Renaissance ArtThe term Renaissance, describing the period in European history from the beginning of the 14th to the end of the 16th century, is derived from the French word "renaissance". This period is described as the revival of classical forms originally developed by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and an increased concern with secular life – an interest in humanism and affirmation of the importance of the individual. The Renaissance period in art history corresponds to the beginning of the great Western age of discovery and exploration, when a general desire developed to examine all aspects of nature and the world. Art, during this period, became valued – not only as a vehicle of religious and social identity, but even more so as a mode of personal and aesthetic expression. The term first renaissance characterizes practically all the art of the 15th century. Early Renaissance artists sought to create art forms consistent with the appearance of the natural world and with their experience of human personality and behavior. These artists strove to go beyond the mere transcription of nature, to infuse the work of art with ideal, intangible qualities, giving it a greater and more permanent beauty and meaning than actually found in nature. Artists such as Donatello in sculpture, Masaccio in painting and Fillipo Brunelleschi in architecture are part of this period. Masaccio, for example, gave the figures the "illusion" of living beings when the characters and re...