“Whereas the foremost man of all this city, the lately deceased Lorenzo de’ Medici, did, during his whole life, neglect no opportunity of protecting, increasing, adorning and raising this city…”  – Thoughts on the death of Lorenzo de Medici

The Early Renaissance was characterised by a renewed interest in the world of classical art and ideas. This, coupled with the spread of humanism, saw artists paint religious iconography in a new way while exploring mythological and allegorical subjects. Brunelleschi’s development of linear perspective enabled the realistic depiction of three-dimensional space while the development of oil paints allowed for greater detail and a greater depiction of light and shadow. Art and science became intrinsically interlinked. A growing interest in science and mathematics influenced the way artists saw the world, and nature and the human figure became of central importance.

Wealthy families like the Medicis, became significant patrons of art, commissioning work that displayed their status, and a new secularised worldview increasingly encouraged the cultivation of individual achievement and fostered a sense of creative ambition.