1. Lorenzo de' Medici (Italy, 1449-1492)
During the Renaissance, most artists were completely dependent on patrons. The Medici family, one of the wealthiest European families of the time, were the de facto rulers of Florence, and are famous for helping to foster the Renaissance. While he didn't commission many works himself, Lorenzo de’ Medici aided many artists in securing commissions from many of the city's patrons.
The artists he helped included Botticelli, da Vinci, and Michelangelo. He also helped develop Renaissance Humanism through his circle of scholarly peers. In his free time, Lorenzo de’ Medici often wrote meaningful poetry in his native Tuscan.
2. Petrarch (Italy, 1304-1374)
Humanism is a school of thought which emphasizes the worth of humans and their capabilities, and Renaissance Humanism is often taken to be the movement's driving force. He described the 900 years preceding his birth as the 'Dark Ages,' since he believed it was a time when human beings failed to realize their potential.
Only through a return to classical education, did Petrarch think that we could live up to our former glory, and as a result, he is now known as the 'Father of the Renaissance.' Additionally, Petrarch was also a prolific poet, and his sonnets eventually became a model for lyrical poetry.
Famous Works:
• Song Book (1374)
• On the Solitary Life (1356)
• Africa (1501)
• Ascent of Mont Ventoux (1336)
3. Filippo Brunelleschi (Italy, 1377-1446)
Brunelleschi is often described as one of the most gifted and inventive designers of all time. He came up with the Renaissance style, which emulated and improved on the classical forms. His one-point linear perspective is one of the defining features of Renaissance art and was a revolution at that time. In addition to all of this, he is also considered to be the first modern engineer, planner, and sole construction supervisor. His magnum opus was the construction of Florence Cathedral's dome.
Famous Works:
• Dome of the Cathedral of Florence (1436)
• Hospital of the Innocents (1427)
• Old Sacristy (1428)
• Pazzi Chapel (1467)
4. Michel de Montaigne (France, 1533-1592)
One of the most influential humanists of the French Renaissance, Michel de Montaigne is famous for making the essay a popular literary genre, and his 1850 work, 'Essays,' contains some of the most distinguished essays ever written. Many of Montaigne's writings continue to be relevant today and contain profound thoughts on topics like human action, child education, and motivation. His perfect balance of personal storytelling and intellectual knowledge has inspired many writers since, including Jean-Jacques Rousseau, René Descartes, and Francis Bacon.
Famous Works:
• Essays (1580)
5. Raphael (Italy, 1483-1520)
Up until the late 19th Century, Raphael was considered to be the greatest artist who ever lived, more so than even Michelangelo and da Vinci. This was due to the fact that he was a master at realistically depicting human emotions, adding an additional dimension to his art. As a result, many of his paintings are now taken to be cornerstones of Renaissance art.
Famous Works:
• The School of Athens (1511)
• Sistine Madonna (1512)
• Transfiguration (1520)
6. Michelangelo (Italy, 1475-1564)
Gifted individuals who developed their abilities to the fullest were often known as 'Renaissance Men.' As a Renaissance Man, Michelangelo is perhaps only surpassed by da Vinci himself. As the most influential figure in western art's history, he was involved with sculpture, painting, poetry, engineering, and even architecture. His St. Peter's Basilica is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture, his painting of The Creation of Adam is second only to the Mona Lisa in popularity, and his statue of David completely dominates the West's sculpture scene.
Famous Works:
• David (1504)
• The Creation of Adam (1512)
• Peter’s Basilica (1626)
• The Last Judgment (1541)
• Pietà (1499)
7. Leonardo da Vinci (Italy, 1452-1519)
Leonardo da Vinci is often named as the greatest Universal Genius ever and was taken as a model for the ideal Renaissance Man. His many talents included painting, mathematics, architecture, engineering, botany, sculpture, and human biology. His staggering legacy includes the Mona Lisa, the Vitruvian Man, the first self-propelled machine in history, and workable precursors of a diving suit, a robot, and a tank.
Famous Works:
• Mona Lisa (1517)
• Vitruvian Man (1490)
• The Last Supper (1498)
• Leonardo’s robot (1495)
• Leonardo’s tank (1497)
8. Galileo Galilei (Italy, 1564-1642)
This great scientist is responsible for paving the way for the scientific revolution that would later occur in Northern Europe. Often called the 'Father of Observational Astronomy' and the 'Father of Modern Science,' Galilei pioneered the telescope and advocated the heliocentric model of our solar system. He made great discoveries in both pure and applied science, as well as being an inventor of many useful and precise tools, such as his improved military compass.
Famous Works:
• Two New Sciences (1638)
• Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (1632)
• Sidereal Messenger (1610)
9. Nicolaus Copernicus (Poland, 1473-1543)
Copernicus' heliocentric model of the solar system was the most prominent scientific achievement of the Renaissance age, and much of Galileo Galilei's work wouldn't have been possible without it. This astronomical model led to the Copernican Revolution, which is seen as the starting point of modern astronomy and the Scientific Revolution. Apart from astronomy, Copernicus was also an expert in governance, medicine, and economics, and his 'Quantity Theory of Money' is still studied by many schools of economy today.
Famous Works:
• On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres (1543)
• On the Minting of Coin (1526)
• Little Commentary (1514)
10. William Shakespeare (England, 1564-1616)
While the Italian Renaissance was dominated by the visual arts, its English counterpart consisted mainly of the production of literary and musical masterpieces. Shakespeare, widely regarded as the world's pre-eminent dramatist and the English language's greatest writer, is one of the most influential figures in the world of English literature, and his plays have never lost an ounce of popularity since their inception.
Famous Works include:
• Hamlet (1603)
• Romeo and Juliet (1597)
• Macbeth (1611)
• Othello (1604)
• Sonnet 18 (1608)
If you've enjoyed this article, ask yourself the following questions for more information:
Who was the most famous Renaissance figure?
Leonardo da Vinci is thought of by many as being the ultimate Renaissance figure, being a Renaissance man of many talents in the arts, math, engineering and science. He was a builder and an artist, a man of science who epitomized the spirit of new awakening and new arts and sciences that characterized that period.
Who were some key figures of the Renaissance?
Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Galileo Galilei, Donatello and Botticelli are some of the most influential figures of the Renaissance period. They had massive influence over the arts, shaping our notion of beauty for hundreds of years and creating immortal classics. Many of the arts today rely on the advancements made during the Renaissance period by these figures, as well as key scientific discoveries, like those made by Galileo Galilei, which redefined how we see the universe around us.
Who were the 3 main artists of the Renaissance?
Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael are considered by many to be the greatest artists of the Renaissance period, advancing the arts of painting and sculpture by leaps and bounds compared to their dark-age compatriots. They brought about a new era of realistic paintings and sculptures that, while still religious, created completely new techniques for artists of the time.
