Renaissance art, painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and literature produced during the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries in Europe under the combined influences of an increased awareness of nature, a revival of classical learning, and a more individualistic view of man. The Four Greatest Renaissance Artists. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello Paintings were generally completed as frescos, or pigment in water painted directly onto a plaster wall. When artists painted on wood or canvas, they often used tempera, pigment mixed with egg yolk. Northern European artists used oil paints, which became popular across Europe by the end of the Renaissance
