In graduate years, I think it was in freshman class, I took the Western Civilizations course from Prof. Oral Sander, he was a Renaissance lower... When I see a painting of Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael or Titian, I always remember the way he pronounce the word "Renaissance"... :)

As you know Renaissance means "new birth" and when something born it starts to grow...  There has never been growth as lovely as that of painting as it matured into the High Renaissance especially in Italy.

Leonardo was a Scientist, an Inventor and also an Artist, he was one of the greatest painters of the Italian High Renaissance. Here are some of his lovely paintings.

La Jaconde (Mona Lisa)

Madonna Litta

The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne

The Virgin of the Rocks

The Last Supper