“I’ve already grown a goiter from this torture, hunched up here like a cat in Lombardy… My painting is dead.” – Michelangelo

High Renaissance art characterised by its mastery of technique represented a peak in artistic endeavour. Figures often depicted an idealised beauty reflective of Greek and Roman sculpture. Artists such as Leonardo da Vinci employed techniques like sfumato (subtle transitions between colours) and chiaroscuro (strong contrasts between light and dark) and composition became more balanced and sought to depict the human body with anatomical accuracy. Technical Skill became paramount and scale of works such as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling and David sculpture.