The period in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, that was characterized by a renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman art, philosophy, and science. Renaissance began in italy and spread over other european countries. It prefered motives from greek and roman mythology. Taking great interest in natural sciences and the individual human being, renaissance painters began to protray human beings and their environment in a more realistic manner. The portait became one of the typical forms of renaissance art.
Religious motifs belong to the oldest and most widely spread motifs of fine arts. Unlike Judaism and Islam that largely obey the mosaic ban on icons christianity – after some initial reluctance – stimulated the representation of religious themes, using as source the characters and stories of the bible as well as apocryphycal gospels and innumerable hagiographies.