The Peak of Western Painting

The High Renaissance set standards that shaped Western art for centuries:

• Leonardo's sfumato and anatomical precision redefined what painting could achieve
• Michelangelo's Sistine ceiling crowds over 300 figures across its vast surface, from the Creation to the story of Noah
• Raphael's clarity and balance became the template for academic painting into the 19th century
• The Sack of Rome in 1527 ended the era abruptly, scattering artists and shattering papal ambitions

In barely 30 years, these artists defined what "great art" has meant in the Western imagination ever since.