The Renaissance was a huge cultural movement that sparked a surge of interest in classical philosophy, humanism, sciences, ethical values, and, above all, art.

The Renaissance in Northern Europe flourished slightly later, from the late 1400s, in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and England, highlighting artists such as Bruegel, Dürer, Holbein, and Jan van Eyck.

Humanism shifted the focus from ecclesiastical matters to secular ones – those emerging from the human spirit. The ideals of Greco-Roman antiquity, enriched with the medieval concept of chivalry and new forms of political power, resulted in the ultimate guide for Renaissance leaders: Machiavelli's The Prince.

The invention of the flat press in printing allowed for the free exchange of ideas, from texts of antiquity as well as contemporary works, as new ideas were born at a feverish pace.