Beginning of Essay
The term renaissance, describing the period of European history from the early 14th to the late 16th century, is derived from the French word “rebirth”. This period is described as the revival of the classical forms originally developed by the ancient Greeks ....

Middle of Essay
.... to go beyond straightforward transcription of nature, to instill the work of art with ideal, intangible qualities, endowing it with a beauty and significance greater and more permanent than that actually found in nature. Artists such as Donatello in sculpture, Masaccio in painting and Fillipo Brunelleschi in architecture were part of this period. Masaccio for instance gave figures the “illusion” of live beings when characters and reactions were individualized. He also made use of perspective by exploring linear (a vanishing point), and atmospheric perspective (effects produced from a single light source). He also made use of gradations or ....