Proto-Renaissance

Refers to the style and period generally evident beginning in the mid-12th century in Italy and elsewhere in western Europe. The period overlaps with the Late Medieval period, and is heralded in Italy by the evolution of the city-state and consequent rise in status and individualism of the artist/craftsman. The style in sculpture and painting differs from earlier styles in a renewed appreciation of the art of Classical Greece and Rome, evident in more three-dimensional, naturalistic figures, and compositions influenced by those of Roman sarcophogi and other ancient art.