High Renaissance
1490–1527The apex of Renaissance idealism — perfect proportion, sfumato atmosphere, and pigments ground to microscopic fineness.
Egg tempera giving way to oil on panel/canvas. Sfumato through dozens of translucent glazes. Ultramarine from lapis lazuli, lead white, verdigris, earth pigments.
Leonardo da Vinci
1452–1519Italian
Painter, polymath, inventor. Pioneer of sfumato — imperceptible tonal transitions through dozens of oil glazes.
Deliberately restrained palette. Earth tones modulated through sfumato for atmospheric depth. Shadows warm, never black.
Michelangelo Buonarroti
1475–1564Italian
Sculptor, painter, architect. The Sistine ceiling restoration exposed saturated hues that stunned the art world.
Buon fresco — pigment on wet plaster. Limited to lime-resistant pigments. Characteristically matte, chalky surfaces.
Raphael Sanzio
1483–1520Italian
Achieved ideal harmony of color, composition, expression. His Madonnas defined beauty for centuries.
Broader palette than Leonardo, more saturated than Michelangelo. Combined Florentine drawing with Venetian color.