Artists showed religious and nonreligious scenes.

Colors were shown responding to light.

Faces were calm and without emotion.

Figures were fully dressed in stiff-looking clothing.

Backgrounds were mostly one color, often blue or gold.

Bodies looked active, and motion was believable.

Art reflected a great interest in nature.

Painted figures looked two-dimensional, or flat.

Most art was religious, showing Jesus, saints, and people from the Bible.

Figures looked stiff, with little sense of movement.

Scenes showed real people doing everyday tasks.

Figures were nude or draped in togas, or robes.

Full backgrounds showed perspective, adding depth.

Paint colors were bright.

Figures were lifelike but often idealized, or more perfect than in real life.

Figures looked lifelike and three-dimensional, reflecting an increasing knowledge of anatomy.

Important figures were shown larger than others around them.

In paintings, there was little background or sense of perspective.

Paintings were often symmetrical, or balanced, with the right and left sides having identical elements.