Renaissance is a word we use, usually without bothering to explain what exactly we mean.

The subject of this book is the art of the Renaissance, specifically the period that begins in the late 14th and early 15th centuries and culminates with the works of Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael.

In the 15th century, the inhabitants of Italy regarded their era as clearly superior to any other period after the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. The Renaissance was perceived as a revival, not only of classical letters but also of the plastic arts.

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