His most famous works are the Adoration of the Magi, involving the birth of Christ, and the Birth of Venus, who was a Classical goddess. Because of this theme, the work is described as secular. Bottecelli, like many other Renaissance artist, was supported by patrons, of whom included members of the powerful Medici family. He spent most of his life working for the Medici's, and it is represented in Adoration of the Magi, where, although it was not the Medici's who commissioned him to do the work, they still appear in it. It was common in this time of patronage to illustrate your patrons in your works, and many other artists carried out the act also. Because Bottecelli was part of Bottecelli lived in Florence, like most of the famous artists and sculptors of the Renaissance, which inspired a jealousy in other Italian city-states, especially Venice.
Leonardo da Vinci.
Leonardo was born in Vinci in 1452. From an early age, he began to paint (under the guidance of Verrochio). In all aspects da Vinci is considered the ultimate Renaissance Man. He was the embodiment of Renaissance values and ideals, and was the most flexible mastermind of that period. He was a painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, inventor, anatomist, mathematician, musician, physicist, geographer and more! Everything he attempted he excelled in, and he attempted many things because of his un-paralleled curiosity for the world he lived in (yet another Renaissance theme). Leonardo was considered a great humanist; he believed that the human mind held enormous potential, and when put to use could achieve great feats. In a small way, he was secular because he openly believed that there was "no authority higher than the human eye" and that the human mind was the controlling force in men's lives, not the Church, or governments. Many say that Leonardo was the greatest individual of the Renaissance, for although he did not clearly represent the trends of the time, he did have many Renaissance characteristics such as his love for beauty and nature, and more importantly his curiosity.
