“The human heart is as a frail craft on which we wish to reach the stars,”  – Giotto

The Proto-Renaissance (1300-1400) , also known as the Late Medieval period, occurred in Italy between 1200 and 1400, and served as a time of transition away from the predominating medieval worldview both in art and philosophy. Witnessing a shift away from the very formalised Italo-Byzantine style it saw a growing interest in naturalism, as a reaction to a new philosophical movement called Humanism. Inspired by the re-discovery of classical learning, humanism encouraged a more secular view of the world, and this more secular preoccupation on a world of human knowledge and logical modes of inquiry marked a shift away from the former religious views. Religious art now portrayed figures as mortals with frailty and emotion; Giotto and Duccio being prime examples.