Who Are Some Famous Italian Painters of the Renaissance?

The Renaissance produced many of the finest artistic works of all time. There were many famous painters and sculptors during this time, and four of these famous Italian painters of the Renaissance are discussed below.

Four examples of famous Italian painters of the Renaissance include:

• Masaccio
• Raphael
• Michelangelo
• da Vinci

Masaccio

Masaccio was one of the famous Italian painters of the Renaissance.

• Masaccio was born in 1401 and died in the year 1428.
• Masaccio is said to be one of the most influential artists of the Renaissance because he was one of the artists who inspired the painting style of the period. His painting technique created a 3-d illusion that changed the paintings of the Renaissance from the flat paintings of medieval art.
• The work that he is best known for is located in Florence in Santa Maria del Carmine at the Brancacci Chapel.

Raphael

Raphael was another famous and prolific Renaissance painter.

• Raphael was born in 1483 and lived to April 1520.
• Raphael drew inspiration from other artistic greats, learning about anatomy from Michelangelo and light and shadow from da Vinci.
• Many of Raphael's paintings were religious in nature, like those of a great number of other Italian Renaissance artists.
• Raphael is probably best known for the series of Madonnas he created, although he also painted many other Renaissance masterpieces.

Michelangelo

With Raphael and da Vinci, Michelangelo is considered one of the three greatest painters of the Renaissance

• Michelangelo was born in 1475 and died in 1564.
• He is perhaps most well known for his painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, which can still be seen if you visit the Vatican today. 
• In addition to being a painter, Michelangelo also had a keen interest in anatomy and was a renowned sculptor. The volume of work he produced across all mediums of art make him one of the most respected artists of the Renaissance.

da Vinci

Another well known artist of the Renaissance period was Leonardo da Vinci

.

• He was born in 1452 and died in 1519.
• Leonardo da Vinci is best known for his oil paintings of the Last Supper and Mona Lisa. Few artists have been able to paint with da Vinci’s precision and style.
• Many people may not be aware that, in addition to being a famous Italian Renaissance painter, da Vinci was also a man of science and had a very high intellect. Not only are we left with his paintings, but he is also the artist we can thank today for detailed illustrations of the anatomy.
• Leonardo da Vinci also left behind drawings of the first plans for a helicopter, plans for a tank, canals, and road systems. He truly fit the definition of a Renaissance Man and has been called so throughout history due to his level of skill in both science and art.

So, now you have an overview of four of the most famous painters of the Italian Renaissance. More information and a longer list of famous Italian painters of the Renaissance can be found at Think Quest.org.