Discuss How Renaissance Ideas Are Expressed in the Italian Renaissance. Use at Least Three Specific Works to Support Your Analysis.

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The Renaissance in 14th-17th Europe was a period of cultural rebirth and revival. Many significant new ideas arose during this movement, and these ideas were most proficiently expressed in Italy. With Florence as the cultural and artistic capital of Europe, Italian “Renaissance men” embodied the principles of the humanism movement. Through arts and science, Renaissance ideas were successfully conveyed in the Italian Renaissance. Art was a crucial aspect of expressing Renaissance ideas. Italian sculptors, painters, and architects in particular did a fantastic job of communicating Renaissance concepts in their artwork. Three of the most central humanistic beliefs during this period of time were the appreciation of the individual, the emphasis on the real rather than the abstract, and the imitation of past civilizations. The sculpture “David”, by Italian artist Michelangelo, is an excellent example of the humanistic emphasis on appreciating the individual and dignifying the human kind. Michelangelo depicts David as a strong, godlike figure, emphasizing the size of his hands and feet. As one of the first nude sculptures since the Greek and Roman times, “David” portrays a scene in the Bible story of David & Goliath, where man defeats the supernatural. “The Last Supper” by Italian artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci conveys the Renaissance belief that accuracy is more important than the abstract. By slanting the walls and opening the windows in the painting, da Vinci gives the viewer an illusion of depth, which makes the piece more realistic. The famous Santa Maria del Fiore (or “Duomo of Florence”), by Italian architect Filippo Brunelleschi, conveys the humanistic concept of reviving the past because the shapes, columns, and proportion of the Duomo were all in imitation of ancient Roman architecture. In all areas of art, the ideas of the Renaissance were expressed
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