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The Renaissance was a movement in art that made what we know as the art world today possible. It not only stood as a period of enlightenment for the generations to come it still inspires popular culture today. One way that it is evident is through the names of the popular characters known as the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” They are respectively named Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael. It is no mistake that these are the leading figures of the Renaissance and this fun pop culture reference is an easy way to remember the dominating figures of the era. The Renaissance took place between the 14th and the 17th century beginning in Florence and eventually spreading across the rest of Europe. We will briefly look at some of the contributions and works of these individual artists. Donatello did most of his work in Florence and his most studied work is the “David,” a relatively small figure cast in bronze. It is the first known free standing nude that had been produced since ancient times. Michelangelo was Italian and spent the last years of his life working in Rome. He produced pieces in various media, but is most well known for his work done on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel under Pope Julius II. Leonardo Da Vinci also was an artist that produced work in a variety of media and was the inspiration for the term “Renaissance Man,” meaning a person that is talented in many things. He was a painter, sculptor, scientist, and engineer though many of his machines were not constructed during his lifetime. His fame today is largely due to his unprecedented creativity and scientific disposition as well for being the man behind the painting, “The Mona Lisa,” which was later made into a cultural icon by contemporary artists. Finally Raphael did work under Pope Julius II, as he was alive and working at the same time as Michelangelo. His most notable works include, “The Parnassus,” and “The Madonna of the Meadow.”Keep looking, there’s more: Top Treasures of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel in Italy