Renaissance art shows the ideals of the period. One important painting by Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio, 1483-1520), "The School of Athens" painted in 1510-1511, captures the spirit of Humanism, with its portrayal of humans learning from other humans. Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, and other classical scholars also appear in the painting.

The idea of artistic perspective was growing during the time of the Renaissance humanists, too. Essentially a product of mathematical calculations to portray the illusion of depth on a flat, painted surface, perspective allowed painters and sculptors to integrate their subjects into the context or background of the painting more realistically. Painters of the Renaissance were almost obsessed with perspective. Notable pieces that show perspective are "The Holy Trinity" by Masaccio (Tommaso di Giovanni di Simone Guidi, 1401-1428) and "Dead Christ" by Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506). Portraits were another "invention" of the...