Humanism largely shaped Renaissance art through its emphasis on individualism, classical antiquity, and the human experience. This group of intellectuals changed subjects and topics in many different ways:

Focus on the human experience
Humanism encouraged a broader analysis of human emotions and achievements. Paintings like Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” capture an individual’s individuality, and sculptures like Michelangelo’s “David” emphasize the beauty and complexity of the human form Artists used techniques like contrapposto to convey physics and kinesiology and emphasized human dignity and individuality.

Revival of ancient themes
Renaissance artists made extensive use of ancient Greek and Roman mythology, literature, and philosophy. Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” and Raphael’s “School of Athens” reflect a renewed interest in classical ideas of beauty, imagination, and intellectual curiosity In this revival, modern art is related to classical tradition, and it blends past and present.

Religious themes with human influences
Through humanism, religious issues took on a new form. Michelangelo’s “Sistine Chapel Ceiling,” along with “The Creation of Adam,” presents paintings with anatomical realism and emotional depth. This human influence made the sacred relatable and vivid, emphasizing the divine in the human experience.

World headlines and everyday life
Humanity’s focus on human development extended to such mundane details as historical events and everyday life. Jan van Eyck’s “Arnolfini Portrait” captures with striking detail a domestic scene, a celebration of individual life and social status. This change emphasized the importance of secular life alongside religious matters.

Specifically, humanism enriched Renaissance art by foregrounding human experience, reviving classical influences, enriching religious texts with realism, and celebrating secular themes, and that group this promoted a more expressive, natural, and intellectually engaged style of art.