During the early Renaissance, Brunelleschi, who was a goldsmith, architect, engineer, sculptor and mathematician, discovered principles of linear perspective. Using mathematics, he was able to create an illusion of three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional plane. He started with a horizontal line at a vanishing point and converged that line with other lines to make objects seem close or farther away. (Renaissance Art, n.d.) Brunelleschi was also famous for creating a massive dome for the Florence cathedral without the use of scaffolding or flying buttresses to support the weight of the structure. This technique of using mathematics to create a vanishing point and an illusion of three-dimensional space was used by many artists including Donatello, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, to name a few. The linear perspective draws the eye of the viewer to the focal point of the art and creates an illusion of depth. Galileo used mathematics to show structure of physical space and motion, which he showed can be mathematically analyzed. (Dauben, Joseph, n.d.) A great example of this technique was done by the artist, Raphael
, in his fresco painting of School of Athens. This work of art is a depiction of the greatest thinkers of all time, with Aristotle and Plato at the center of the work.
During the Baroque period of the Renaissance, artists focused on creating more naturalistic and humanistic figures in art. The layers of muscle and bone structure of the human form was studied by the Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, who observed physicians. Artists were also contracted to illustrate texts in the field of anatomy. (Righthand, Jess., October 8, 2020). The study of anatomy can be seen in the works of art during the Baroque period. The men and women illustrated during that period are very realistic and engaged in some movement, where the muscles are tense, drawing an emotion from the viewer. There are many examples of this understanding of the human anatomy. Berninis sculpture of David is the depiction of David engaging in the act of fighting with Goliath. Every muscle is tense and the facial expression is unmistakably focused on the fight. The sculpture evokes emotion within the person viewing it. (Harris, Beth and Zucker, Steven, n.d.)