Define the Renaissance and its innovation in art

The Renaissance started in Italy in the 15th Century. The birthplace of the Renaissance was Florence. The word (from the Italian "rinascimento") means "rebirth". This cultural movement redefined the idea of humankind. Human beings weren't just subject to God's will. This concept, called humanism, based on the rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, changed the mentality of society. The rebirth of ancient knowledge concluded the previous period, called by the humanists the "Middle Ages".
Contemporary art in Italy in the first half of the 15th Century reflected this drastic cultural change. Indeed, the ancient models were inserted into paintings, architecture and sculptures. Filippo Brunelleschi, Donatello and Masaccio reshaped the idea of art. Once again, man was placed at the centre of this change. From the complicated and unrealistic representations of Gothic art, the new art focused on the realistic depictions of humans based on the ancient models and the classical idea of beauty.