Page:Outlines of European History.djvu/657

 Books and Science in the Middle Ages 559 During the sixteenth century the art of the Renaissance Height of reached its highest development. Among all the great artists of ^^^|^*^^^'^"=^ this period three stand out in heroic proportions — Leonardo da J^^^^Jfaer' Vinci, Michael Angelo, and Raphael. The first two not only Angelo, practiced, but achieved distinction in, the three arts of archi- tecture, sculpture, and painting.-^ It is impossible to give in a few lines any idea of the beauty and significance of the work of these great geniuses. Both Raphael and Michael Angelo left behind them so many and such magnificent frescoes and paint- ings, and in the case of Michael Angelo statues as well, that it is easy to appreciate their importance. Leonardo, on the other hand, left but little completed work. His influence on the art of his time, which was probably greater than that of either of the others, came from his many-sidedness, his originality, and his unflagging interest in the discovery and application of new methods. He was almost more experimenter than artist. While Florence could no longer boast of being the art center The Venetian of Italy, it still produced great artists, among whom Andrea del Sarto may be especially mentioned (Fig. 204). But the most important center of artistic activity outside of Rome in the six- teenth century was Venice. The distinguishing characteristic of the Venetian pictures is their glowing color. This is strik- Titian ingly exemplified in the paintings of Titian, the most famous of all the Venetian painters.^ It was natural that artists from the northern countries should Painting in be attracted by the renown of the Italian masters and, after Europe learning all that Italy could teach them, should return home to practice their art in their own particular fashion. About a century after painting began to develop in Italy two Flemish brothers, Van Eyck by name, showed that they were not only able to paint quite as excellent pictures as the Italians of their day, but they also discovered a new way of mixing their colors superior to that employed in Italy. Later, when painting had reached DUrer its height in Italy, Albrecht Diirer and Hans Holbein the ^^471-152 ) 1 Leonardo was engineer and inventor as well. 2 gge Fig. 205 . (1477-1576)