
Humanism is a family of intellectual, ethical, and cultural outlooks that center human needs, agency, and dignity, ranging from the philological and educational movement of Renaissance Europe to contemporary secular and religious life‑stances. In modern usage it denotes a naturalistic, reason‑guided approach to knowledge and morality, while historically it referred to the studia humanitatis—grammar, rhetoric, poetry, history, and moral philosophy—revived from Classical antiquity.

Renaissance art, spanning the 14th to 17th centuries, marked a revival of classical learning and aesthetics, emphasizing naturalism, perspective, and humanism. This period produced masterpieces by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, profoundly influencing Western art history.