How to Read Renaissance Paintings

Key things to look out for

Venus and Mars (c 1485) by Sandro Botticelli. Tempera and oil on poplar panel. 69 cm x 173 cm. National Gallery, London, UK. Source Wikimedia Commons

Have you ever walked into a room of Renaissance artworks and wondered how on earth to “read” them?

The period of the Renaissance emerged in the late 14th century and lasted until around 1600. It centred mainly around Italy, but flowerings of extraordinary art appeared in numerous locations around Europe.