of the ancient world, ranging from geographers to mathematicians, philosophers to rulers.
At the center of this allegorical scene stand Plato and Aristotle, who represent the pinnacle of Classical understanding and knowledge. The artist has also managed to capture an accurate perspective, so the scene appears three-dimensional.
Plato’s right hand points skywards, to the Realm of Ideas, while Aristotle points to the ground, the earthly realm, and holds a copy of his Ethics in his left hand. Placed at the converging point of the scene, the two philosophers represent the harmony between secular and spiritual knowledge.
On the bottom right, next to Ptolemy, who holds his celestial spheres, Raphael added a self-portrait, depicting himself as a young man wearing a black beret and looking directly at the viewers.
4. Leonardo da Vinci, Salvator Mundi
At the same time as Albrecht Dürer was fashioning himself as a Christ-like figure, Leonardo da Vinci was devoting his efforts to a depiction of the Redeemer himself. His Salvator Mundi depicts Jesus draped in the rich robes typical of Renaissance portraits, making the sign of the cross and holding a crystal ball, which is thought to represent the heavens. He also fixes us with an inexplicable expression that conveys authority but also empathy.
The masterpiece is perhaps best known for breaking the world record for the most expensive painting sold at a public auction when it was purchased in 2017 for $450.3 million. Much of its value stems from the importance of its creator to Renaissance art, engineering, science, and architecture.
3. Filippo Brunelleschi, The Cupola of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
In 1418, the Arte della Lana (Wool Guild) in Florence organized a competition to find a solution for a pressing issue: building a dome above the impressive structure of Santa Maria del Fiore, the city’s cathedral. The winner was Florentine architect Filippo Brunelleschi.
The massive dimensions of the cathedral presented several engineering and statics problems. To solve the problem, Brunelleschi proposed an innovative and ingenious plan: building the dome without wooden reinforcements. He even invented the machines required to build it.
The result was an octagonal dome made of stone and brick, consisting of two layers. Completed in 1436, Brunelleschi’s dome, the first to be built on such a scale for a thousand years, came to symbolize the birth of Renaissance architecture.
Not only is the cupola itself a magnificent sight, but his achievement paved the way for other Renaissance architects to build some of Europe’s most captivating monuments, palaces, and churches.
2. Albrecht Dürer, Self-Portrait
German painter and printmaker Albrecht Dürer displayed his artistic acumen from an extremely young age, completing some of his first sketches and engravings at only eight years old. Over his career, Dürer created three self-portraits, but it is this masterpiece, painted in 1500, just before his 29th birthday, that truly stands out as the most personal and complex.
The emotional intensity, realistic detail, and somber colors of the work entrance the audience, as Dürer fixes us with an undaunted stare. It is impossible not to notice his resemblance to Christ in this painting, which again suggests a shift in the relationship between religion and art.
In this way, Dürer’s portrait can be said to represent Humanism, a movement that played a pivotal role in the evolving landscape of Renaissance Europe.
1. Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa, also known as La Gioconda, is perhaps the most famous piece of art, attracting over 10 million tourists every year with her elusive smile.
The artist utilized recent breakthroughs in the understanding of perspective and proportions to shape the subject’s face so that her eyes immediately grab the audience’s attention. They are at the center of the image and appear to follow the viewer at any angle. As a result, the portrait offers an interaction rather than simply a spectacle.
Painted sometime between 1503 and 1519, when the artist was in Florence, the Mona Lisa has led to numerous attempts to discover the identity of the sitter. In 1550, Giorgio Vasari suggested that she is Lisa del Giocondo, wife of Lisa del Giocondo (hence the alternative title La Gioconda). According to Sigmund Freud, the sitter’s enigmatic smile stems from the artist’s complex relationship with his mother, Caterina. To this day, the sitter’s real identity remains as elusive as her smile.
In 1962, insurance for Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece was valued at a record-breaking $100 million, demonstrating its near-priceless value. In 1911, Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian immigrant working at the Louvre, stole the masterpiece, creating a worldwide media sensation that contributed to its fame.
