Discuss the role of the artist during the Renaissance and the elevation of the artist as "genius"—that the artist was no longer considered a skilled craftsperson but a respected and admired professional. The Renaissance focus on the individual was central to the philosophy of Humanism, which decreed a dramatic shift from God and the hereafter to humankind and the here, and now. As a result, subject matter expanded to include both religious and secular art works.

Focus on artists such as Donatello, who reintroduced the n u de (David), and Botticelli, who reintroduced mythology (Birth of Venus) as a major subject for art.