Not only did the church fund artwork, but private citizens also purchased and collected artwork in a culture where the economy was much better than in medieval times. The Renaissance period in art history corresponded to the beginning of the great western age of discovery and exploration, when there was a general desire developed to examine all aspects of nature and the world. The artwork of the time was and continues to be an expression of the culture.
The artwork during both the Medieval and Renaissance time periods have specific and unique characteristics because of the funding sources and the culture. The artists of the renaissance built upon what had been learned during the medieval time period. Although they expressed themselves artistically through painting, architecture and sculpture, among other mediums, a unique style has been attributed to each of the time periods.
As the Catholic Church funded the artists of the Medieval period and the culture was very spiritual, most of the art was religious. Most people were illiterate during this time period, so many of the artworks were created to teach religious ideas and history to the masses. The figures in these artworks were most of the time fully clothed because of the religious influence. The faces are solemn and lack emotion, representing the people of these dark ages. The artists were not very specific in their artwork, and it lacks depth and perspective. The important figures were large and centered and show little movement. The backgrounds were often single or solid colored. .
The artists of the Renaissance period were not funded completely by the Catholic Church, as the Catholic Church was not as zealous and in control as in the previous time period. Also, more private funding of artwork was available. The works of the Renaissance are religious and non religious. The figures look flawless, dynamic, and show movement.